Iowa Live CLE Bundle 2025

Attorneys who encounter legal ethics problems can use this course to learn a methodology for solving them. Although no methodology is perfect, there is a methodology known by the acronym "MORALS" for solving legal-ethics problems or dilemmas. This seminar focuses on such methodology. 

The format of this course is a blend of the lecture method with the Socratic method, extensively involving a high degree of interactive participation and critical analyses of a wide range of issues relevant to the subject of the seminar in a manner not limited to mere chronological description of particular topics and sub-topics. Depending on the number of participants in a particular seminar, the format usually results in most, if not all, participants verbally engaging in conversational-styled interactive discussion and/or analysis of particular topics in the seminar and also permits interruptions, questions, challenges, etc. throughout the seminar. Think of collegially enjoyable and enlightening round-table discussions. It's a form of learning by thinking in the course of interactively participating rather than learning solely by listening (the latter of which is the lecture method).

Any attorney desiring to learn how to analyze legal ethics problems or dilemmas to maximize the likelihood of an ethically proper solution is encouraged to attend this program.

Learning Objectives: 

• Refresh what should be every lawyer's common knowledge of unique aspects of the legal profession in contrast to all other professions, occupations, etc.: It's the effect of the Constitution's (and each state constitution's) vesting of "the judicial power" of the sovereign in its "Supreme Court" and its thereby incorporation of the evolutionary nature of the judiciary's common law inherent judicial power (i.e., sui generis power) to define, prescribe, and enforce educational, moral, ethical and civil standards for the practice of law and the status of lawyers as officers of the courts
• Analyze how exercising such common law inherent judicial power (sui generis power) in an adversarial system created under common law, the supreme court of the sovereign (i.e., the U.S. Supreme Court and each state supreme court) creates structural and functional tools for the administration of justice -- i.e., rules of evidence, burdens of proof, procedural rules, and regulatory control over the conduct of attorneys
• Participate actively in regulatory control over the legal profession generally and the conduct of lawyers individually, as is generally encouraged by the judiciary. Therefore, each attorney has a duty to keep abreast of such disciplinary and regulatory activities and, as much as possible, actively participate (pro bono, of course) in and support such activities
• Maximize one's objectivity by seeking a thorough analysis of all relevant and material facts, issues, and laws when determining how to solve an ethics problem or dilemma
• Recognize intrinsic conflicts between "justice" (or what's "morally right") on the one hand and legal, ethical duties on the other and then analyze them to determine when attorneys must, or sometimes must not, implement an ethically correct solution that is a polar opposite of "justice."
• Assess the best way to prevent a legal professional’s self-interests in desiring to avoid damage to the legal professional’s standing in solving an ethical problem and the professional responsibility to derive an ethically proper solution

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Central Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Mountain Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Pacific Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Alaska Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Monday, May 26, 2025
Monday, June 2, 2025
Monday, June 9, 2025
Monday, June 16, 2025
Monday, June 23, 2025

As nearly all states have adopted tech competency requirements for licensed attorneys, attorneys should attend this program to learn about their ethical obligations regarding technology and law practice. The webinar will also help practitioners stay up-to-date with the most recent guidance issued by the American Bar Association (“ABA”) and state authorities concerning cloud computing, cyber security, and generative AI. 

Attendees will learn state ethics rules and advisories addressing tech competency. The webinar will cover related professional responsibilities that are likewise implicated by the use of technology in legal practice, including maintaining client confidence, keeping clients informed, billing clients for work product generated with technology, supervising other attorneys and legal staff, and honoring attorneys’ duty of candor to courts and other tribunals. 

This course is designed for attorneys at any level who use electronic data systems and technology in their law practice. When supervising junior attorneys and staff in tech competency, managing attorneys will also benefit from learning about strategies to meet their professional responsibilities. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Review professional competency requirements associated with using technology in law practice, including amendments to state ethics rules and recent advisory opinions from the ABA and state bar authorities
• Explore the interplay between tech competency and other professional responsibilities, with specific attention to confidentiality rules, client disclosures, and supervision
• Identify tech competency obligations associated with storing and keeping confidential client information secure from cyber intrusions
• Examine the latest ethics guidance on using generative AI in providing legal services
   

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Central Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Mountain Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Pacific Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Alaska Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Monday, June 2, 2025
Monday, June 23, 2025
Monday, July 7, 2025
Monday, August 11, 2025
Monday, August 25, 2025

Most lawyers (if not all but a tiny percentage) would say, "I'd never even consider, much less engage in, sexual activity with a client, so why should I take a seminar titled 'Sexual Ethical Issues'"? The ethically responsible answer would be, "Even though you're certain you'd never engage In sexual activity with a client -- and thus have no need to learn about the 'ethics' or lack thereof concerning it, others may construe your ordinary behavior, conduct or attitude as manifesting sexual discrimination, harassment, intimidation, etc. or even as overtures for sexual activity, so taking the seminar would be useful even though it also includes material pertaining to sexual activity." 

The anti-discriminatory, anti-harassment aspect of the seminar focuses on ABA Model Rule 8.4 (or equivalent state-supreme-court rules), defining as "misconduct" any conduct evincing "harassment or discrimination based on… sex …, sexual orientation, [or] gender identity." Those rules are relatively uniform from state to state, but of course, their interpretation is generally a state-law issue rather than a federal-law issue. The sexual activity aspect of the seminar focuses on ABA Model Rule 1.8(j) (or equivalent state-supreme-court rules) governing sexual conduct by a lawyer with (or towards) a client. The content of this latter category of Rules varies quite a lot from one state to the next and a number of states have declined to adopt a rule specifically regulating sexual "activity."

The format of this program is a blend of the lecture method with the Socratic method, extensively involving a high degree of interactive participation and critical analyses of a wide range of issues relevant to the seminar subject in a manner not limited to mere chronological description of particular topics and sub-topics. In other words, the content of each seminar (and the order and extent of emphasis upon particular topics and sub-topics) will be substantially influenced by the nature and extent of interactive participation regarding specific aspects thereof. Depending on the number of participants in a particular seminar, the format usually results in most, if not all, participants verbally engaging in conversational-styled interactive discussion and/or analysis of particular topics in the seminar and also permits interruptions, questions, challenges, etc. throughout the seminar. Think of collegially enjoyable and enlightening round-table discussions. It's a form of learning by thinking in the course of interactively participating rather than learning solely by listening (the latter of which is the lecture method).

This course is designed for attorneys at any level who want to explore ethical issues regarding sexual conduct and discrimination.

Learning Objectives: 

• Refresh what should be every lawyer's common knowledge of unique aspects of the legal profession in contrast to all other professions, occupations, etc.: It's the effect of our Constitution's (and each state constitution's) vesting of "the judicial power" of the sovereign in its "Supreme Court" and its thereby incorporation of the evolutionary nature of the judiciary's common law inherent judicial power (i.e., sui generis power) to define, prescribe, and enforce educational, moral, ethical and civil standards for the practice of law and the status of lawyers as officers of the courts
• Recognize that in exercising such common law inherent judicial power (sui generis power) in an adversarial system created under common law, the supreme court of the sovereign (i.e., the U.S. Supreme Court and each state supreme court) creates structural and functional tools for the administration of justice -- i.e., rules of evidence, burdens of proof, procedural rules, and regulatory control over the conduct of attorneys
• Review that the judiciary generally encourages lawyers to participate actively in the regulatory control over the legal profession and the conduct of lawyers individually. Therefore, attorneys must keep abreast of such disciplinary and regulatory activities and, as much as possible participate (pro bono, of course) in actively and supporting such activities
• Examine types of conduct by an attorney that would constitute (or that might be construed as) harassment or unlawful discrimination regarding sex, gender, or orientation. Generally, there are not wide variations in the content (or interpretation) of the state-by-state versions of ABA Model Rule 8.4, defining as "misconduct" any conduct evincing "harassment or discrimination based on… sex …, sexual orientation, [or] gender identity."
• Explore types of conduct that would constitute (or that may be construed as) "misconduct" involving sexual activity with or towards a client under ABA Model Rule 1.8(j) or under varying state-by-state versions of such Rule (or in states that have declined to adopt any Rule specifically regulating the subject matter)
• Assess how assuming that any Rule or law governing "sex" and/or "sexual orientation" or "gender" ought to be construed by whatever is the current state of medical knowledge on matters such as "XY" and "XX" chromosomes, does the intrinsically pliable nature of terms such as "orientation" and "gender" thereby somehow render such chromosomal terminology pliable (rather than empirical, scientific descriptions of the biological status of males and females) even though the statistical variations (in XY and XX chromosomes) comprise incredibly tiny percentages of deviations from the norm? So, how should we view deviations from that norm? For example, under the Americans With Disabilities Act, such deviations prohibit different treatment unless it were to be reasonably warranted in the context of such treatment. For example, disqualification of a person with a severe peanut allergy from employment requiring close proximity to peanuts would not constitute an illegal form of "discrimination." Could the XX or XY status of a lawyer warrant different treatment without such treatment being deemed violative of the Rule 8.4 prohibition against sexual discrimination?

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Central Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Mountain Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Pacific Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Alaska Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Drafting wills and probating estates are essential estate planning functions most law offices provide for their clients. Mastering these skills will empower attorneys to assist their clients in safeguarding their assets and help loved ones when the time comes to probate their estates. Well-drafted wills make a significant difference in streamlining the probate process and offering the family peace of mind.

This program is designed for new lawyers desiring to develop critical estate planning skills and offers valuable insights for attorneys at any career stage. Attorneys will learn the key principles and legal requirements for drafting a solid, valid will so that they can guide clients as they make some of the most critical and challenging decisions they will ever make, and how to effectively probate the estate after a client dies.

This course is designed for attorneys at any level who are interested in the estate and will process.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the legal requirements of a will to ensure that the will is valid
• Examine the types of clauses a will might contain so that the appropriate provisions can be included during drafting
• Describe common pitfalls in drafting and executing a will to avoid them
• Discuss working with clients at all process stages to help them feel comfortable
• Determine the steps for effectively probating an estate
• Discuss the matter of inheritance for an estate when there is no will
• Review legal ethics, specifically concerning wills and estates

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Central Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Mountain Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Pacific Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Alaska Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Tuesday, September 23, 2025