From donut shaped door handles, to the distinctive "scent of sweet, slightly musky, wheat-based dough" - better known as Play-Doh. Trademark law protects a wide variety of company & product logos, words, slogans and more.

Todd Fichtenberg will walk you through the wonderful world of trademarks and trademark law protections. Todd will mainly talk about what every attorney needs to know about trademarks, how trademarks protect brands in today's marketplace and counseling your clients on trademark registration and protection. Also discussed: service marks, certification marks, trade dress, product packaging, product design, store configuration, the distinctiveness spectrum, generic marks: cannot be registered, fighting genericide, acquired distinctiveness/secondary meaning, free speech & trademarks, disparaging marks, the notice of opposition, "scandalous & immoral," Likelihood of Confusion, dilution, blurring, tarnishment, parody, use application timeline 1(a), maintenance and trademark registration. Todd will also cover recent case law involving: Starbucks, Mutual of Omaha, Chewy Vuiton, NFTs, Jack Daniel's, Walmart vs. Kanye West (Yeezy) and Nike vs. StockX.

Todd A. Fichtenberg, Esq., has been a practicing attorney for over 11 years. Although Todd focuses his practice primarily on trademarks, he also has a wealth of experience in protecting creditors' rights in bankruptcy, probate & estate planning and business litigation.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Intellectual Property

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 05/22/2028 Original Production Date: 05/22/2023
Run Time: 0:59:59

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Settlement talks have broken down and you are now faced with the daunting task of preparing for your first trial. What are the most important points you need to know before the trial starts?

After scouring volumes and tomes of books on trial practice & strategy, Evan Walker tried his first case and now he wants to share with you what he learned and what he would do better. Evan will break down each main phase: pre-trial, voir dire, opening statement, direct examination, cross examination and closing argument. Evan will specifically address: trial strategy & practice guides, trial statistics, testimonial & documentary evidence, lay & expert witnesses, laying a proper foundation, the evidence code & planning for admissibility, hearsay exceptions, using motions in limine, planning for admissibility, raising key case concepts with potential jurors, pre-emptory challenges, discussing standards of proof & fault, telling a story in opening, persuasion, witness testimony. This course serves as an excellent resource for attorneys about to try their first case.

Evan W. Walker has practiced law since 2008. He is licensed to practice in California, Connecticut, and Louisiana. Evan’s practice is devoted to serious personal injury claims and catastrophic property damage claims.

Practice Areas: Litigation, Personal Injury

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 11/11/2026 Original Production Date: 11/11/2021
Run Time: 1:00:04

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In today’s increasingly sophisticated threat environment, attorneys and law firms are prime targets for complex fraud schemes designed to exploit trust accounts. This program provides a practical, real-world examination of attorney-targeted fraud, focusing on how seemingly legitimate client engagements can quickly evolve into high-value financial scams with significant ethical and financial consequences.

Using a detailed case study involving a multi-party transaction known as the “Barker Oil & Gas” scenario, the course walks participants through the lifecycle of a modern attorney retention scam—from initial contact and client onboarding through the receipt of funds, trust account activity, and ultimate discovery of fraud. As illustrated in the course materials, these schemes often involve stolen identities, realistic business entities, legitimate-looking documentation, and carefully staged communications designed to build credibility and urgency.

Learning Objectives:

* Identify common characteristics of attorney-targeted fraud schemes

* Recognize “red flags” and “yellow flags”

* Analyze how trust account vulnerabilities are exploited

* Implement best practices for client verification and due diligence

* Respond effectively to suspected or confirmed fraud

* Apply ethical obligations under professional responsibility rules, including duties related to client funds, communication & remediation after a fraud event

* Utilize a structured fraud response framework

* Evaluate firm-wide risk management strategies

Participants will learn to identify the “yellow flags” that frequently appear in these transactions, including unfamiliar referral sources, sophisticated client communications, delayed discussion of funds, the use of third-party intermediaries and requests for trust account disbursements based on invoices that appear legitimate. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to response strategies once fraud is suspected or confirmed.

Participants will receive a structured “Fraud Victims Toolkit,” outlining immediate and ongoing steps to take, including contacting financial institutions, state bar authorities, law enforcement agencies, insurers, and other affected parties. Attorneys will leave with a deeper understanding of both the operational and ethical risks associated with trust account fraud, as well as practical tools to protect their firms and respond effectively if targeted. Jennille Smith is an attorney admitted in Vermont and California whose practice focuses on critical infrastructure development, regulatory compliance, and complex project strategy.

Practice Areas: Law Practice Management, Real Property

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 04/30/2031 Original Production Date: 04/30/2026
Run Time: 1:00:03

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This CLE program is designed to guide estate planning attorneys through the often-overlooked nuances of trust drafting and funding. With real-world examples and practical drafting language, attorney Leah Morrison highlights the most common mistakes practitioners make when preparing and funding trusts. From discretionary standards and trustee powers to titling assets and interpreting ambiguous clauses, this course equips attendees with actionable strategies to improve trust clarity, enforceability and alignment with client intent. This session provides essential tools to reduce risk, avoid litigation and deliver higher-value estate plans.

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify the essential components of a valid trust and explain the roles and responsibilities of trustees, beneficiaries, and grantors.

• Interpret and evaluate key trust language — including Health, Education, Maintenance, and Support (HEMS) clauses — to ensure clarity and consistency with settlor intent.

• Assess the implications of trustee discretion and standard of review in discretionary distributions, with an emphasis on avoiding misinterpretation and potential litigation.

• Analyze real-world drafting and funding mistakes to understand their consequences and apply corrective strategies in practice.

• Implement effective funding strategies by correctly titling assets and coordinating trust provisions with beneficiary designations, tax implications, and estate planning goals.

Leah Morrison thinks of tax law as a board game with very elaborate rules. Once you learn the rules, you can learn how to navigate the game – and win. Her knowledge of both tax and estate law allows her to present her clients with options for estate plans that take taxes into account when appropriate.

Practice Areas: Trusts and Estates

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 06/06/2030 Original Production Date: 06/06/2025
Run Time: 1:00:00

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Trustees are frequently pulled into litigation involving the validity or construction of a trust instrument or amendment. Sometimes, the trustee itself is accused of inappropriate conduct. It is better to resolve trust litigation early and efficiently.

Hon. Glen M. Reiser (Ret.) has vast experience adjudicating and resolving thousands of complex commercial, real property/environmental, trust and family law disputes as a respected trial judge and litigator. In this CLE, Judge Reiser will provide his practical insights and guidance to trust professionals on the mediation process and how to achieve the best results for their clients. The main topics: the Role of Trustees in Mediation, the How & Why to Mediate and Best Practices for the Mediation. Additional subjects: Arbitration vs. Mediation, Mediation in Probate, Trust & Conservatorship Litigation, Mediation: Who Attends, the Trustee as Neutral Stakeholder, the Trustee as Target, Mediation: When Is Best, the Mediation Process, Helping the Mediator Help You, Impairments to Settlement, Overcoming Real Barriers, Working on Creative Solutions and the Settlement Agreement.

Hon. Glen M. Reiser (Ret.) has vast experience adjudicating and resolving thousands of disputes and he regularly teaches California judges trust, probate, and conservatorships through the Judicial Council of California’s Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER).

Practice Areas: Family Law, Trusts and Estates

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 06/30/2028 Original Production Date: 06/30/2023
Run Time: 1:00:00

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The 2008 Mortgage Crisis put many homeowner's underwater. Millions lost their homes to foreclosure and often filed for bankruptcy in the process.

UDAAP blossomed out of the 2008 financial crisis to protect consumers against "unfair, deceptive, or abusive" by companies selling financial products. In this CLE, Brian Brunkow will analyze the 3 main tests, outline the key impacts of UDAAP and provide best practices to remain compliant with this key legislation that impacts almost every lending regulation and part of the lending cycle. Brian will also discuss: Al Capone & UDAAP, lenders, the Unfair Test, Deceptive Acts & Practices, the Abusive Test, the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), lending regulations, the lending cycle, discrimination, data security, BOD & management oversight, Compliance Management System (CMS), enforcement actions and final compliance tips. UDAAP's influence on the mortgage industry is all-encompassing, affecting each step of the lending cycle from advertising to servicing closed loans.

Brian Brunkow is a Seattle-area lawyer focused on negotiations, dispute resolution and NCAA compliance. In addition, he teaches lawyers about sports agency law and speaks at West Coast coaching clinics on student-athlete development.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Real Property

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 06/17/2027 Original Production Date: 06/17/2022
Run Time: 1:15:00

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Your client is accused of kidnap, murder and arson. Of course, your client swears he was nowhere near the incident scene because he spent the night at his girlfriend's house that night. How can you prove this to the jury?

Just ask special agent turned digital forensic examiner Eric Grabski! Using the girlfriend's Facebook IP address, network subscriber info and WiFi data, Eric was able to prove definitively that the suspect was nowhere near the murder scene on the night in question. From tracking murder suspects with Facebook Live data - to pointing out mistakes in the state's location evidence due to bad vector analysis - Eric will show you how to analyze cell phone location evidence in your legal cases. Eric will mainly discuss: Sources of Evidence: Cellular Providers & Network, Understanding Call Detail Records - CDRs and the Reliability of Location Information: Bolstering the Evidence. Additional topics: burner phones, cellular design network, legal process & discovery, using subpoenas, Cell Site Location Information (CSLI), phone extractions, location data from multiple sources, social media records and Google Takeout.

Eric Grabski is an expert witness specializing in historical cell site analysis, call detail record analysis, and mobile device forensics. Eric is currently a Senior Digital Forensic Examiner with Envista Forensics where he provides consultation to attorneys regarding criminal and civil litigation.

Specialty Areas: Technology

Practice Areas: Criminal Law, Litigation, Personal Injury, Technology

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 11/07/2027 Original Production Date: 11/07/2022
Run Time: 1:30:00

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With multiple COVID-19 vaccines now deployed and available, employers and their counsel must be ready to develop policies dealing with vaccinating employees. Unfortunately, there are many more questions than answers in the alphabet soup regulatory maze - OSHA, Title VII, ADA, HIPAA, EEOC, ERISA, NLRA.

What if an employee doesn't want to wear a mask? Will vaccination be mandated, encouraged, incentivized, or facilitated for some or all employees? What types of incentives - like cash bonuses & PTO - can employers legally provide? And what the heck is a Vaccine Ambassador? Luckily, Brian D. Abramson, Esq. is here to help answer some of your most pressing questions. An adjunct professor of Vaccine Law, Brian will provide some expert guidance for businesses, employers and the attorneys that represent them. He will further cover: public & employer mandates, Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), reasonable accommodations, VAERS Reporting System, OSHA Reporting and key points & clauses for company Vaccination Policies. Case law discussed: Klaassen v. Trustees of Indiana University, Jenkins v. Mercy Hospital and Bridges v. Houston Methodist.

An author and highly requested lecturer, Brian Dean Abramson is a leading expert on vaccine law and is the primary author of Vaccine, Vaccination, and Immunization Law, the most comprehensive treatise written for this field of law.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Employment Law, Litigation

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 08/27/2026 Original Production Date: 08/27/2021
Run Time: 1:30:11

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Cheryl Nolan is an animal law lawyer who helps aggrieved pet owners with veterinary malpractice claims. She handles cases involving dogs, cats, horses, birds... and even hamsters.

In this CLE she will discuss the hallmarks of dog & animal law, types of claims, theories of liability, small claims vs. the veterinarian board and case development. Additional subjects: animal law practice areas, private equity & veterinarians, the roots of animal law, what pet owners want, handling animal disputes with alternative dispute resolution (ADR), Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton's mediation practice, breach of contract, bailment, malpractice & negligence, conversion, consumer protections, fraud & misrepresentation, deceptive business practices, market value, replacement value, special & unique value monetizing bowser and utilizing expert witnesses to guide the case. Cheryl will conclude by providing a detailed analysis of two actual case examples where she helped pet owners.

Cheryl Nolan decided on a career in law to help others and be of service. After 23 years promoting the interests of the disadvantaged and equal access to justice, Cheryl now runs an animal-centered law practice.

Practice Areas: Law Practice Management, Litigation, Real Property

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 04/30/2028 Original Production Date: 04/30/2023
Run Time: 1:00:00

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This CLE will offer in-depth legal analysis and practical suggestions on how ethical duties can empower policy holders when a liability insurer agree to defend under a reservation of rights but then appoints defense counsel and directs the defense.

In this CLE, Stephen L. Thomas examines the language of the ethical rules, liability insurance law, and provides non-litigation solutions for panel counsel to comply with ethical obligations, for reserving insurers to fulfill contractual & regulatory obligations, for policyholders to enforce their rights and for counsel for injured victims to facilitate prompt settlements. The main issues discussed: how a reservation of rights triggers counsel's duty of undivided loyalty and creates a possible conflict of interest, well established (disparate) case law and practice pointers for how policy holders can win. Also covered: the 3 Types of Jurisdictions, the California Restatement Rule, Per Se Rule states, the Enhanced Duties Rule, Rule 1.7: Undivided Loyalty, Rule 1.4: Communication, Rule 1.6: Confidentiality, Rule 1.8: Compensation (Cal. 1.8.6), the 6 Prongs to success, developing admissible evidence, Insurance Industry Defenses, case law. Model emails & letters, questionnaires and a detailed memorandum of law are also provided in the written materials.

An attorney with over 40 years of experience in Insurance Law, Stephen L. Thomas focuses on defending policyholders in a wide variety of liability suits.

Specialty Areas: Legal Ethics

Practice Areas: Business Law, Ethics, Personal Injury, Real Property

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 03/20/2028 Original Production Date: 03/20/2023
Run Time: 2:00:00

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The ERC is a complex claim with precise requirements to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the IRS has received over 4 million of these claims over the course of the program. Amid a surge of questionable claims the IRS ordered an immediate stop to new Employee Retention Credit (ERC) processing to protect taxpayers from scams.

Essentially, aggressive marketing to ineligible applicants created unacceptable risks to businesses and the tax system, possibly costing the IRS north of $500 billion in fraudulent claims. Tax attorney Sam Brotman has diligently advised business owners on their options and has helped claim over $100 million in ERC tax credits for his clients. He will explain in common sense terms what you need to know about the ERC tax credit to advise your business clients. Sam will mainly cover: recent ERC developments, the magnitude of the ERC for the IRS & businesses, ERC Mills, the two tests: Financial Impact & Operational Impact, IRS enforcement. Additional topics of discussion: how conservative CPAs processed ERC claims, how different business were affected in different ways, urban vs. rural, differences in state orders, the 9/14/2023 IRS Moratorium, the IRS Voluntary Disclosure Program (ERC-VDP), being proactive, seeking tax advice in an opinion letter and helping your client to understand all their options.

Samuel D. Brotman is the founder of Brotman Law. His practice primarily centers on all aspects of tax litigation and criminal & civil tax controversies. Although a strong proponent of early stage tax resolution, Sam's practice is uniquely tailored to assist clients in all phases of their tax controversy from administrative resolution of the lawsuit.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Taxation

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 02/28/2029 Original Production Date: 02/28/2024
Run Time: 1:00:00

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When is too much of a good thing...too much? Eating a great meal and getting in a good sweat at the gym are healthy, essential parts of many of our lives. But when there is never enough, it may be considered part of a compulsive, addictive or disordered behavior.

As the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, Brian Quinn has seen a significant increase in a number of disorders amongst attorneys during the pandemic - from compulsive gambling to impostor syndrome. He has also seen a corresponding rise in eating, sex and exercise disorders - a topic he covers in-depth in this eye-opening CLE. He will focus on symptoms, causes, early warning signs, physical & social impacts, easy well-being strategies for attorneys that work, barriers that prevent lawyers & judges from seeking help and a giving yourself a chance for success. Also discussed: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, Binge Eating, Orthorexia, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), SCOFF, Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) and Compulsive Exercise Disorder.

Prior to working for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL), Brian S. Quinn was a sole practitioner for nearly 40 years and has also worked in the field of Alcohol and Drug Counseling at Mirmont Treatment Center and Malvern Institute in suburban Philadelphia.

Specialty Areas: Prevention & Detection Competence

Practice Areas: Prevention & Detection Competence

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 03/29/2027 Original Production Date: 03/29/2022
Run Time: 1:00:00

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In today's outrage culture, things can go sideways very quickly for your clients in the court of public opinion. And "Bad Press" now includes blogs, social media, influencers and every Joey Bag O'Donuts with an iPhone.

This negative publicity - and sometimes downright outrage - can detrimentally affect your client's case and the results you can achieve for your client. A Crisis PR Expert, Dave Oates knows the risks of public interest firsthand and will show you how to handle media interest in your case when it hits the blogs, YouTube, Twitter and the nightly news. Main topics in this CLE: The Risks of Public Interest on Your Client's Legal Case, Preparing for Trial Publicity, Social Media & Influencer Interest, Litigation: Expanding Your Client's PR Presence, How to Handle Adjudication & Settlement and Preparing for Questions: How to Proceed Post Event. Further points of discussion: resetting the narrative, the public's view is perception, government entities, the wrongful termination case of Dr. Hasan Gokal, protecting the client, preparing for potential outcomes, creating a decision tree to proactively communicate and preparing for Q&As.

Starting as a U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer and later as a Corporate CMO & Non-Profit President, Dave Oates has 30 years of experience dealing with Crisis PR. His experiences include employee & executive misconduct, cybersecurity attacks, product recalls, mass layoffs, large-scale accidents, criminal investigations, and civil litigation matters.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Criminal Law, Employment Law, Litigation, Personal Injury

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 06/22/2028 Original Production Date: 06/22/2023
Run Time: 0:59:59

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"Those who tell the stories rule society." - Plato. And those lawyers who tell the best legal story win their cases.

In this CLE, Jennifer Gardner shows you how lawyers can tell powerful legal stories and how to be a powerful legal storyteller. The main topics presented include: whoever tells the best story wins the trial or case, telling your client's persuasive legal story, what makes a good legal story great and what makes a good legal storyteller great. Additional topics: key concepts of engaging stories, humans learn through story, telling persuasive stories in your legal case, the neuroscience of storytelling, the right brain & emotions, the left brain as gatekeeper, triggering the right brain, universal story themes, struggle & conflict, Joseph Campbell & The Hero's Journey, archetypes, superheroes + antiheros, outlaws + tricksters, the emotional reality of your clients, credibility & authority, building trust & rapport, being human, how to listen actively and repetition & mirroring.

Jennifer B. Gardner has served clients in criminal and civil legal disputes since 1987 as a trial lawyer in Los Angeles since 1992. A proud graduate of the Trial Lawyers College, Jennifer is also a writer, a speaker and magnetic courtroom presence.

Practice Areas: Criminal Law, Litigation, Personal Injury

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 10/30/2028 Original Production Date: 10/30/2023
Run Time: 1:00:00

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More people buying dogs during the pandemic, more delivery drivers, more people working & staying around the house - and there's always plenty of tasty mail carriers. More dogs means one thing - more dog bites.

And when man's best friend isn't so friendly, the consequences can unfortunately be deadly. A former prosecutor turned personal injury trial attorney, Claudine Wilkins will discuss practical tips for winning dog bite cases for your clients - from plaintiff's strategies & theories of law to restitution and damages. Additional topics of discussion: state law, reactionary & predatory dog bites, dog attacks, adoption centers & shelters, intentional mislabeling, toolkits, the prosecutor's checklist, legislation, restitution, liability, negligence, Dog at Large ordinances, injuries, initial intake, investigations, case law & examples, causes of dog bites, contributing factors, bad enclosures and bad laws. Claudine will also cover case intake, negligence & investigations and share numerous practical tips & strategies you can deploy at trial to get the best result for your client.

Claudine Wilkins is an Animal Law Expert & Attorney. A former prosecutor, she has trained thousands of professionals in animal-related fields.

Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Real Property

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 08/26/2027 Original Production Date: 08/26/2022
Run Time: 1:00:00

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People develop chronic pain and sustain concussion from a wide array of trauma, from car crashes to crane accidents. Unfortunately, while concussions, chronic pain and CRPS can be debilitating - the hidden nature of these injuries can make it difficult to prove to skeptical jurors. .

In this CLE brimming with practical information & insight, trial attorney Brett Schreiber will walk you through working up and trying these invisible injury cases - from client intake to the fine points of communicating your client's story to the jury. Brett will mainly cover client intake, discovery, voir dire and trial prep. He will conclude by analyzing a recent case example where a woman was injured when her foot fell through a second story walkway at an office building. Additional CLE topics: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), mTBI, lien MDs, insurance, disabilities, stalking social media, show & tell, spoon feeding the jury, KenHub.com, Presentation Zen, the TBI Survival Guide, CDC, VA, NIH, Exposing Deceptive Defense Doctors, Budapest Diagnostic Criteria 2003, the Glasgow Coma Score, declarations of witnesses, establishing the medical timeline of treatment and treating vs. expert doctors.

Brett Schreiber's practice includes mass torts, personal injury, medical malpractice and condemnation law. Whether lecturing student groups or handling pro bono claims for wrongfully convicted, he is guided by the Hebrew principle of tikkun olam meaning "heal the world."

Practice Areas: Personal Injury

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 07/08/2027 Original Production Date: 07/08/2022
Run Time: 1:15:00

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From bad IDs to people telling lies, Justin Brooks provides the main reasons that people are wrongfully convicted and he offers detailed accounts of the cases he has worked on. Main topics: bad lawyering, differences in police work in the city vs. the country, you come home & find your partner dead, false confessions, junk science, the jury is blinded by junk science, bad information from informants, and you are poor and/or a person of color. Additional topics: bite mark evidence, bad crime scene preservation, Relative Opinion Process, Cross-Racial Identifications, DNA testing & database, the Reid Technique, the CSI Effect, the McMartin Pre-School case and the Brian Banks case. Professor Justin Brooks directs the LLM Program in Comparative Law in Spanish at the USD School of Law. e administers a national moot court program in Mexico and coordinates the work of 35 innocence organizations in Latin America.

Practice Areas: Criminal Law

Offered In: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 09/18/2028 Original Production Date: 09/18/2023
Run Time: 1:00:00

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