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Tales from the Great Detective of Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes, serve as a launching point for exploring the Mental Health and Substance Abuse challenges that afflict lawyers more than any other profession or occupation.  Billy Newman's lecture includes a discussion of the unique ethics issues that arise when a lawyer's professional competence is compromised by substance abuse or other mental health issues -- as well as the ethical responsibilities of lawyers whose colleagues are struggling with these issues.

    Approved for "Substance Abuse/Mental Health" CLE credit in North Carolina.

    Approved for "Ethics" CLE credit in most other states.

Acclaimed trial lawyer, Steve Heninger describes and demonstrates the art of "storytelling" in the courtroom as a means of connecting effectively with jurors.

This is the inaugural installment in a planned series of courses that will offer a very practical, real-world discussion on preparing contracts that are designed to avoid ambiguities, hassles, and litigation.  This installment offers a fresh look at the parts of a contract that usually receive very little thought or attention from drafting attorneys - the standard "boilerplate" language.  Governing law and force majeure clauses receive particular attention.  

Following up on Part 1's discussion of the often overlooked "boilerplate" sections of a contract, this Part 2 installment in our "Contract Drafting Basics" series of seminars focuses on the do's and don'ts of including covenants, warranties, and representations in a typical contract.  The presenter, Billy Newman, then moves into a discussion of the sometimes byzantine wording of indemnity and insurance provisions, including a practical look at the sort of "due diligence" investigations every lawyer and client should conduct before even thinking about entering into a contractual agreement.

This third installment in our ongoing series of practical courses on the nuts and bolts of preparing formal agreements that minimize the risk of later disputes, squabbles, or litigation.

This segment examines the do's & don'ts of several miscellaneous provisions found in most contracts, including clauses dealing with assignment rights, severability, reformation, and liquidated damages.  The presenter, Billy Newman, then dives into a detailed look at the ins and outs of using the increasingly popular paperless contracts (popularly known as "e-contracts").

Building on the wide-ranging discussion of drafting contracts in general, Part 4 of this series delves into the ins & outs of preparing a particular type of contract -- in this instance, written agreements for the sale and purchase of an existing business, or for the sale and purchase of real property.

Part 5 of this series on real-world tips for writing better contracts continues with hints on drafting more comprehensive and problem-free contracts of employment, as well as settlement agreements.

This fast-paced course looks at several trending issues that impact transactional lawyers and their clients.  Includes a close look at the following topics confronting business practitioners in 2024:

• The changing role of lawyers and real estate agents in the aftermath of the class action settlement with the National Association of Realtors
• The uncertain future of non-compete covenants and other restraints on employees
• The obligations of lawyers and clients under the new Corporate Transparency Act

An overview of established practices for the discovery of electronically-stored information, including a quick look at some new tools that greatly facilitate the process.  This is Part 1 of a planned 2-part series of courses on the ins and outs of e-discovery.

At the end, the speaker offers a glimpse into the recent e-discovery dispute involving pop music star Taylor Swift -- as an illustration of the serious sanctions that can result from the failure to preserve and produce electronically stored evidence.

Satisfies the North Carolina State Bar Technology Training Requirement.

The 2nd course in a 3-part series on e-discovery examines the law of "litigation holds," and also offers a review of best practices that litigators should observe when engaging in e-discovery.

Satisfies the North Carolina State Bar Technology Training Requirement.

Part 1 of a 3-part series on the basics of entertainment law, taught with the general practitioner in mind.   This installment covers the essentials of representing clients in the book publishing process (including traditional books and e-books).

Part 2 of a 3-part series on the basics of entertainment law, taught with the general practitioner in mind.  This installment focuses on the ins and outs of guiding clients through the legal complexities of film and TV projects.

Part 3 of a 3-part series on the basics of entertainment law, taught with the general practitioner in mind.  This final installment focuses on the basics of representing clients in the music industry (including recording contracts and the legal aspects of live performances).

Just when the law had figured out how to deal with new digital forms of evidence like e-mails and text messages... now a new twist has emerged.  Increasingly business and other potential parties and witnesses are communicating on platforms that are designed to fully and permanently delete the message soon after its transmission (think Snapchat and internal business messaging applications like Signal and Wickr).

This course examines the slowly developing case law that describes how the rules of discovery and evidence deal with these new challenges.

Satisfies the North Carolina State Bar Technology Training Requirement.

This new course takes a practical look at the growing issue of mental health issues within the legal profession, including the epidemic of practicing lawyers who are grappling with depression, anxiety, addiction, and overall dissatisfaction with their careers.

Supplemented with conversations with a counseling psychologist and Lawyer Assistance officials, Professor and long-time attorney Billy Newman analogizes these pressing concerns with stories of past U. S. Presidents who have grappled with their own mental health.

This course presents a unique approach to the discussion of ethics and professionalism for lawyers.  

It's been just over two years since Chat GPT and similar generative artificial intelligence (ai) programs burst on the scene.  This course examines from an ethics perspective what we now know about the benefits and risks of utilizing ai in the practice of law.

An examination of several common misconceptions held by lawyers about their duty of client confidentiality under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. 

Billy Newman moderates a 2-hour discussion with tech experts about the basics of what lawyers need to know about cybersecurity and its relationship to the ethical duties of confidentiality and competence.  Aimed at lawyers who are not extremely tech savvy, this ethics course emphasizes the easy-to-implement precautions you and your staff can take to protect the privacy and confidentiality of your digital information. 

A practical discussion of the "timeliness" aspect of Rule 1.3 of the Rules of Professional Conduct, including the rule and major case law.  Includes practical tips on how lawyers can improve their time management skills to ensure compliance with this rule.

It's almost impossible to avoid all the cross-generational jokes that pit baby boomers against millennials and GenZers (not to mention how Gen Xers are often overlooked in the conversation!).

This has become a hot topic in legal ethics.  This course examines the ethics of generational conflict in the law office, as well as practical steps for minimizing the friction.

Billy Newman -- in the tradition of his popular "Top 10" in-person seminars -- introduces lawyers to five new developments that will likely have a major impact on the black letter law, as well the business of practicing law.   Includes topics relevant to litigators, transactional lawyers, and general practitioners.

A unique and fun -- but entirely practical -- way to earn your CLE hours!   In Part 1, Billy Newman looks at the historic trial of Sir Walter Raleigh and the Lindbergh kidnapping case and demonstrates what these cases can teach lawyers today.  

(Be sure to sign up for Part 2 as well --  for a discussion of the trials of Old West legends Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday, along with a detailed look at the litigation history of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, one of the defendants in the Lincoln Assassination case.)

Following up on Part 1's look at the trials of the Lindbergh kidnapper and Sir Walter Raleigh, this second installment in the "Great Trials" series takes an in-depth look at the often overlooked murder trial of Wild West legends Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.   Then we turn our attention to the ordeal of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, who was put on trial in 1865 for conspiracy in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.  In the process of weaving these fascinating stories, long-time attorney and professor Billy Newman uses these historic trials to highlight more do's and don'ts of good lawyering for modern-day litigators.

The definition of hearsay evidence (and the three dozen exceptions and exemptions regarding its admissibility) have perplexed courtroom lawyers -- and many judges -- for generations.  This course seeks to provide a practical and useful set of guidelines for dealing with hearsay objections -- whether you're making the objection or trying to overcome an objection.

Acclaimed trial attorney Steve Heninger offers practical pointers on one of the most crucial aspects of trial practice -- jury selection.

After years of grappling with the discovery and admissibility of e-mails, text messages, social media posts, websites, and more ephemeral messaging systems (like Signal and Snapchat), the courts have finally developed a usable set of guidelines for how you can get your hands on such evidence -- AND ensure its admissibility at trial.  Also discussed -  digital surveillance camera evidence and litigation hold notices.

Satisfies the North Carolina State Bar Technology Training Requirement.

A new course available for viewing starting June 3, 2024, this is a real-world look at maximizing your effectiveness in front of a jury during openings and closings.

A look at the unique considerations and strategies of making a persuasive argument to a trial judge when presenting a bench trial or pre-trial motion.

A quick overview of "Do's and Don'ts" for effective cross-examination.

The latest installment in our series of practical courses on skills for the courtroom lawyer.

In this segment, long-time attorney and professor Billy Newman leads a discussion on practice pointers for being more effective in the direct examination phase of a trial (a skill that most lawyers agree is much harder to master than cross examination).

A basic course for general practitioners and other non-specialists that introduces the fundamentals of patent law, trade secrets law, and unfair competition litigation.

Hotel magnate Leona Helmsley's estate plan made national headlines when it was revealed that Helmsley had left nearly $8 million to her beloved dog, Trouble.  The discussion that ensued highlighted the rapid rise of "pet law" as a legal specialty.  This one-hour course provides an overview of the major legal issues surrounding pet ownership.

Topics discussed include:

• Estate planning for pets:  Who will care for your pets when you die?
• Insurance issues
• The current law on dog bites
• Veterinary malpractice

A practical look at the do's and don'ts of crafting an effective prenuptial agreement in today's world.  The experiences of over a half-dozen current celebrities serve as a springboard for discussing common drafting errors.

Topics discussed include:

• The absolute requirement of full disclosure in a pre-nup
• The necessity of broaching the subject far in advance of the wedding
• Non-traditional uses of pre-nups
• Celebrities discussed include Tom Brady, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul McCartney, Mark Zuckerburg, Steven Spielberg, and more!

This seminar focuses on mental health issues for lawyers -- a topic that has garnered a tremendous amount of attention in recent years as studies have revealed that lawyers have one of the highest rates of mental health challenges among all occupations and professions. 

Long-time attorney and professor Billy Newman delves back into history and reveals the little-known mental health challenges that confronted several of our former Presidents many decades ago.  These stories serve to validate the prevalence of these same issues in the practicing bar -- and help highlight the problems they can cause for lawyers, clients, and their families.  Billy then interviews a licensed therapist and other contributors who offer hope and coping strategies for any lawyer dealing with addiction, depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions.

Our annual look at major new law on the federal scene, including a summary of the U. S. Supreme Court's 2022-2023 term, new federal statutes and court rules, and regulatory developments.

Our annual look at new U. S. Supreme Court rulings, as well as new federal statutes, regulations, and court rules.

This course is a follow-up to our popular seminar, "Ripped from the Headlines: Lessons in Copyright & Trademark Law from Recent High-Profile Cases."  Once again, Billy Newman gleans practical lessons for general practitioners from several recent news stories involving intellectual property.

So - your new client is pursuing the All-American dream of owning his or her own business.  The client will be a true "mom & pop" family-owned small business.  They want you to "take care of all the legal stuff."  What do you need to know?

This compact course takes a practical look at the most important steps in the process from the lawyer's point of view, including choosing the best type of business entity (LLC, S-Corp, something else?) and then getting all the other legal ducks in a row (operating agreements, government filings, employment regulations, etc.).

The role of paralegals in the legal system is rapidly changing.  And the law governing paralegals (as well at notaries) is evolving too.  This course acquaints lawyers with the essential information. 

Includes lots of fast-paced factoids -- including a look at the potential liability of notaries (and their lawyer bosses) for notarial malpractice.

New technologies have provided "Peeping Toms" and other snooping parties with multiple tools that permit them to spy on our clients with relative ease.  This course looks at the civil causes of action that might be available to the victims, with a discussion of some of the difficulties inherent in building a case against such Defendants.

As the Millennial generation matures, it has become obvious that Americans (and our jurors, in particular) increasingly expect visual aids in communication.  This two-part series provides practical tips and examples of visual aids that lawyers can incorporate in their courtroom presentations to connect more persuasively with today's jurors.  Topics discussed include:

• An overview of the generational differences between Millennials, Baby Boomers, and Generation Xers.
• Using timelines in the courtroom
• Presenting financial data in a visual form
• Using motion in your graphics to keep the jury's attention
• Much more!

Satisfies the North Carolina State Bar Technology Training Requirement.

This second installment in the Trial Graphics series provides further tips and examples of graphics and other visual aids that lawyers can use to get (and keep) the attention of jurors in today's world of short attention spans.  Topics discussed in this second installment include:

• Using visual checklists in your opening statements and closing arguments
• Equipment, angles, and other considerations to improve your jury communication
• Much more!

Satisfies the North Carolina State Bar Technology Training Requirement.

In the 27-year tradition of innovative CLE from Barristers, this is our latest course that illustrates the do's & don'ts of good lawyering by exploring the good, the bad, and the ugly that we find when we peek into the legal files of famous people -- including recent celebrities like Robin Williams to historical figures like George Washington.

A fundamental overview of two related (but also very different) principles that deal with confidentiality in law practice -- attorney work product and attorney/client privilege.