August Compliance Period – Live Video Replay CLE Sale
It’s easy to let the sun and fun of summer distract you from the looming Aug. 31 compliance period deadline. If you’ve fallen behind and need a few credits before the end of the compliance period, no need to worry. The ACBA has you covered.
This Live Video Replay CLE sale will feature screenings of 12 of the ACBA’s most popular CLEs from the ACBA Previously Recorded CLE library. A total of six Substantive and six Ethics credits will be available at the reduced price of $30 per credit for members or $50 per credit for non-members.
Each video will be shown in an ACBA conference room following the schedule listed below. Please be mindful of start times as videos will start promptly then. No credit will be given if you miss more than 10 minutes of any given session.
You can choose the number of programs that you wish to view and since these are Live Video Replays, they “count” as live credits, not distance learning credits.
If you can’t make this in-person event, the ACBA is also offering a Previously Recorded CLE Sale Aug. 22-31 (these are distance learning credits); click here for more.
Substantive Programs
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. – How to Advocate for Children with Disabilities
This program covers what individualized education plans (IEPs) are and how they can benefit families with children with disabilities. The goal of the CLE is to educate attendees about how to conduct IEP meetings. Additionally, it will cover partnering with Pitt Law to get referrals to help families who could use pro bono attorneys when advocating for their children.
10:05 – 11:05 a.m. – The Second Founding: A Historical Look at Race and the Law
The program will examine the “Second Founding” – the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and related civil rights statutes. The knowledgeable panel discusses the amendments and the extent to which these amendments were able to remediate the lingering effects of slavery, recognize Black citizenship, protect rights to due process and equal protection for all, and enfranchise African Americans.
In addition, the program will discuss the ebb and flow of racial progress in Pittsburgh during this time period, including within the legal community.
11:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. – Practical Advice for In-House Attorneys
This is the ideal program for those considering taking on an in-house role or for those who have recently transitioned into being an in-house lawyer.
An esteemed panel of leaders will share their insights about being effective in-house attorneys. Specific topics to be covered include choosing an in-house attorney role, cultivating success, overcoming challenges as an in-house counsel, managing outside counsel and practical tips and takeaways. Each panelist will share three things that they wish they knew before going in-house.
12:15 – 1:15 p.m. – Optimizing Your Social Media Presence
Do you use social media just to “like” and “share” cute animal videos and memes? Does this program have you wondering, “What even is LinkedIn?” or “How could I use social media in a professional yet productive manner?” The Internet is more than a collaboration of trolls. It’s also the next huge platform in the digital age for your law firm’s outreach to prospective clients. An expert panel describes the ins and outs of effective social media outreach and marketing, as well as various tips and tricks for navigating the many social media platforms out there, giving advice on effectively and ethically using these tools. Find out what it takes to boost your social media persona from a follower into an influencer and what that means for your law practice.
1:20 – 2:20 p.m. – An Overview of Remote Work
This CLE will cover the lastly impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had upon remote work. Get an overview of present and future issues surrounding remote work. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of the changes to remote work that have occurred during the past three years, and they will gain insights into projected changes in the years to come. Pre- and post-COVID cases concerning remote work will be discussed, in addition to the idea of working from home as a disability accommodation. Both the positives and negatives of remote work will be examined. Different remote work policies of several companies will be discussed and analyzed as well, and a description of successful work-from-home company policies will be presented.
2:25 – 3:25 p.m. – Postmortem Toxicology for Attorneys
Allison Muller, an expert witness working with attorneys on cases related to drugs, shares information encountered in autopsy reports and other postmortem findings that are trying to tell the story of what happened to a person prior to death. Was there a drug overdose? Was a prescription medication responsible for the fatality? Was the person impaired prior to a fatal accident? Did use of a street drug contribute to the death?
This one-hour session will cover what happens in the body after death. How do postmortem changes affect drug levels? What are the different sources of drug levels in dead people (and why is eyeball fluid being tested anyway)? The program will also cover procedural components and careful drafting, causation “due to” vs. “arising out of…” and expressing negligence and fair notice requirements.
Ethics Programs
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. – Equality, Diversity and Cannabis Policy
A panel including policy experts, cannabis entrepreneurs and a legislator will explore the disparate impact of Pennsylvania’s criminal laws and cannabis business regulations on minority populations. Topics to be discussed include equal access to cannabis businesses for communities of color, and social and policy initiatives to address barriers that prevent social and economic equity in the industry.
10:05 – 11:05 a.m. – Pro Bono Service to Support Veterans and Service Members
This program will provide an overview on the Rule of Professional Conduct regarding pro bono service, as well as statements from the judiciary about the importance and need for pro bono service. Neighborhood Legal Services will provide information about how attorneys can sign up for VetLex to provide pro bono legal services to veterans and service members, as well as the different areas of need that NLS tends to see. The Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University Veterans Clinic will provide information about its services, the legal needs of veterans who seek out their services and ways for attorneys to support the clinic and local veterans and service members.
11:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. – Ethics Issues in the Handling and Production of Criminal and Civil Evidencey Board
“My client just handed me the murder weapon.” Or “My client in a civil case just handed me a tape of an illegally recorded phone conversation.” When attorneys encounter these scenarios, do you have a duty to turn it over, despite the risk of incrimination? Don’t rely on Perry Mason for ethics advice. This program, featuring ACBA Professional Ethics Committee members John Riordan and Adrian Roe along with Samuel Napoli with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, takes a hard look.
12:15 – 1:15 p.m. – Practical and Ethical Considerations for a Remote Law Office
This program will focus on the operation of a law practice from a remote location, whether it’s your home, your car, a coffee shop or your vacation home in another jurisdiction. A panel will address the practical and ethical aspects lawyers may encounter in this increasingly frequent environment.
1:20 – 2:20 p.m. – Eating, Sex And Exercise Disorders: When Enough Isn’t Enough
Food, sex, exercise – all may involve a variety of commonly enjoyed experiences that are healthy, essential parts of our lives. But when any of them become a major focus in your life, are difficult to control and are disruptive or harmful to you or others, they may be considered part of a compulsive, disordered or addictive behavior. No matter what it is called or the exact nature of the behavior, if it results in damage to self-esteem, relationships, career or your physical and/or mental health, you may need help to manage it. This program offers guidance for attorneys with colleagues or loved ones facing these challenges, or those afflicted themselves.
2:25 – 3:25 p.m. – The Surveillance of a Spouse
“My spouse is cheating on me. I know it, but how do I prove it?” Family law attorneys hear this from clients on almost a weekly basis. Because these issues can have criminal ramifications, colleagues practicing in that area of the law are often consulted. When you are confident that surveillance is needed to prove infidelity in a divorce case, or to assist in meeting your burden of proof in a protection from abuse action or a custody case, it’s important to know what types of information and obtaining techniques are legal and how to use the surveillance to prove your important facts. Learn the do’s and don’ts of surveillance in family law matters, including an update on Pennsylvania’s wiretapping law from a leading criminal lawyer, a family law lawyer, a trial court judge and a well-known investigative/security consultant.”