CLE Program

Junior level attorneys from San Diego’s most respected law firms will conduct a full trial in 6 separate phases that include voir dire, opening statements, 3 witness examinations, and closing arguments. After each phase, a panel consisting of a sitting judge and 3-4 more senior seasoned trial attorneys who are considered among the best trial lawyers in San Diego will provide instruction, feedback, and tips to each participant. There will be one panel in the morning and another in the afternoon. The Honorable Linda Lopez from the Southern District of California and The Honorable John S. Meyer from the San Diego Superior Court have agreed to participate as the presiding judges and provide instructive feedback and constructive criticism.

Lunch will be provided and an optional additional hour of CLE will be available at lunch. The Lunch CLE will feature a panel of renowned jury consultants who will discuss their craft in general, and the jury selection and presentation issues raised by the fact pattern.

The ADR Panel will discuss and analyze selected topics in mediation that present ethical issues, specifically: mediator confidentiality, mediator disclosures, fairness, lying, and mediator’s proposals.

Women in Trial can face a unique yet important experience. From jurors, to judges, to opposing counsel, every level of trial can affect the ultimate outcome for you and your client. Come hear various perspectives from all levels of trial practice about what is out there and what to do about it when walking into the courtroom as or with a woman. From dealing with the slightly unprofessional to the absolutely unacceptable, this array of panelists will provide tips and tricks to navigate every angle of the courtroom. They will shed light on how to spot and when and how to support when a colleague who might bear the brunt of such experiences. The panel will be interactive and include question and answer opportunities, and will analyze real-world scenes from past trials. Come early to mingle and network with these accomplished panelists and other attendees while you grab a drink and a bite!

This program will focus on the art of persuasion, the “Dos and Don’ts” of law and motion. Tune in to learn everything you ever wanted to know about law and motion but were too afraid to ask.

Having served as an Independent Calendar Judge in the West District for over 14 years, ruling on upwards of 7,500 motions, if not more, with as many as 730 general jurisdiction cases assigned to him at one time, recently retired Judge Karlan has handled a complex and complicated law and motion calendar under a variety of circumstances and time constraints.

In this program Judge Karlan will provide insight from his over twenty years on the bench, including motions to quash, demurrers, motions to strike/anti-SLAPP motions, MSJs, electronic service, discovery and motions in limine. HOWEVER, beyond the technical legal requirements, successful motion practice requires careful crafting, a compelling argument and attention to detail. It also involves thinking of and paying attention to your Judge, both with respect to what you submit and how you argue.

Many individuals are serving as trustee for the first time, for a family member or close friend. As attorneys, how involved must you be in outlining their duties, checking in on status, and answering questions regarding trust administration? With recent changes in the economic landscape, the trustee’s obligations in proactively managing assets cannot be ignored. Retired Judge Craig Karlan and Carmen Alberio have reviewed thousands of petitions for breach of fiduciary duty, and have seen the downstream results of trust mismanagement. In this program, learn how to set your individual trustee clients up for success, and check in with them along the way. Judge Karlan and Ms. Alberio are now taking on the world of probate dispute resolution, making use of their combined over 40 years of probate experience, and will also discuss their unique co-mediation approach.

Join our panel of esteemed judges, including Hon. Ramona See (Ret.) of ADR Services, Inc., and practitioners as they share stories from the trenches, what has changed in the legal profession, what has stayed the same, and where we go from here, and how you can best position yourself for success in the courtroom, the law firm, and beyond. This panel is an entertaining and informative must-see for lawyers and clients alike. This program is presented as part of the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section & Young Lawyers Division’s Section Conference.

Description: Effective peer review is vital to the delivery of quality medical care in California hospitals, and Judicial Review Committee hearings are a key component of the peer review process. Knowledgeable and capable hearing officers are essential for hearings to achieve the goals of fairness and efficiency. The CSHA Hearing Officer Committee serves California’s medical-legal community by advancing the training and quality of hearing officers in California. We are pleased to announce a full-day training program presented by the Hearing Officer Committee, which will take place in Indian Wells on May 4, immediately before the CSHA Annual Meeting & Spring...

Many individuals are serving as trustee for the first time, for a family member or close friend. As attorneys, how involved must you be in outlining their duties, checking in on status, and answering questions regarding trust administration? With recent changes in the economic landscape, the trustee’s obligations in proactively managing assets cannot be ignored. Retired Judge Craig Karlan and Carmen Alberio have reviewed thousands of petitions for breach of fiduciary duty, and have seen the downstream results of trust mismanagement. In this program, learn how to set your individual trustee clients up for success, and check in with them along the way. Judge Karlan and Ms. Alberio are now taking on the world of probate dispute resolution, making use of their combined over 40 years of probate experience, and will also discuss their unique co-mediation approach. For more information or registration questions, please contact (310) 325-4200 or sbba2007@sbcglobal.net.

Pride and Prejudice, Part Deux: In Re The Marriage of Bennett & Darcy - The Child Support Case

The ultimate goal of mediation (and other models) is the consensual resolution of a dispute.   The decision to settle for each party involved is a dynamic process and requires a convergence of various elements.  Real life disputes between humans, and the way we think about resolving a conflict, always involves emotions and relationships.

While legal professionals are trained to focus on the legal and financial rights of the disputants, disputes between family members or others with whom a disputant is (or has been) in a close relationship may place significant value on the relationship itself, recognizing, and sometimes desiring, that the relationship may very well continue after the dispute is resolved.  This is inconsistent with our legal system, which is not designed to focus on “feelings” and the intangible elements of a pre-existing inter-personal relationship between parties.  Rather, in most cases, we treat the other side as the “enemy” or “adversary,” and we effectively presume there will be no need for a functioning relationship between the disputants when the fight is over. This program will explore how part of our duty to our clients is to recognize and advise our clients about the emotional and relational elements that can come into play in consensual dispute resolution, particularly in family disputes.

Join two experienced retired judicial officers as they delve beyond the Dissomaster into advanced child support issues in family law disputes. The speakers will get into the real details as they discuss deviations from guideline child support, child support add-ons, imputed and unusual income items, and proof of income. This program is targeted towards family law practitioners. This program is presented by the Alameda County Bar Association. Please contact membershipassistant@acbanet.org with any registration questions. Speakers: Comm. Glenn P. Oleon (Ret.) Hon. Anita Santos (Ret.) Cost: FREE to ACBA Members $45 for Non Members with Promo Code “ADRServices” for an exclusive...

Judge Lopez-Giss will be speaking with two other panelists on the topic of legal ethics. Further details to come soon!