This CLE will explore strategies and best practices for effective mediation, with a focus on the challenges that can arise in complex litigation and the role of counsel, neutrals, and the courts in facilitating successful resolution. The discussion will consider how timing, preparation, communication, client and counsel dynamics, and other practical considerations can influence the mediation process and its outcome. Further information to be shared.

The California Asian Pacific American Bar Association (Cal-APABA) is thrilled to announce the 2026 Cal-APABA Annual Conference, coming to San Diego!

Taking place from September 25-26, 2026, this year’s gathering centers on the theme: Golden State Advocacy: Making Waves & Breaking Barriers. Our 2026 theme reflects Cal-APABA’s commitment to amplifying the collective voice of the APA legal community. Together, we will explore the waves of impact our members are creating across the profession and identify the strategies necessary for breaking the barriers that still stand in the way of equity and leadership.

Join us for high-level MCLE programming, prestigious networking, and a shared mission to shape the future of advocacy in the Golden State.

Mark LeHocky - a former complex litigator turned general counsel turned mediator -- shares the behavioral science of handicapping errors of counsel and clients and provides a strategic road map to navigate toward satisfactory as well as attainable results. Based upon Berkeley Law course Managing Difficult Legal Conversations, Mark highlights the behavioral science data showing where errors germinate and specific strategies to preempt them where possible and to recover from them when not. Based on his ADR work premised on these concepts, Mark has twice been voted Mediation Attorney of the Year for the San Francisco region through Best Lawyers' peer rating organization.

Seminar theme: Litigation in 2026: Effective Advocacy in the Age of AI, Fake News, and the Vanishing Attention Span.
* You must join and indicate your local ABTL chapter to be eligible to attend this seminar.

Successful mediation is rarely accidental. The difference between a case that gains traction and one that stalls often comes down to how effectively counsel prepares, presents, negotiates, and manages the process.

This practical, strategy-driven program from 3 lawyer/mediators with combined experience of over 130 years takes attorneys through mediation from the first brief to the final deal. Participants will learn how to craft a persuasive brief, prepare clients and experts for the dynamics of the day, build credibility, and use offers, counteroffers, brackets, and other negotiating tools to create meaningful movement. The program will also address how to manage difficult personalities, overcome impasse, set realistic client expectations, and maintain momentum when negotiations become challenging.

Designed for lawyers who want to mediation success, this program focuses on the techniques, judgment, and practical choices that can materially improve the chances for resolution—and ensure that, once a deal is reached, the settlement is clearly and effectively documented.

Description:  Told through the lens of an actual dispute involving a parallel class action, this session presents dual perspectives — mediator and defense counsel — on when and how to introduce mock trials as a mediation tool. Attendees will learn how to draft a joint protocol, extract usable intelligence from jury deliberations, and leverage results for both settlement and trial preparation if mediation ultimately fails. Speakers: Leonard Levy, Esq. - ADR Services, Inc. Dina Cox, Esq. - Lewis Wagner & Trimble Janelle Kilies, Esq. - Lewis Wagner & Trimble    

The Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite® is nationally recognized as the largest and most prestigious gathering in California of leaders in environmental, land use, and natural resources law. We hope you will join us and many of our nation’s top environmental officials, lawyers, and other professionals for four days of legal education and collegiality in Yosemite when we open our registration in 2026.
Earn up to 11.25 Hours of MCLE, which can include 3 Hours Implicit Bias, 1.5 Hours Technology in the Practice of Law and 1.5 Hours Civility in the Legal Profession.

Join us for a discussion on the growing health and legal implications of noise pollution.  Sponsored by the SCCBA Environmental Law Section.
This is a hybrid program.  Program and Lunch Hosted by Berliner Cohen LLP.  If attending in-person, below is the schedule:
11:30am - 12:00pm Check-In and Lunch*
12:00pm - 1:00pm MCLE Program

Click on the session to expand for the panel description. https://calawyers.org/2026-annual-meeting/schedule/

Join Women Lawyers of Alameda County (WLAC) this October for our 45th Annual Judges’ Reception, a signature event celebrating excellence, leadership, and service within the legal community.

 This longstanding tradition brings together members of the bench, bar, and broader legal community for an evening of recognition and connection. During the reception, WLAC will honor our scholarship recipients and present awards for Law Firm of the Year, Jurist of the Year, and Attorney of the Year, recognizing individuals and organizations whose contributions have made a meaningful impact on the profession and our community.

We look forward to welcoming colleagues and friends to celebrate this milestone evening, reflect on WLAC’s 45-year legacy, and continue our commitment to supporting and uplifting women in the law.

Founded and hosted by Aimee Wagstaff of the Wagstaff Law Firm, Women En Mass brings together the best and brightest female plaintiff mass tort attorneys to discuss issues that affect women, from the boardroom to the courtroom. It’s a chance to bond with fellow attorneys, strengthen existing relationships and create new connections in one of the most beautiful places in the Western United States. The world may have changed a great deal for women in America over the last 100 years, but there’s still work to be done. And WEM represents the perfect opportunity to work toward solutions that can make a positive impact on the lives of women everywhere.

We are thrilled to be returning to Maui and the Fairmont Kea Lani for an extraordinary conference week and to celebrate this year?s Trial Lawyer of the Year, Joe McMonigle of the San Francisco Chapter. Perched on one of Maui?s most coveted stretches of shoreline, the luxe setting of the Fairmont Kea Lani is an enviable tropical paradise. Wake up each morning to gentle waves lapping at the shore, swaying palms singing in the trade winds and expansive views of turquoise waters stretching all the way to the horizon. Only steps away from your suite is Polo Beach renowned for its golden soft sand, calm swimming, excellent snorkeling and tranquil sunsets.