Virginia Live CLE Bundle 2021

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, January 17, 2026
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Saturday, February 7, 2026
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Saturday, February 21, 2026

Attorneys often serve clients at their most vulnerable and emotionally challenging moments. Whether it’s navigating probate after a death or representing someone struggling with psychiatric illness, lawyers must communicate with empathy and professionalism while also protecting themselves and others from burnout or abuse. This course is designed to help attorneys effectively serve emotionally distressed clients experiencing mental illness or exhibiting hostile or irrational behavior.. This includes clients navigating trauma, death, or mental health crises common in child protection, conservatorship, estate planning, and family law cases.

This program provides practical strategies for attorneys to remain composed, ethical, and effective in high-stress interactions without compromising legal standards or personal boundaries. Participants will learn: how to maintain professional boundaries with emotionally volatile or mentally ill clients; how to communicate with empathy while managing irrational or aggressive behavior; how to recognize warning signs of mental health concerns and ethical duties surrounding them; and how to set expectations and deadlines with resistant or high-conflict individuals. This course will also teach attorneys how to de-escalate tense situations while staying trauma-informed and provide techniques to validate feelings while setting realistic expectations.

This course is ideal for attorneys in high-emotion practice areas, including child welfare, probate, estate planning, family law, elder law, and criminal defense. Both new and seasoned attorneys will benefit from the practical tools shared.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze the psychological and emotional challenges faced by clients in crisis. 
2. Acquire trauma-informed communication skills to navigate high-stress legal situations effectively. 
3. Identify mental health warning signs and how to respond ethically. 
4. Practice de-escalation techniques and boundary-setting with irate clients. 
5. Develop effective systems for setting clear expectations and adhering to deadlines. 
6. Explore attorney wellness strategies when working with emotionally difficult clients.

Course Time Schedule:

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

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Monday, January 26, 2026
Monday, February 9, 2026
Monday, February 23, 2026
Monday, March 16, 2026
Monday, March 23, 2026

The juvenile justice system can present significant challenges for attorneys, requiring skillful navigation to ensure the best possible outcomes for young clients. The repercussions of a guilty plea can affect a juvenile’s life far into adulthood. This course is designed to equip attorneys with a thorough understanding of the legal and ethical issues surrounding guilty pleas in the juvenile justice context.

Attendees will gain insight into the juvenile justice process, including its historical foundations, evolving trends, and potential future developments. The program will also address attorney ethics in juvenile matters, the lasting consequences of guilty pleas, and the dynamic roles and interactions among attorneys, the courts, victims, and families.

This course is suitable for attorneys at all stages of their careers, particularly those interested in expanding their practice into juvenile or criminal law.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the core principles of juvenile justice.
2. Identify the roles of the defense attorney, family, victim, and the court play in the guilty plea.
3. Explain the ethical obligations defense attorneys have in ensuring juveniles understand the full implications of a guilty plea.
4. Analyze how defense attorneys can ensure that a juvenile defendant is fully aware of collateral consequences.

Course Time Schedule:

Eastern Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Central Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Mountain Time: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Pacific Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Alaska Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Hawaii-Aleutian Time: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

This course is also being presented on the following dates:

Monday, February 9, 2026
Monday, March 2, 2026
Monday, April 13, 2026
Monday, May 11, 2026
Monday, June 1, 2026

This program will explore the evolving status of college athletes as paid employees in the wake of NCAA rule changes and litigation. Colleges and universities, for the first time in the history of the NCAA, were given the right to pay players directly. The impact of these payments on the legal landscape for workers' compensation has shifted dramatically. Attendees will examine how New York's broad definition of 'employee' applies to student-athletes, including scenarios involving injuries both within and outside the state.

As student-athletes gain compensation and employee-like rights, legal claims are poised to increase. This program equips attorneys to counsel clients, whether athletes, universities, or sponsors, on compliance and litigation risks. Attendees will learn how NCAA reforms and NIL compensation impact employment classification, when athletes may be considered employees under New York law, and how jurisdiction applies even to out-of-state injuries and athletes.

This program is designed for all attorneys who wish to understand how the transformation of college athletics impacts the practice of law in New York. It will be valuable for lawyers in workers' compensation, employment, personal injury, higher education, compliance, or general practice who may be asked at some point whether a student athlete is entitled to benefits in the event of an injury.

Learning Objectives:

1. Differentiate between employees and independent contractors. 
2. Examine jurisdiction and when it applies.
3. Review Special Rules for workers under 25.