Maintaining ethical and effective billing and collection practices is one of the many challenges law firms face on the business side of the practice. What’s more, delivering the best outcome for your client does not always guarantee prompt payment. Speakers, Erin McCartney, J.D., and Erik Crep, J.D., will discuss the ethics of billing, how to implement client-focused billing processes, and strategies you can use to help you avoid potential fee disputes. Join us to learn helpful tips to establish ethical billing processes to help ensure your firm receives payment for its hard work.

Want to make 2025 your best year ever?

Join us for the Fifth Annual Lawyer Wellness webinar, where you’ll learn how to boost your personal and professional well-being and enter 2025 with renewed enthusiasm. Our free, one-hour webinar will use evidence-based research to help you stay grounded, avoid “overwhelm,” and receive more enjoyment from your law practice.

• Learn how to work with neurobiology rather than against it
• Become a better negotiator, interviewer and advocate through Mindfulness.
• Discover how to make an “Emergency Landing” in difficult times.
• See how “Amygdala hijack” may be sabotaging your law practice.
• Manage end-of-year holiday stress and start off strong in the New Year.
• Obtain 2024 CLE credit without leaving your desk.

The presenter is Colleen Byers, JD, a seasoned litigator, mediator, legal educator, certified yoga instructor, and 2020 North Carolina Lawyer of the Year.

60 Minutes | 1.0 Ethics Credit

Planning a vacation or thinking about winding down your practice?  Before boarding the plane or closing your firm’s doors, ensure that you comply with your ethical obligations and tie up the necessary loose ends.  This webinar will cover the applicable ethics rules related to planning for a temporary absence from your practice, establishing a successor attorney, and considerations when planning your retirement.  Join Attorney Protective Risk Management Attorneys, Erin McCartney and Kate Gould, as they discuss best practices to avoid possible ethics violations whether you are going on vacation or closing your practice. 

Like a mini-MBA for lawyers, this four-part series offers lawyers a unique opportunity to develop essential business and leadership skills that law school never taught but that lawyers really need to know to effectively run a legal practice and deliver excellent legal service to clients.  This series will also equip lawyers with practical tools and strategies to break down the barriers that contribute to disconnection so they can build trust and communicate for influence and impact. 

Join us for Essential Business Skills for Busy Lawyers Part 2 – Build Your Legal Practice Like a Pro.

The ability to negotiate effectively is one of the most important skills that any lawyer can hone. In this CLE, we will explore different negotiation approaches. We will discuss tips and techniques to prepare yourself and your clients for mediation or direct negotiation to maximize the likelihood of an acceptable deal. We will discuss effective negotiation skills to use at the bargaining table, including preparation, active listening, and collaboration. We will also explore strategies for identifying issues and finding common ground to build momentum toward successful resolution.

The presenter is Colleen Byers, JD, MBA, RYT200 of Colleen Byers Mediation, LLC (https://www.byersmediation.com) a seasoned litigator, mediator, legal educator, certified yoga instructor, and 2020 North Carolina Lawyer of the Year.

60 Minutes | 1.0 Regular Credit

* CLE credit pending

As the legal profession continues to evolve, so do legal malpractice claims and the risks to firms.  Lawyers who understand the underlying risks accompanying the practice of law are in a better position to avoid a malpractice claim or grievance.  Join us to review current trends in legal malpractice defense and learn best practices to limit your exposure. Matthew Marrone, Esq. and Seth Laver, Esq., Partners of Goldberg Segalla LLP, examine current ethical pitfalls and discuss how to protect your firm from a malpractice claim in this informative webinar.

Like a mini-MBA for lawyers, this four-part series offers lawyers a unique opportunity to develop essential business and leadership skills that law school never taught but that lawyers really need to know to effectively run a legal practice and deliver excellent legal service to clients.  This series will also equip lawyers with practical tools and strategies to break down the barriers that contribute to disconnection so they can build trust and communicate for influence and impact. 

Join us for Essential Business Skills for Busy Lawyers Part 2 – Build Your Legal Practice Like a Pro.

Lawyers work with people all the time, whether they are their clients, opposing counsel, colleagues, or staff. In order to be an effective legal practitioner as well as an effective manager of the practice of law, every lawyer needs to understand the pivotal importance of empathy in the practice of law. Empathy is the ability to sense other people’s emotions, and to imagine what they might be thinking or feeling. Empathy is a key component of emotional intelligence, which is a core competency of any highly effective lawyer, legal professional, or law firm leader. Research indicates a positive correlation between empathy and operational performance, team climate, and employee retention. Law firms that embrace a culture of empathy toward their clients as well as their internal teams will have a competitive advantage in the legal marketplace.

The presenter is Colleen Byers, JD, MBA, RYT200 of Colleen Byers Mediation, LLC (https://www.byersmediation.com) a seasoned litigator, mediator, legal educator, certified yoga instructor, and 2020 North Carolina Lawyer of the Year.

60 Minutes | 1.0 Regular Credit

* CLE credit pending

The competitive landscape for lawyers and law firms in a digital world is fierce. And the more aggressive it becomes, the greater the risks of running afoul of ethical rules and considerations. Maintaining technological competence and client confidentiality when using online marketing tools and social media are critical. But also understanding the compliance issues that go beyond simply reading the Rules of Professional Conduct can be the difference between a successful campaign and a dreaded violation letter. Join ethics attorney Micah Buchdahl, founder and president of HTMLawyers, Inc., and Kate Gould, AttPro Risk Management attorney, as they discuss how to effectively and ethically market in a digital world.

The laws, regulations and public attitudes on cannabis are changing so rapidly it’s hard to keep up.

Consider: in 2021, a sweeping draft bill titled the ‘‘Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act” was introduced in the US Senate. For the first time in history, leaders in the Senate have proposed legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and effectively end federal prohibition. The bill would, among other things, remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances, impact a range of federal agencies from the National Forest Service to the Federal Aviation Authority, and provide for expungement of certain marijuana offenses.

Although the ultimate fate of the bill is unclear, its mere existence marks a sea change in cannabis law.

For lawyers, this poses a number of challenges:

1. Understanding the laws of their state – which may differ significantly from those of neighboring states – in order to represent their clients competently.

2. Understanding the interplay between federal laws and those in their respective states.

3. Navigating the emerging ethical considerations of cannabis law.

4. Assessing the risks and opportunities for their own law practice.

5. Keeping up with changes in the law, which is evolving at light speed.

Cannabis issues touch on every area of legal practice, from criminal defense to zoning law. Having at least a basic grasp of the key issues is essential.

60 Minutes | 1.0 Regular Credit

* CLE credit pending

The daily pressure of being a lawyer can unfortunately lead to addiction and substance abuse for many lawyers.  Thankfully, there are many resources for those that may be struggling.  Join Erica Grigg, J.D., Grigg Counseling, and Michelle Fontenot, Attorney with the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program, as they thoughtfully examine substance abuse, offer tools to help lawyers find the path to sobriety and wellness in this 60-minute webinar. 

Like a mini-MBA for lawyers, this four-part series offers lawyers a unique opportunity to develop essential business and leadership skills that law school never taught but that lawyers really need to know to effectively run a legal practice and deliver excellent legal service to clients.  This series will also equip lawyers with practical tools and strategies to break down the barriers that contribute to disconnection so they can build trust and communicate for influence and impact. 

Join us for Essential Business Skills for Busy Lawyers Part 2 – Build Your Legal Practice Like a Pro.

Building a legal practice is really about building relationships. This CLE will highlight the keys to successfully build your legal practice, with an emphasis on compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct. We will solve for the dreaded cocktail party “what do you do” question. We will also discuss strategies for attorneys to market themselves both within their firms as well as to external clients.

The presenter is Colleen Byers, JD, MBA, RYT200 of Colleen Byers Mediation, LLC (https://www.byersmediation.com) a seasoned litigator, mediator, legal educator, certified yoga instructor, and 2020 North Carolina Lawyer of the Year.

60 Minutes | 1.0 Regular Credit

* CLE credit pending

The pandemic transformed the legal profession in ways that were unimaginable.  The 2021 ABA Legal Technology Report shows just how dramatic that change has been.

David Ries led our 2022 webinar on Cyber Security Ethics, and makes a return appearance to provide an updated assessment of the constantly evolving landscape of cyber threats.  He is a national thought leader in the burgeoning field of Cybersecurity Ethics. David is author of the Cybersecurity Chapter for the ABA TechReport 2021 and the book Locked Down: Practical Information Security for Lawyers (ABA 2016).

As an attendee, you will learn how technology and cybersecurity are affecting their ethical obligations, including compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct. You will discover best practices for safeguarding client data, maintaining technological competence, and running a virtual law practice. And will learn how to put Cybersecurity Ethics into practice to protect your firm, clients and data.

You DO NOT want to miss this CLE webinar.
* CLE credit pending

Conflicts of interest remain at the top of the list of malpractice claims. Conflicts take many forms and can even develop during the course of representation.  Despite our vigilance, conflicts can be difficult to identify and complicated to handle once they arise.  Please join J. Calhoun Watson, attorney at Robinson Gray located in Columbia, South Carolina, and Kate Gould, Risk Management Attorney at Attorney Protective, as they analyze several potential conflict of interest scenarios. Throughout the webinar, you will receive best practice tips as to how to avoid conflicts and properly address them.  Our speakers will discuss the relevant Rules of Professional Conduct that can help you determine whether a conflict exists, as well as what actions to take when you are confronted with a conflict.

Host: Cozen O'Connor

In this continuing education course, Cozen O’Connor will provide an overview on the basics of cyber insurance, including:

✓  Trends in types of cyber attacks

✓  Cyber underwriting requirements and policyholder preparation 

✓  Cyber coverage litigation and examples of recent court decisions 

✓  And more!

CE credit is available in:  CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, NC, NE, NJ, NY, SC and TX. Additional states pending. 

CLE credit is available in:  CA, IL, MN, NV, NY, PA, and TX. All other jurisdictions will be applied for upon request. 

If you previously earned credit for attending this course, you may not receive credit for completing it again. However, we still encourage you to attend for informational purposes. Please refer to your state's requirements regarding Continuing Education.

While GenAI is top of mind for many attorneys for use in their own work, its use by their expert witnesses has received relatively less attention. This program will explore applications of GenAI in expert witness work based on the current state of the art and anticipated near-term development in the technology.  Our speakers will then provide a set of recommendations on best practices for the use of GenAI for expert witness work.

Speakers:
Collin Starkweather, PhD, President, Starkweather Economics LLC
Izzy Nelken, President, Super Computer Consulting, Inc.

Both the emergence of new social media platforms and the expectations for their use can have serious ethical implications for lawyers.  Practitioners must remain informed to maintain a high standard of digital competence and ensure they are using social media ethically.  Ethics opinions are now routinely issued addressing lawyers’ online interactions regarding witnesses, adversaries and jurors by way of their Facebook and Instagram accounts.  Join speakers Josh Byrne, J.D. and Alesia Sulock, J.D. of Marshall Dennehey, P.C. to discuss this ever-evolving topic and how the Rules of Professional Conduct impact a lawyer’s social media use. 

Like a mini-MBA for lawyers, this four-part series offers lawyers a unique opportunity to develop essential business and leadership skills that law school never taught but that lawyers really need to know to effectively run a legal practice and deliver excellent legal service to clients.  This series will also equip lawyers with practical tools and strategies to break down the barriers that contribute to disconnection so they can build trust and communicate for influence and impact. 

Join us for Essential Business Skills for Busy Lawyers Part 1 – Communicate Like a Pro.

When our interactions with other humans are meaningful and productive, we are not only more personally fulfilled, but we are also more professionally effective. In 2024, there is a heightened sense of feeling unheard, undervalued, and disconnected. Emotions are erupting. Clients and counsel seem to entrench in unreasonable and irrational positions. This presentation will offer specific tools and strategies to immediately implement in your legal practice to improve outcomes when navigating difficult conversations with clients, counsel, and colleagues alike.

The presenter is Colleen Byers, JD, MBA, RYT200 of Colleen Byers Mediation, LLC (https://www.byersmediation.com) a seasoned litigator, mediator, legal educator, certified yoga instructor, and 2020 North Carolina Lawyer of the Year.

60 Minutes | 1.0 Regular Credit

* CLE credit pending

Learn how to supercharge your client generating skills utilizing artificial intelligence from an attorney with over 38 years of experience. Also learn how successful lawyers generate substantial legal fees by using AI to generate referrals. Topics to be discussed will include using AI with websites, blogs, networking, direct marketing, Google, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and more.

Speaker: 
Robert Schaller, Schaller Law Firm, P.C. 
Robert Schaller is a bankruptcy and tax attorney. He concentrates his practice on providing bankruptcy services and IRS tax relief to clients struggling with IRS back taxes. Schaller is both an attorney and registered certified public accountant, and he is president of the National Bankruptcy Academy and presenter at the Schaller Bankruptcy Masterclass. Schaller is a national speaker to bar association committees. He has also published numerous articles appearing in national, state, and local law journals and law reviews. Schaller has also authored 24 books on taxes, bankruptcy, and client development available on Amazon.com. Schaller practices virtually throughout the State of Illinois with his physical office in Oak Brook, IL.

If you have a Google account (you probably do if you use Chrome or the search engine with any regularity), Google collects data about your activity. Unfortunately, it’s up to you to know what data is being collected and to understand how it’s being used, especially given the privacy and ethical implications for lawyers. In this seminar, we’ll outline what is being collected and how you can limit it.

Speaker: 
Anne Haag is a Practice Management Advisor at the Chicago Bar Association. Anne worked as a patent paralegal at a Chicago IP firm before arriving at the CBA in 2017 as the Law Practice Management and Technology department’s trainer/coordinator. She is also a certified crisis counselor and volunteers as a patient advocate in the ER. She is currently working towards her Masters in Social Work through the University of Illinois Chicago to become a licensed mental health professional.

One of the areas in which new solo practitioners struggle most acutely is accounting. Lawyers try to be the bookkeeper for their practice and fail, simply because they don’t have the training required to excel in this department. In this seminar, we’ll cover the following facets you need to be aware of in order to manage your firm’s finances;
- Creating a financial foundation
- How to effectively use financial reports, budgets, & forecasts
- How to manage cash
- The Law Firm Financial Cycle

You’ll leave with a greater awareness of how to manage your money effectively and responsibly.

Speaker: 
Chelsea Williams, Founder, Core Solutions Group, Inc. With over 10 years of experience, Chelsea not only has the knowledge to get your financial house in order, but the personality to make it enjoyable. She understands that law school didn't teach you about money and has built systems to get you from where you are to where you want to be.

The seminar will focus on the current challenges that the healthcare field has faced while expanding access to healthcare. Speakers will discuss the effect of the recent influx of migrants in Chicago. 

Topics and Speakers:
Eligibility Under the Public Charge Doctrine 
The presentation will focus on an overview of the public charge admissibility doctrine. Presenters will discuss whether and to what extent health benefits are “counted” in the public charge test, whether new arrivals might be subject to the public charge test, and new arrivals’ eligibility for various health coverage pathways. 
Andrea Kovach, Senior Attorney, Healthcare Justice at the Shriver Center for Poverty Law 
Daniela Velez-Clucas, Staff Attorney, Healthcare Justice/Immigration at the Shriver Center for Poverty Law 

Adjusting to 81K More Visits: A Hospital System Perspective 
The presentation will focus on how Cook County Health has adjusted their practices to accommodate the 81,000 more visits they had last year from newly arrived migrants in the City of Chicago. Presentation will also include recommendations for hospital systems to follow to prepare for more visits. 
Jeffrey McCutchan, General Counsel, Cook County Health

The Office of the Mayor’s Response to Migrant Healthcare 
The presentation will focus on measures the Office of the Mayor has made to expand the City’s resources to accommodate new arrivals into the city and the challenges the Office of the Mayor has encountered in implementing healthcare changes to assist migrants in the city. 
Dr. Olusimbo Ige, Chicago Public Health Commissioner

Moderator:
Tanairy Delgado, Chair, YLS Health & Hospital Law Committee

Ethical and effective billing and collection is one of the many challenges lawyers face. Even when you have delivered the best possible result for your client, you may have trouble collecting your fee. Clients may balk at the final billing statement or question the work performed. Join speakers Erin McCartney, J.D. and Erik Crep, J.D. as they discuss how to implement client-centric billing processes that will help you avoid potential fee disputes. You will learn helpful billing tips so your firm can establish efficient and ethical billing processes to ensure you are properly compensated for your work.

“Lawyers spend a great deal of their time shoveling smoke.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.’s famous quip wasn’t about navigating a deluge of legal AI hype in 2024, but it could have been. The right type of generative AI offers attorneys immense benefits, but between “robot lawyers” and sanctions from judges for misuse of AI, it can be hard to navigate.

Attend our webinar to learn:

• A brief history of AI and the law

• How to distinguish between responsible and irresponsible uses of AI

• Real, trustworthy applications of generative AI, including legal research, document review, and contract analysis

• How to apply existing legal ethics requirements to generative AI

The presenter is Ryan Groff, Lecturer, Attorney, CIPP/US of Casetext the leaders of innovation in legal AI since 2013 and the developers of CoCounsel, the world’s first AI legal assistant.

Phishing attacks are constantly evolving, becoming more sophisticated and harder to spot. Lawyers are prime targets for these attacks due to the large amount of personal information they retain related to their clients, so it’s essential for lawyers to receive training on this topic. In this seminar, we’ll discuss how the landscape has evolved over the past year and take a look at the various strategies hackers might use to ‘go phishing.’ We’ll also discuss how you can better your odds of spotting a phishing attempt and train team members to do the same.

Speaker: 
Anne Haag is a Practice Management Advisor at the Chicago Bar Association. Anne worked as a patent paralegal at a Chicago IP firm before arriving at the CBA in 2017 as the Law Practice Management and Technology department’s trainer/coordinator. She is also a certified crisis counselor and volunteers as a patient advocate in the ER. She is currently working towards her Masters in Social Work through the University of Illinois Chicago to become a licensed mental health professional.

Lawyers need to have a working knowledge of Microsoft Word 2016. In this program, we’ll look at the basics of what the program has to offer. This will be an introduction to the platform, with a focus on several of its sophisticated formatting tools that can help you create polished, well-formatted versions of the documents you use regularly (engagement letters, retainers, non-engagement letters, etc.). In this class, we’ll explore why utilizing these formatting tools creates stronger documents than doing things manually might. NOTE: This class is ideal for Office 2016 users, but other version users are still welcome. Word for Mac users are welcome as well!

Speaker: 
Anne Haag is a Practice Management Advisor at the Chicago Bar Association. Anne worked as a patent paralegal at a Chicago IP firm before arriving at the CBA in 2017 as the Law Practice Management and Technology department’s trainer/coordinator. She is also a certified crisis counselor and volunteers as a patient advocate in the ER. She is currently working towards her Masters in Social Work through the University of Illinois Chicago to become a licensed mental health professional.

AI is the hottest topic in legal circles today with some lawyers embracing it and some seemingly dismissing artificial intelligence entirely. What is the best way to incorporate it into your practice? And how can you comply with your ethical obligations while using AI? Speakers David P. Atkins and Dana M. Hrelic of Pullman & Comley answer these questions and discuss what AI means in the legal context, how it can be properly used to benefit you and your clients, and the risks related to its use. They will propose internal firm policies to consider before you implement AI tools at your firm. Join us to weigh the benefits and risks of AI in this Brave New World.

Free CLE webinar offered by: Hiscox
Host: Cozen O'Connor
1 CLE credit

In this continuing education course, Cozen O’Connor will provide an overview of commercial general liability insurance. The presenters will explore some related hot topics and address frequently asked questions. 

CLE credit is available in:  CA, IL, MN, NV, NY, PA and TX. All other jurisdictions will be applied for upon request.  

If you previously earned credit for attending this course, you may not receive credit for completing it again. However, we still encourage you to attend for informational purposes. Please refer to your state's requirements regarding Continuing Education.

Proactive planners and probate litigators discuss red flag issues in estate planning from a drafting and litigation perspective.

Event to be moderated by CBA President, Ray J. Koenig III of Clark Hill PLC. Panel is co-sponsored by the CBA Probate Practice Committee and CBA YLS Estate Planning Committee and will feature panelists Robin Maher of Levin Schreder & Carey, Mallory Moreno of Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., Daniel Cornfield of Cornfield Law Office, and Christina Mermigas of Chuhak & Tecson, P.C.

Join the CBA’s new Biometric Information and Privacy Law Committee for its introductory seminar which will focus on current trends in Biometric Information and Privacy Law (BIPA) in the aftermath of the Cothron Decision.

Panelists:
Alejandro Caffarelli, Caffarelli & Associates, Ltd. 
Hon. Morton Denlow, JAMS
Joel Griswold, Baker Hostetler
Mary Smigielski, Lewis Brisbois 
James Zouras, Stephan Zouras, LLP

Moderator: 
Mark Guest, Lewis Brisbois; Chair, CBA Biometric Information and Privacy Law Committee

Join us for the annual CBA Insurance Law Committee seminar where speakers will address cutting edge insurance coverage issues associated with BIPA claims, Artificial Intelligence, and the GIPA class actions vs. life insurers.

Topics and Speakers:
Insurance Coverage for BIPA Claims
Fingerprint mapping, retinal scanning, facial and voice recognition, and other biometric identifiers are no longer just the stuff of futuristic films. These are all metrics that have become increasingly common in our everyday world from accessing your phone, to starting your shift at work. And while these advanced technologies can certainly elevate our lifestyle and productivity, the collection, storage, and use of these metrics can also present new and unique questions when it comes to insurance coverage. These unique questions and disagreement among courts in how to handle them in the legal landscape will be discussed.
Nicholas J. Daly, Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston & Zimet, LLP
Prathyusha Matam, Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston & Zimet, LLP

Artificial Intelligence 
We are finding ourselves in the brave new world. Artificial intelligence is here and permeating our lives more and more.  While involving issues of privacy, the use of AI also raises other issues, many of which impact insurance. One recent example of the challenges of AI is reports by Tom Hanks that ads for dental plans that appeared to feature him were deep fakes created by AI.  These issues, including legal developments in insurance, including regulations, will be discussed.
Daniel Cotter, Dickinson Wright

GIPA Class Actions vs. Life Insurers
As the speakers discussed, BIPA claims are prevalent. In recent months, a new development has occurred under a second act in Illinois, the Genetic Information Privacy Act.  Life insurers doing business in the state have been sued for alleged violations of GIPA.  A brief analysist of GIPA and the nature of the suits, including questions of insurance coverage, will be discussed. 
Daniel Cotter, Dickinson Wright

Moderators:
Daniel Cotter, Dickinson Wright
Thomas Hanekamp, Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston & Zimet, LLP
Chairs, CBA Insurance Law Committee

Learn from the bench and bar practice tips and issue spotting in adoption cases. This seminar will cover new case law updates impacting adoption law and issues in cybersecurity as it relates to adoption. An attorney panel will share issue spotting and practice tips and judges will provide perspective from the bench. 

Topics and Speakers:
Major Case Law Updates
Cailee Alderman, Kogut & Wilson, LLC
Ashley Reed, Monahan Law Group, LLC

Cybersecurity
Don Brown, Firefly Network Services, Inc.

Issue Spotting and Practice Tips 
Genie Miller Gillespie, Gillespie Law Group, LLC 
Shelley Ballard, Shelley B. Ballard, PC 
Denise Patton, Law Office of Denise J. Patton

Perspective from the Bench
Hon. Maureen Ward Kirby, Cook County Circuit Court, Acting Presiding Judge of County Division

Moderator:
Rachael Toft, Law Offices of Rachael Toft; Vice-Chair, CBA Adoption Law Committee