Virginia Live CLE Bundle 2021

This program will equip attorneys with the skills needed to evaluate the ethical boundaries of judicial discretion and the utility of deterrence theory in criminal sentencing. Assessing different theories of justice in the criminal system is essential for determining how to fairly and effectively balance the rights of defendants with the needs of the general public.

Attorneys will learn about the tension between consistency and individualization in the criminal justice system, different jurisprudential perspectives on law and justice, and different criminological perspectives on deviance and deterrence. The course will also analyze how modern criminological paradigms on criminality and deterrence culminated in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.

Moreover, the course will explore current understandings of general deterrence factors under 18 U.S.C. §3553(a)(2): Imposition of a Sentence. Similarly, participants will also examine current caselaw regarding the ethical exercise of judicial discretion and different perspectives on the fairness of judicial discretion. Lastly, the course will compare judicial polymorphism and unitarianism to determine whether statutory phrases should have multiple meanings or if the sequence of litigation is most dispositive to outcomes.

Attorneys with all levels of experience will benefit from this course, especially attorneys seeking to learn more about the metes and bounds of discretionary authority vested in the judiciary and the ethical duty to avoid the abuse of that discretion in criminal sentencing.

Learning Objectives:

1. Evaluate the ethical tension in criminal sentencing between individualization and decisionism versus consistency and stare decisis about judicial discretion.
2. Review classical jurisprudential schools of thought on the purpose of criminal law.
3. Compare and contrast classical criminological deterrence schools of thought.
4. Assess modern criminological deterrence schools of thought.
5. Consider the emergence of deterrence theory during the 1990s “war on crime” to justify general deterrence theory and harsher penalties.
6. Evaluate deterrence theory as enacted in 18 U.S.C. 3553: Imposition of a Sentence.
7. Examine caselaw interpreting 18 U.S.C. 3553 to provide substantial discretion to courts in conducting a procedural and substantive review.
8. Review of judicial polymorphism vs. unitarianism in decision-making.

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Central Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Mountain Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Pacific Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alaska Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Friday, February 20, 2026
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Friday, March 13, 2026
Friday, April 3, 2026
Friday, April 24, 2026

Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are being increasingly adopted by various industries, including financial services, healthcare, supply chain management, and the legal profession, due to their ability to enhance transparency, reduce costs, and improve security. The global blockchain technology market is projected to be worth between $1.43 trillion and $3.1 trillion by 2030. This growth is driven by increasing demand for secure and transparent transactions across various industries. Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are creating a new area of law, much like the internet created a new area of law in the 1990s. Recent legislation, such as the GENIUS Act, is setting a new legal and regulatory standard. As such, legal professionals must understand the legal implications of blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, and stablecoins.

Legal professionals will learn about Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and recent updates to blockchain technology, as well as legal issues, including recent case decisions, enforcement actions, and proposed and passed legislation. Finally, attendees will also learn about the latest best practices for incorporating blockchain technology into their legal practice.

This course is designed for any attorneys and legal professionals (paralegals, legal researchers, regulators, and legislators) interested in blockchain technologies. This course will be beneficial if participants watch the Blockchain Legal Toolkit Video before attending.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review updates on cryptocurrency and blockchain basics.
2. Explore legal applications to smart contracts and decentralized autonomous organizations.
3. Understand stablecoins and the GENIUS Act, and stablecoin legal implications for both new areas.
4. Examine case law, regulatory enforcement actions, and proposed or enacted legislation.
5. Evaluate updated best practices to incorporate blockchain technology into legal practice.

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Central Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Mountain Time: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Pacific Time: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Alaska Time: 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 6:00 AM - 7:30 AM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Friday, February 20, 2026
Friday, March 27, 2026
Friday, April 24, 2026
Friday, May 15, 2026
Friday, June 26, 2026

Over fifty lawsuits related to artificial intelligence have been filed worldwide, with a myriad of issues at play. This course provides an overview of these suits, their comparative aspects, and the emerging themes among them. Legal practitioners working in or interested in art law will gain insight into national and international issues regarding AI, art, and the law.

Attendees will learn about complementary and contradictory rulings and policies in the U.S. and abroad in places such as China and the United Kingdom. Focus will also be given to the legal practitioner’s duties and responsibilities regarding the ethical use of generative AI tools in daily practice.

This course is designed for attorneys seeking an introduction to AI issues, both nationally and internationally, in the fields of art and law.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explore legal issues involving AI internationally. 
2. Examine legal issues involving AI in the U.S.
3. Review AI legal issues that are on Appeal in the U.S.
4. Assess the intersection of generative AI and ethics.

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Central Time: 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Mountain Time: 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Pacific Time: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Alaska Time: 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Friday, February 6, 2026
Friday, February 13, 2026
Friday, February 20, 2026
Friday, February 27, 2026
Friday, March 6, 2026

This program offers attorneys an examination of the various factors that can contribute to a false confession. Attorneys will develop a nuanced understanding of why innocent individuals may confess to crimes and how such confessions create complex constitutional and procedural issues. False confessions are a significant cause of wrongful convictions, and it is essential for attorneys working in criminal law to understand why and how false confessions happen, and also to know the legal protections for defendants who have falsely confessed.

The program will analyze the most relevant constitutional amendments and state and federal court cases that have formed the bedrock of the law on false confessions. Attorneys will learn about practices and tactics used by law enforcement officials to elicit false confessions, including strategic deception, false evidence ploys (FEPs), and minimalization and maximalization tactics. The program will also highlight some high-profile cases where false confessions were obtained to illustrate how false confessions occur in the real world, and it will offer potential safeguards against false confessions.

Attorneys with any amount of experience and interest in false confessions and the law are encouraged to attend. The program will be beneficial for prosecutors, law enforcement legal advisors, defense counsel, and law clerks.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review of Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendment interrogation rights.
2. Recognize police interrogation tactics that may lead to a false confession from an adult.
3. Examine the legal issues concerning juvenile interrogations and why youths may be more susceptible to providing false confessions.
4. Discuss when Miranda protections are to be afforded to suspects, as well as the United States Supreme Court’s standard for juveniles being in “custody.”
5. Discuss high-profile adult and juvenile confession cases.
6. Learn about potential safeguards for limiting false confessions.

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Central Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Mountain Time: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Pacific Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Alaska Time: 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 6:00 AM - 7:00 AM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Saturday, February 7, 2026
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Saturday, March 14, 2026