eCourses

Resilience: How to Survive and Thrive in a High Stress Practice

Why do some people handle stress and rebound from failure better than others? We will discuss the skills and practices developed by the US Army to combat depression, fight off PTSD, and handle high stress engagements and jobs, … like being a lawyer.

Includes: Video Slides

Technology and Ethics: Adapting to the post-COVID Practice of Law

Explore the incorporation of technology into the practice of law in response to the COVID19 crisis, and moving forward. Jessica Vittorio will discuss the utilization of various types of technologies, and the correlating ethical rules to be aware of as practitioners begin to engage with these technologies in practice.

Includes: Video Slides

Corporate Compliance Essentials - Part 1
Compliance Framework

This eCourse outlines the basic structure of a compliance program and the regulatory framework used to develop a program. Learn how to analyze the regulatory framework and build a program that works for the company’s risk environment. 

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Drafting for LLCs, LPs, and Partnerships: Model Agreements, Key Considerations and Practical Tips to Avoid Litigation

Session 1: Keeping Your Contract Out of the Courtroom: Contractual Rules for Drafting Partnership and Operating Agreements, Including a Helpful Checklist - Under the Texas Business Organizations Code, partnership and company agreements are powerful contractual tools for establishing the relationship among the partners or members and their organizations. Because partnership and company agreements serve such an important role in establishing these relationships, errors in the drafting of those agreements can create profound problems in the relationship of the partners or members. Explore techniques and rules to assist with drafting partnership and operating agreements in order to avoid those problems and potential litigation. Session 2: Model Agreements for Closely Held LLC’s - Company agreements for LLC’s come in all shapes and sizes and it is sometimes hard to know where to turn to create an operating agreement for a new LLC. Hear a discussion presenting three model agreements tailored for a closely held company and walk you through decisions that the authors made in drafting the agreements to help improve your drafting skills and result in better operating agreements. ​Session 3: Ambiguous, Omitted, and Inconsistent Provisions in Partnership and Company Agreements: Approaches and Examples (Plus Bonus Discussion: Force Majeure in Texas) - Even though advisors put a lot of energy into drafting partnership or operating agreements, it seems that when a dispute or need for interpretation arises every agreement has ambiguities, omissions, or inconsistencies. A commercial litigator and transactional business organizations lawyer discuss how they address these contractual infirmities and how they may be avoided in future transactions, and will explore Texas law related to force majeure clauses. ​Session 4: Charging Orders - A charging order is a court-authorized lien imposed by a creditor on distributions made from an LLC or a partnership. Examine drafting considerations that might affect how an entity and its management are equipped to deal with charging orders. ​Session 5: Letters of Intent and Side Letters (Enterprise Products) - On January 31, 2020, the Texas Supreme Court issued its opinion in Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. v. Enterprise Products, L.P., an important case about when a business relationship is deemed to be a partnership under Texas law. Learn about this case and what it means for structuring and drafting agreements for business relationships.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Lawyer Wellness

Tips on how to better manage our own wellness in our law practices and personal lives.

Includes: Video Slides

Hooked on CLE: June 2022

Session 1: Lessons From the Kennedy Assassination for Cross-Examination - If ever there was an event about which witnesses should have agreed, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was that event, but the eyewitnesses could not agree about even the most basic details of what happened in plain view in Dealey Plaza. Why and how do eyewitnesses fail to remember correctly even the most basic details of what they observed? What can trial lawyers learn from discrepancies in witness accounts of famous historical events, including the Kennedy assassination and the sinking of the Titanic?  Session 2: Texas’ Mental Health System: Overview and Local Solutions to Address Gaps - Hear an overview of the public mental health system in Texas and programs developed through the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council’s Crisis Collaborative. Examine the legal basis for this system, the roles of each type of facility, points of access, and funding. Learn how efforts to implement collaborative, local solutions at the cross-payor level have addressed crisis responses and are now attempting to move upstream to address access to care before mental health crises arise. Session 3: Insights into Cryptocurrency for Nonprofits - Join Armanino’s digital assets and nonprofit experts to learn about market trends in cryptocurrency; Bitcoin and how it can diversify your organization’s investment portfolio; and cryptocurrency opportunities for nonprofit organizations. Session 4: Gun Rights: An Overview of the Rights of Landlords and Tenants -  Session 5: Approaches to Privilege During Deposition Breaks - In an age of Zoom depositions, it is more important than ever to understand that different jurisdictions take different approaches the question of privilege during deposition breaks, with some disallowing any privilege at all once the deposition commences and others taking a more nuanced approach. Join Jason Boulette as he explores these different approaches, what they share in common, and where they differ sharply.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Ethics and the Duty of Loyalty

The lawyer’s fiduciary responsibilities are at the core of ethics programs everywhere, and include the duty to refrain from conflicts of interest.  But in a modern society, where lawyers freely move between large firms with sophisticated clients, should the firm and client have a right to waive such traditional conflicts of interest to hire new talent? There is a growing movement to allow firms and lawyers to provide advance consent to situations which are currently barred by conflict of interest rules, as well as organized opposition to “taking the wrecking ball to client loyalty.” Find out what’s going on and see what you think!

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Corporate Compliance Essentials - Part 2
Risk Assessments

This eCourse explores how to conduct an effective risk assessment using a given regulatory framework and compliance program data. This framework is applicable to any subject matter from Anti-Corruption to Privacy.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Too Many Entities

As more “deals” are put together, more entities are used to facilitate the “deal." Assess the huge liability risk for clients and lawyers if litigation is the end result.  

Includes: Video Slides

Ethics of Contract Drafting

Includes: Video Slides

Corporate Compliance Essentials - Part 4
Training and Awareness

This eCourse explores key themes for a successful training program, including how to track training, developing content, and training effectiveness.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Corporate Compliance Essentials
Complete Series

There is no “one-size fits all” compliance program. Each compliance program begins with a deep understanding of the business and risk environment. Program design considers the end business user and creates a structure that is mapped to different risks and regulations through a compliance framework that shares common themes irrespective of the type of business or subject matter.   Join us online for this six-part series that walks through the legal and regulatory framework, core principles, and key components of a successful compliance program.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

2022 Guardianship Bundle for Attorneys Ad Litem 

Session 1: Role of the Guardian - Examine the duties and responsibilities of a guardian under Texas law and guardianship administration, from initiation to closing, including the code requirements of selling and leasing property, ethical issues, and more. Session 2: Role of the Ad Litem - A review of the responsibilities of the attorney ad litem and guardian ad litem in guardianship proceedings with an emphasis on practical application of the statutes, conduct in uncontested and contested proceedings, and pointers on applications for fees. The materials include numerous checklists, comprehensive references, and forms. Session 3: Alternatives to Guardianship including Supports and Services - Details about the vast possibilities of available, less restrictive, alternatives to guardianship including supports and services that may alleviate or limit the need for guardianship. Session 4: The Duty of Investment for Guardians of the Estate - Exploring applicable common law duties, statutory duties, and practical applications of how guardian invests and diversifies a ward’s estate. Session 5: Ask the Experts - Hear a panel of seasoned experts respond to your frequently—and sometimes infrequently—asked questions, including practice, professional and ethical issues in estate planning, probate, guardianship and elder law. PLEASE NOTE: To claim Texas Guardianship Ad Litem credit for the presentations that include guardianship hours, download the guardianship accreditation documentation (found here) 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 Audio Paper Slides No Materials

Contract Drafting Essentials: A Practical Guide to Fundamental Concepts, Approaches, and Key Considerations

This short course on contract drafting essentials provides a fundamental look at concepts in contract drafting, approaches to contract drafting, and analyzing your contract through the eyes of a litigator and jury. Join Carol Mattick and team as they walk you through each step of the process.

Includes: Video Paper Slides

Corporate Compliance Essentials - Part 3
Policies and Procedures

This eCourse explores key elements of effective policies and procedures.  How to draft them, what makes them effective, and how to update them. It also provides insight into modern trends, including best practices for drafting a Code of Conduct.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Ethics of Freelance Legal Services- Hiring and Being Hired as a Contract Attorney

Many lawyers find work as freelance attorneys or contract lawyers, who do work for other lawyers and firms. But what are the ethical implications when hiring, or being hired as a contract or freelance lawyer. Does the contract lawyer always have an attorney-client relationship with the underlying client? Do flat fees need to be kept in your trust account? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this one-hour presentation.

Includes: Video Slides

Renewable Energy Law Essentials

Session 1: ALTA & Title Basics (for non-Texas title matters) -  Session 2: Mineral Estate Issues in Solar Energy Projects in Texas - Dive in to the various issues solar developers may face when developing solar projects in areas where mineral production is, or has been, active. Explore recent tactics developers have used to mitigate the risk associated with developing a solar project in an active mineral area. Session 3: Wind vs. Solar Lease - Although both leases have similar provisions, they also vary due to the nature of the installed improvements. Explore the similarities and the differences between the two leases. Session 4: PPAs - An overview of the different power purchase agreement structures, including physical PPAs, financial PPAs, hedges and others, and the considerations that go into choosing a particular structure.

Includes: Video Paper Slides

Defining Moments: Insights into the Lawyer’s Soul

Successful lawyers have LEAD lines - mottos that carry them through their lives and help them on the road to success. Join Melanie Bragg as she leads this ethics program and talks about the ethical lessons in her American Bar Association Flagship book, Defining Moments: Insights into the Lawyer’s Soul through the prism of her leadership model: L- legacy; E- excellence; A- authenticity; D- determination, and the ABA model rules of professional conduct and the Texas Disciplinary Rules. She will share fascinating true stories of the trials and tribulations of lawyers, including some colorful Texas lawyers.

Includes: Video Paper Slides

Elimination of Bias

So much of the practice of law involves decision-making and convincing others to make better decisions based upon fact rather than emotion. This course is intended to guide attendees to appreciate how they involuntarily make decisions and guide them to recognize and prevent bias.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Fiduciary Duty and Law Practice

Lawyers have important non-delegable duties to serve clients with overriding faithfulness. If you fail, the law says you have to prove that you did this right! Listen to a full discussion of the law regarding fiduciary duty and how you can incorporate best practices into your attorney-client relationships and communication with counsel.

Includes: Video Slides