First Friday Ethics: October 2026
Need ethics credit? We’ve got you covered! UT Law CLE’s First Friday Ethics streams live every first Friday of the month, and features some of our best ethics speakers and presentations for a total of 3.00 hrs ethics credit. Fulfill your entire annual ethics requirement in Texas in one day! Ethical Responsibility in Learning How to Use Technology and AI in Appellate PracticeDiscuss the ethical obligations of appellate attorneys impacted by the use of AI, as well as how appellate courts are beginning to use AI. From the duty of technological competence to the duty to supervise to the duty of candor to the tribunal (and much more), it is critical for appellate practitioners to understand AI’s benefits and risks for their practice, and to know where the boundary lines are drawn. Also, hear about cutting-edge topics, including the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI assistants to record and summarize client communications. Hon. John G. Browning, Of Counsel, The Cole Law Firm, McKinney, Texas and Distinguished Jurist in Residence, Faulkner University School of Law - McKinney, TX Why Self-Care Feels Impossible for LawyersYou know self-care matters, yet during a demanding workday it often feels unrealistic or indulgent. In this session, discover why a stressed nervous system naturally prioritizes urgency over restoration and why traditional self-care advice rarely works for lawyers. Learn how to embed small regulation practices throughout your workday to shorten stress cycles, “timebending” how long you remain in a stress response. Marla Mattenson, Mattenson Coaching & Consulting, Inc - Santa Barbara, CA Ethics Lessons from the Hit TV Show “Suits”The hit series "Suits" follows new associate Mike Ross in his adventures in big law working under partner Harvey Specter. In aggressively advocating for their clients, this duo uses tactics most attorneys wouldn't normally see in a merger or a hearing before a judge. In this presentation, Texas litigator Brent Turman tracks these fictional attorneys' cases as well as the power struggles within this firm of diverse and interesting characters, explaining whether their on-screen actions comply with specific ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (spoiler alert: most of the time they don't.). Through the lens of this captivating series, Turman provides an entertaining way for attorneys to obtain ethics credit. Brent A. Turman, Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 3.00 hrs | 3.00 Ethics
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 9/30/2027
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First Friday Ethics: October 20265 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
Hooked on CLE: October 2026
THIS MONTH: Beware the Boilerplate! And Other Contract Pitfalls • Future Issues with Regards to Forensic Sciences • What's Your Case Worth? • Housing Options for Individuals with Disabilities • Ethics Game Show
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 4.00 hrs | 1.00 Ethics
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 9/30/2027
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Hooked on CLE: October 20265 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
Answer Bar: Oil, Gas and Energy Agreements and Contracting Essentials
Session 1: The Oil and Gas Lease, Part I: Classification, Scope of Grant and Duration - An in-depth focus on how an oil and gas lease is classified in law and on the key clauses of the lease. Session 2: The Oil and Gas Lease, Part II: The Royalty Clause in an Oil and Gas Lease - In Texas, the calculation of the royalty obligation created under an oil and gas lease is determined by looking at the specific language contained in the royalty clause. Royalty terms in the lease such as "market value at the well" or "amount realized" establish how the royalty payor must measure and calculate royalty, and what post-production costs can be allocated to the lessor interest. This presentation reviews some of the principal phrases used to describe such obligations and how the Texas courts have interpreted them, and examines how that same language has been interpreted differently in other jurisdictions. It analyzes the impact of division and transfer orders and royalty payment statutes on royalty obligations contained in the lease. Session 3: The Oil and Gas Lease, Part III: Implied Covenants - Examination of the law of implied covenants, including the duties imposed, elements necessary to establish a claim, and remedies and defenses available. Session 4: The Oil and Gas Lease, Part IV: Other Clauses - Review other clauses in an oil and gas lease, including surface use clauses and riders, retained acreage and proportionate reduction clauses, and savings clauses such as continuous operations, dry hole, force majeure, and shut-in gas royalty clauses. Session 5: Agreeing to Agree: Mutuality of Obligation in Modern Oil and Gas Contracts - Modern oil and gas contracts often contemplate future cooperation between the parties and negotiation of additional agreements, which can lead to enforceability problems. Discuss essential contract formation concepts for complex oil and gas transactions, specifically regarding consideration and mutuality of obligation. The presentation will also include a review of recent cases and suggestions for avoiding common pitfalls. Session 6: Joint Operating Agreements: Best Practices and Emerging Legal Issues - Explore key legal principles and practical considerations in structuring and negotiating JOAs in oil and gas operations. This session covers various pressing issues, including operator and non-operator rights and obligations, risk allocation, indemnity provisions, and contract modifications in the context of evolving regulatory and market conditions. Session 7: Gas Trading Contracts: Force Majeure and the Fallout from Uri - Cover the basics of NAESB gas trading contracts, the legal issues that arose following Winter Storm Uri, and the NAESB Special Provisions that can make or break your case. Session 8: Carbon Capture and Sequestration Permitting and Contract Issues - Address recent developments in state and federal regulation of the rapidly evolving carbon capture industry in Texas and recent trends in negotiating pore space agreements. Session 9: The Meaning of ‘Other Minerals’ and Other Incidents of Mineral Ownership - A reexamination of the granting clause and the meaning of “other minerals” as they pertain to other incidents of the mineral estate, including produced water, lithium, and porous space. Session 10: Business Court Update - (Almost) two years in, how goes the Court?
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 5.75 hrs | 0.50 Ethics
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 9/30/2027
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Answer Bar: Oil, Gas and Energy Agreements and Contracting EssentialsNot yet rated
eSupplement to the 21st Annual Advanced Texas Administrative Law Seminar
Session 1: Practical Tips for Submitting a Public Information Act Ruling Request - Take an in depth look at the requirements of section 552.301 of the Government Code. Look at common pitfalls when submitting a ruling request and representative samples. Review some hypotheticals to help get your ruling request right. Session 2: Building the Plane Mid-Air: Health System Implementation and Governance of AI - Discuss Parkland Health's journey to develop and implement a governance structure for new AI technology, even as state and federal law in this space continue to evolve Session 3: Outsmarting the Smartphone: Crucial Evidence Could Be In Your Back Pocket - In the digital era, smartphones are not just communication devices; they've become repositories of vast amounts of personal and professional data ranging from texts and emails to photos and location history providing a comprehensive digital footprint of a user's life. Examine how we use smartphones, how they work, what data is stored on the phone, proper evidence handling methods, and mobile device forensic examinations and much more.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 1.75 hrs
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
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eSupplement to the 21st Annual Advanced Texas Administrative Law Seminar4.67 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
First Friday Ethics: September 2026
Need ethics credit? We’ve got you covered! UT Law CLE’s First Friday Ethics streams live every first Friday of the month, and features some of our best ethics speakers and presentations for a total of 3.00 hrs ethics credit. Fulfill your entire annual ethics requirement in Texas in one day! Don’t Mess with AI: Texas-Sized Impacts of AI and Automation on the Practice of Law (1.00 hr ethics)AI and automation are reshaping how lawyers draft, communicate, manage information, and run their practices. This session explores practical, real-world uses of automation and generative AI to create more consistent workflows, improve efficiency, and provide better client service. It also addresses the ethical, confidentiality, and practical risks lawyers need to understand before incorporating these tools into their practices.John R. Strohmeyer, Strohmeyer Law PLLC - Houston, TX Investigations Done Right: Best Practices for Employers and Counsel 0.75 hr ethics)A poorly handled workplace investigation can create more risk than the underlying complaint. Effective investigations require thoughtful planning, impartial fact-gathering, and careful documentation, while avoiding mistakes that can undermine credibility or increase legal exposure. Employers and counsel must also consider key privilege issues, including when attorney-client privilege may apply, and best practices for reaching and communicating investigation outcomes. Jennifer M. Trulock, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP - Dallas, TX Lessons Learned from GCs Behaving Badly (Allegedly) (0.75 hr ethics)It is always better to learn from someone else’s mistakes. In this session, examine examples of in-house counsel allegedly (or admittedly) behaving badly—from alleged assaults and slurs to embezzlement—and what in-house counsel can learn from those situations. Also, discuss examples of in-house counsel allegedly being punished for doing the right thing. Joseph T. Clees, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. - Phoenix, AZ Legal Ads: Advice From Veteran Lawyers in Small Firms (0.50 hr ethics)This presentation explores how to ethically advertise according to the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. Jefferson K. Brim III, Brim & Brim, P.C. - Austin, TX Rick Freeman, Austin, TX
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 3.00 hrs | 3.00 Ethics
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, OK, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
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First Friday Ethics: September 20264.09 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
I liked John; the other presenter were not as good
Primexx Energy: the Texas Business Court Looks at Fiduciary Duties, Good Faith, and the Limited Partnership Agreement
In Primexx Energy Opportunity Fund v. Primexx Energy Corporation the Texas Business Court discussed the duties of loyalty, care, and to act in good faith of controlling partners and the extent to which such duties could be modified in the partnership agreement. This panel discusses the take aways from Primexx Energy, what it means for those organizing or interpreting limited partnership agreement.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 0.75 hr
- Credit Info
- TX, CA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
-
Primexx Energy: the Texas Business Court Looks at Fiduciary Duties, Good Faith, and the Limited Partnership Agreement4.36 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
2026 Case Law and Secretary of State Updates for LLCs, LPs, and Partnerships
Session 1: Case Law Update - A survey of recent Texas cases addressing significant issues (fiduciary duties, piercing the entity veil, and more) in the context of LLCs and partnerships (including limited partnerships and LLPs). Session 2: Texas Secretary of State Update - Learn about filing tips and resources that can make your transactions with the Texas Secretary of State (SOS) easier and more predictable; hear updates on the agency’s ongoing system modernization program, including an overview of online services both available now as well as a preview of the business entity filings component under development in SOSPortal.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 1.75 hrs
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
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2026 Case Law and Secretary of State Updates for LLCs, LPs, and Partnerships4.25 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
Access to Justice
State Bar of Texas Immediate Past President, Santos Vargas, will speak about access to justice and his “Stand With Santos” campaign and share highlights of his presidency of the State Bar.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 0.75 hr | 0.75 Ethics
- Credit Info
- TX, CA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
-
Access to Justice4 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
Asset Protection: Using LLCs and Related Entities
When the lawsuit comes — and it will — is your client’s structure ready? This session delivers a practitioner’s deep dive into using LLCs and related entities as powerful asset protection tools, with the latest Texas case law, statutory updates, and the mistakes that sink even the best-laid plans.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 0.75 hr
- Credit Info
- TX, CA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
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Asset Protection: Using LLCs and Related Entities4.75 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
Drafting LLC Agreements
Part 1: Formation, Governance, Transfers, and Other Non-Tax Matters - Review of key common provisions in company agreements for LLCs, including tips regarding formation, decision-making and other governance matters, transfers of interests, and winding up. Part 2: Tax Matters (Federal, State & Local) - A focused look at the tax provisions that distinguish LLC agreements from other entity documents, including allocations of income and loss, capital account maintenance under Section 704(b), tax distributions, and the partnership audit rules.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 1.50 hrs | 0.50 Ethics
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
-
Drafting LLC Agreements4.19 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
Issues in Connection with a Capital Contribution of Real Property
This session addresses the complex legal and tax implications that arise when real estate is contributed to a partnership or LLC. The session highlights aspects of due diligence and the allocation of risk and responsibilities in connection with the contribution, as well as issues relating to a possible failure of consideration.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 0.75 hr
- Credit Info
- TX, CA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
-
Issues in Connection with a Capital Contribution of Real PropertyNot yet rated
Restrictive Covenants in Partnership Agreements
This presentation covers unique issues pertaining to restrictive covenants, particularly noncompetes, in the context of partnership agreements. Key topics include: enforceability standards, forfeiture clauses, and the differences from and interplay with employment-based restrictive covenants. We also discuss key case law and recent litigation examples to help frame the key topics in a practical sense.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 0.75 hr
- Credit Info
- TX, CA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
-
Restrictive Covenants in Partnership Agreements5 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
The Cost of Control: Transfer Tax Planning, Valuation Discounts, and the §2043(a) Double-Inclusion Trap
LLCs, LPs, and partnerships are among the most versatile and powerful tools in family business and estate planning, providing asset protection, consolidated management, simplified wealth transfer, and meaningful tax advantages across generations. This session opens with a practical overview of how these entities function in the estate planning arena and the key benefits they offer family-owned businesses, giving business lawyers and general practitioners a working framework for spotting planning opportunities and knowing when to bring in estate planning counsel. From that foundation, the session examines the benefits and hazards of entity-based transfer tax planning in depth, with particular focus on §2036 retained interest inclusion and the newly prominent, court-raised §2043(a) double-inclusion problem that recalibrates the math when the IRS wins.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 0.75 hr
- Credit Info
- TX, CA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
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The Cost of Control: Transfer Tax Planning, Valuation Discounts, and the §2043(a) Double-Inclusion TrapNot yet rated
Turning Stress Into Relief
The thoughts and emotions you push aside during a demanding workday do not disappear, they accumulate. In this session, learn the Capture & Compost Method for recording stressful thoughts and later reflecting on them to identify patterns between thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and behaviors. This practice helps attorneys recover from pressure faster, restore mental clarity, and bring greater focus, meaning, and renewal to your work.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 1.00 hr | 1.00 Ethics
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
-
Turning Stress Into Relief4.75 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
Update on Compensatory Payments in Pass-Through Entities
This panel examines and contrasts the employment and self-employment tax treatment of owners in limited partnerships, LLCs, and S corporations. It highlights the Tax Court’s Soroban decision and the Fifth Circuit’s Sirius case, which address self-employment tax for limited partners and LLC members. The panel also explores issues of reasonable compensation in S corporation employment tax rulings.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 0.75 hr
- Credit Info
- TX, CA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
-
Update on Compensatory Payments in Pass-Through EntitiesNot yet rated
Using Generative AI Technology In Practice
A review of newer developments in generative AI and how these might be relevant to legal practice. This session not only surveys recent advances in generative AI functionality outside the chatbot model, but also identifies and discusses mitigation of related security and privacy risks.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 1.00 hr | 1.00 Ethics
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
-
Using Generative AI Technology In Practice4 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
Nicely done presentation
What you need to know about Ethics in 2026, AI, and Protecting You from You!
Law school ethics courses taught us to basically just do the right thing and assured us that we would be alright—but that doesn’t work anymore. Times have changed, AI is raging through our practices, and ethics rules have changed more in the last decade than in the three previous decades combined! It’s a new day and time for an update!
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 1.00 hr | 1.00 Ethics
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
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What you need to know about Ethics in 2026, AI, and Protecting You from You!4.88 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
Some of the content at the beginning was a bit too basic given that in 2026 most lawyers are familiar with AI, but I appreciated the overall framing and tips and pointers offered.
Why Self-Care Feels Impossible for Lawyers
You know self-care matters, yet during a demanding workday it often feels unrealistic or indulgent. In this session, discover why a stressed nervous system naturally prioritizes urgency over restoration and why traditional self-care advice rarely works for lawyers. Learn how to embed small regulation practices throughout your workday to shorten stress cycles, “timebending” how long you remain in a stress response.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 1.00 hr | 1.00 Ethics
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
-
Why Self-Care Feels Impossible for Lawyers5 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
Your Brain on Burnout
Burnout is not just emotional exhaustion, it is a physiological state that changes how your brain processes information, decisions, and reacts to pressure. In this session, learn how chronic stress affects your cognition, communication, and professional judgment, and how to recognize your own stress signals through thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and shifts in vocal tone. Understanding these signals helps you respond more effectively in conversations with clients, colleagues, and opposing counsel.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 1.00 hr | 1.00 Ethics
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
-
Your Brain on Burnout4.31 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
2026 Guardianship Bundle for Attorneys Ad Litem
Session 1: A Tour Through the CME - This presentation provides a practical walkthrough of the Physician’s Certificate of Medical Examination, examining the specific statutory requirements of the Texas Estates Code and the nuances of documenting incapacity. Learn to identify common pitfalls in these assessments to ensure your evidence withstands judicial scrutiny and accurately supports the legal standard for guardianship. Session 2: Alternatives to Guardianship including Support Services - Find the power in your powers, and avoid or limit guardianship through the use of planning tools. The practical implementation of traditional tools such as powers of attorney and supportive decision-making agreements and how to work around their limitations. Session 3: Evidentiary, Procedural and Service Issues in Contested and Uncontested Guardianships - “Why Is My Case Not Moving Faster?” - An overview of the required details and common pitfalls to avoid in contested and uncontested guardianship matters at the incipient stages of filing and how to get your matter heard in court expeditiously. Session 4: Top Ten Lessons Learned When Handling Contested Guardianships - A discussion of issues that guardianship practitioners should be aware of and prepare to address when involved in guardianship litigation. The discussion includes both pretrial and trial strategies. Session 5: Preserving Choice: Legal Standards for Consent and the Need for Guardianship - When does a client have the right to say “yes”—and when does the law step in to say “no”? This course explores the delicate balance between personal autonomy and protection, focusing on a client’s ability to consent and the legal threshold for guardianship. Through practical examples and Texas-specific guidance, attendees will learn how to recognize capacity, preserve client rights, and identify when guardianship is truly necessary. ****************************** PLEASE NOTE: To claim Texas Guardianship Ad Litem credit for the presentations that include guardianship hours, download the guardianship accreditation documentation as you claim your general MCLE credit at the end of this course and submit the affidavit to the State Bar of Texas.
Includes: Video Captions Audio Transcript Paper Slides
- Total Credit Hours:
- 4.00 hrs | 2.25 Ethics | 4.00 Guardianship
- Credit Info
- TX, CA, PA
- TX MCLE credit expires: 8/31/2027
-
2026 Guardianship Bundle for Attorneys Ad Litem4.31 out of 5 starsWhat was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.