Schedule

The Elephant in the Room: Recognizing Substance Abuse and Competency with Steps on Intervention

Data confirms that licensed attorneys and law students suffer from mental health and substance use problems at greater rates than the general population. But after recognizing potential issues of competency or substance abuse, how do we start the process of intervention? What are the steps in having the "talk" and getting help for a colleague, friend or client? Attendees will hear advice from the Lawyer Assistance Program and a clinical therapist on processes, expectations and how to respond to denial. They will discuss the resources available before the situation escalates to an issue before the Office of Chief Trial Counsel.

Lita Abella is a Senior Analyst with the Lawyer Assistance Program, State Bar of CA. Starr Kelton-Locke is an psychologist with a practice in treating substance abuse and other mental health issues.

Competence Issues (Specialty Credit): 1 CLE

Speakers: Lita Abella and Starr Kelton-Locke Ph.D, PsyD

KEYNOTE: SCOTUS Update

U.C. Hastings Constitutional Law Professor, Rory Little, continues his popular update on SCOTUS cases. A frequent NPR commentator on the Supreme Court, Rory will provide perspective on the divided 3-3-3 Court and discuss upcoming cases and a review of significant case decisions during the 2021 term.

General Credit: 1 CLE

Speaker: Professor Rory K. Little

Guess What? Your Online Mediation Is Not Confidential

Mr. Kichaven will discuss why mediator confidentiality promises carry serious risks, why confidentiality in mediation may not be enforceable; and what you say in mediation may be discoverable.

Legal Ethics (Specialty Credit): 1 CLE

Moderator: Scott Buell

Speaker: Jeff Kichaven

Native Americans: The Forgotten Minority

Systemic injustice and racism go back a long way in this country. From the criminal justice system to housing discrimination to educational inequity to voting rights restrictions, the majority has marginalized and oppressed the minority from the beginnings of this nation. While recently more reported in the news with respect to Black, Asian, and Latinx communities, these same problems have been especially true for Native Americans--the forgotten minority. Please join Lawrence Baca, the former Deputy Director of the Office of Tribal Justice and a Senior Trial Attorney in the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, in an intimate discussion of the discrimination suffered by Native Americans and ways you can help end the explicit and implicit bias.

Recognition and Elimination of Bias (Specialty Credit): 1 CLE

Moderator: Thomas Weathers

Speaker: Professor Lawrence R. Baca

Tax Planning in a Post Prop. 19 World

Prop. 19 dramatically changed the property tax rules for parent-child transfers and base year value transfers (transferring the assessed value from one home to another). This program will explain the new law and will identify planning opportunities and pitfalls, including the use of trusts and legal entities. The speakers will address property taxes, estate taxes, capital gain taxes, and income taxes.

General Credit: 1 CLE

Moderator: Valerie G. Kushel

Speakers: Timothy S. Galusha and Thea Beatie Eliot

Pregnancy & Family Leave--Your Rights & Benefits

This presentation will provide an overview of federal, state, and local laws impacting pregnancy and parenting in the workplace. Topics covered include: protections against pregnancy and family-based discrimination; job-protected time off work; and income replacement while on leave. Ms. Prendiville will present on recent legislation, such as lactation laws, new municipal ordinances, and the upcoming expansion of California's Paid Family Leave program about balancing parenting with a legal career.

General Credit: 1 CLE

Speaker: Maura Prendiville

KEYNOTE: Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, Author of "Her Honor"

Judge Cordell, the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California, knows firsthand how prejudice has permeated our legal system. And yet, she believes in the system. From ending school segregation to legalizing same-sex marriage, its progress relies on legal professionals and jurors who strive to make the imperfect system as fair as possible. In her memoir, Her Honor, Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell provides a rare and thought-provoking insider account of our legal system, sharing vivid stories of the cases that came through her courtroom and revealing the strengths, flaws, and much-needed changes within our courts.

General Credit: 1 CLE

Moderator: Robert Rosborough

Speaker: Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell (Ret.)

Website

How To Avoid Mandatory Fee Arbitration

Every year, attorney-client fee disputes wind up in the MCBA’s fee arbitration process. Mr. Wolfe has served as the arbitrator in eight such cases, including cases in which he was the sole arbitrator and cases in which he chaired a three-arbitrator panel. He will discuss the issues that most commonly result in fee disputes, how best to resolve them before fee arbitration, and how best to avoid adverse fee arbitration awards.

Legal Ethics (Specialty Credit): 1 CLE

Moderator: Robert Rosborough

Speaker: Andrew M. Wolfe

Labor & Employment Law: Vaccines in the Workplace

A distinguished panel of Employment & Labor practitioners will discuss the issues and recommended policies for your clients and their businesses on vaccinated employees returning to the workplace. 10 tips for mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policies.

General Credit: 1 CLE

Speakers: Shannon Clawson, Charles Thompson, and Holly Sutton

Family Law: Avoiding the Top Mistakes Lawyers Make in Drafting Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

Drafting pre-marital and post-marital agreements isn’t simply a matter of gathering the information, summarizing the positions, and drafting the agreement. Rather, it requires sensitivity and skill in dealing with challenging emotional dynamics, and an ability to translate the often-unformed positions and goals of anxious clients. Many family lawyers are reluctant to take on these assignments, overly anxious about potential far-in-the-future malpractice claims. Fortunately, all of these challenges can be overcome, and the mistakes that many lawyers make in this work can be avoided. Frederick Hertz is an attorney and mediator who has worked with couples—both married and unmarried—for more than thirty years. He’s the co-author of numerous books for Nolo Press and the American Bar Association.

General Credit: 1 CLE

Moderators: Ingrid L. Carbone and Kate Rockas

Speaker: Frederick C. Hertz

KEYNOTE: The Unconventional Criminal Defense Lawyer: Highlights from Michael Jackson Trial and more...

Perhaps best known for obtaining a full acquittal in pop-star Michael Jackson’s 2005 trial on child molestation charges, Mr. Mesereau is a nationally renowned criminal defense attorney who has practiced law for over forty years. While his roster of celebrity clients includes Robert Blake, Bill Cosby, and Mike Tyson, Tom also commits to maintaining a robust pro bono practice, running a free community legal clinic in Los Angeles and trying one capital murder case per year in the Deep South for almost 23 years. Prominent law professor Laurie Levenson has called Tom the “best cross-examiner” she has seen, and Judge Lloyd Nash of the LA Superior Court called Tom “one of the finest lawyers I have ever seen” following his cross of witnesses in the Blake murder case. Join us for this conversation with Tom where we’ll be discussing his storied career, his most famous cases, his approach to trying cases, and his methods of preparation.

General Credit: 1 CLE

Moderator: Karthik Raju

Speaker: Thomas Mesereau

Cannabis Update: Current Issues and Laws

How did we get here and where are we going? Join the leading practitioners in the cannabis industry as they cover the regulations governing the cannabis industry in California and what practitioners should know about representing cannabis businesses.

General Credit: 1 CLE

Moderator: Habib Bentaleb

Speakers: Lauren A. Mendelsohn, Lara L. DeCaro and Alison Malsbury

Visual Storytelling for Lawyers

In a profession dominated by text, it's the lawyer who can turn words into pictures who will gain a competitive edge. From diagrams to slides to infographics to video, it's dramatically easier and faster to create visual stories than ever before - if you have the right mindset and methods to get the job done. Join visual storytelling expert Cliff Atkinson and San Rafael attorney William Green at this practical session where you'll see real-world examples of visual storytelling by lawyers and learn how to:

• Find a storyline that sets the foundation for your visuals

• Select the right images

• Use technology you already have to produce a finished product

General Credit: 1 CLE

Moderator: Robert Rosborough

Speakers: Cliff Atkinson and William Green

Conference Finale KEYNOTE: Michael Krasny PhD, Interview with the "Interviewer"

An interview with the renowned "Interviewer". Dr. Krasny’s abilities and reputation as one of the world’s finest interviewers are enhanced by his creative work as an author and educator. He has interviewed a wide range of major political and cultural figures. He is also a veteran interviewer for the nationally broadcast City Arts and Lectures series. Dr. Krasny will be discussing Let There Be Laughter: A Treasury of Great Jewish Humor and What It All Means and memorable interviews over his 30 years of hosting Forum.

Moderator: Ahtossa P. Fullerton

Speaker: Michael Krasny, PhD