Virginia Live CLE Bundle 2021

Lawyers, the legal profession, law firms, and even legal ethics scholars are facing rapidly developing events and meteoric developments that threaten to upend the assumptions of law practice, and possibly worse. Bedrock assumptions about what constitutes ethical practice are being challenged. Technology and the reactions to the pandemic have exposed deep anachronisms in what have been regarded as settled legal ethics principles. This makes it a frightening time to be a lawyer and a challenging time to be an ethical lawyer.

This program examines critical practice challenges that the Rules of Professional Conduct do not adequately address, and in some cases, not at all. From recent legal developments to the date of the seminar, and from festering legal ethics dilemmas that lie lurking in the shadows, “The Legal Ethics Curse” will challenge, engage, and even frighten attendees. This is an intense, multidisciplinary, hypothesis-based program. Attendees will leave with new tools to address legal ethics problems when they arise, and will be prepared to prevent them from arising in the first place.

This course is designed for attorneys across all disciplines, regardless of experience, who are interested in the evolving landscape of legal ethics.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
2. Evaluate the context, application, and limitations of the ethics rules, with an emphasis on the varying rules across jurisdictions and the risks of non-compliance.
3. Identify when legal ethics issues arise and address them.
4. Gain legal ethics problem-solving skills by examining complex legal ethics problems.
5. Explore recent legal developments and legal ethics dilemmas.
6. Anticipate the legal ethics issues likely to arise in 2026.

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Central Time: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Mountain Time: 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Pacific Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Alaska Time: 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Thursday, August 27, 2026
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Thursday, October 29, 2026

Gender bias in the workplace creates an environment of inequality, missed opportunities, and negative morale. Whether these biases are conscious or unconscious, they can affect hiring, promotions, and interactions among leadership and employees. Overcoming these biases can lead to more inclusive and productive working environments.

In this program, attendees will learn how to identify gender bias within themselves and others. Attendees will also study the ways gender bias impacts the profession both collectively and individually. Perhaps most importantly, participants in this session will learn how to overcome such biases and create more inclusive environments. Other topics include hiring, pay disparity, leadership, caregivers, and harassment.

Attorneys and legal professionals who are interested in learning how inclusive working environments can benefit their practice and the profession are encouraged to attend. This program is designed for all attorneys in all practice areas.

Learning Objectives:

• Classify and describe examples of gender bias in the legal field.
• Recognize and label the impact of gender bias. 
• Identify and recognize strategies for addressing gender bias. 
• Design and construct policies that promote inclusivity. 
• Explore and examine the ethical implications of gender bias and promoting inclusive environments. 
• Examine and analyze the advantages of inclusivity.

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Central Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Mountain Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Pacific Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Alaska Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Thursday, October 22, 2026

The rise of the internet, social media, and digital communication platforms has profoundly transformed the landscape of defamation law. This program offers attorneys a clear and in-depth introduction to the foundational principles of defamation as they apply to both private individuals and public figures, while also addressing the nuanced legal standards that distinguish the two.

This program will provide attendees with insight into the evolving challenges posed by modern forms of communication, including issues related to the credibility of online content, First Amendment protections, and the complexities of preserving digital evidence. The course also examines current trends and emerging developments in defamation litigation, providing practical guidance for navigating this dynamic area of law.

Designed for attorneys seeking a deeper understanding of defamation law, this program balances core legal principles with real-world considerations relevant to today’s digital environment.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain the foundational principles of defamation law. 
2. Distinguish the unique challenges that come with litigating a defamation case involving electronic communications. 
3. Compare and contrast historical definitions and modern interpretations of public figures.
4. Recognize issues of credibility in electronic communications. 
5. Analyze the First Amendment Protections. 
6. Identify methodologies for preserving evidence in defamation cases.

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Central Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Mountain Time: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Pacific Time: 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Alaska Time: 6:30 AM - 7:30 AM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 5:30 AM - 6:30 AM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Thursday, August 27, 2026
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Thursday, October 22, 2026

With the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and Chinese governments regarding access to rare earth elements (REEs) and critical technology, respectively, along with the spillover effects of trade tensions more broadly on the global trading system, many attorneys may seek guidance to evaluate the risks for clients involved in these industries. This program will help attendees recognize the mercurial swings in the United States international trade policy from enmeshment in trade relationships to isolationism and the consequences for the international trade system.

Topics that will be discussed include: considering the history and purpose of the post-WWII global trade regime via an examination of the 1944 Bretton Woods Institutions (i.e., IBRD, IMF, and GATT?WTO); evaluating the intended and actual semi-independent role of the USTR (United States Trade Representative) and Court of International Trade in trade disputes vis-à-vis intervention by the executive and legislative branches; assessing the history of rare earth element extraction and processing from the 1960s to the present identifying the departure of REE processors from the United States as due in part to less restrictive environmental regulations in China and elsewhere;and examining U.S.-China trade relations focusing on the details of the ongoing trade tension between key U.S. industries requiring refined rare earth elements (REEs) from China as the sole country currently capable of mass production of REEs in tension with China’s desire for critical technology transfers from the U.S. for economic growth and military development. Cases involving tariffs will be reviewed along with different economic theories involving resources and technology.

This course is designed for attorneys with any level of experience who are seeking to assess the legal, political, and economic consequences of restrictive trade practices to better advise clients in affected industries as to their options for risk avoidance.

Learning Objectives:

1. Consider the U.S.’s foreign policy continuum of engagement and disengagement with the global trade system from the Great Depression to the present and the consequences of that inconsistent praxis on the international system.
2. Review the legal history of the development of the current global trade regime, focusing on the aftermath of the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference (i.e., GATT/WTO, IMF, and IBRD), and consider whether the system is still well suited to manage current economic conflicts. 
3. Evaluate the intended and actual roles of the USTR (United States Trade Representative) and the Court of International Trade in trade disputes to depoliticize policy decision-making regarding international trade with the intent to avoid worsening economic recessions through reactionary Executive or Congressional action. 
4. Assess the “rare” earth elements (REE) and core industries implicated by conflicts over REEs, such as defense, aerospace, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor, and the automotive sectors.
5. Assess the Homer-Dixon Resource Scarcity Thesis and the Resource Curse Thesis as applied particularly to technologically advanced countries with substantial deposits of REE, such as the United States and China.
6. Analyze the consequences of E.O. 14156 declaring a national energy emergency and subsequently E.O. 14272 identifying supply chain vulnerabilities of critical resources as a significant threat to national security.

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Central Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Mountain Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Pacific Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Alaska Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Friday, September 4, 2026
Friday, September 25, 2026
Friday, October 16, 2026
Friday, November 6, 2026
Friday, November 27, 2026