CLE Program

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To support attorneys in meeting the California State Bar’s MCLE Competence requirement, this one-hour program explores the intersection of mental well-being, professional resilience, and personal authenticity. Through practical strategies and candid conversation, participants will gain tools to navigate stress, prevent burnout, and foster a more sustainable and fulfilling legal practice. Whether you’re new to the profession or a seasoned practitioner, this session offers space to reflect, recharge, and reconnect—with yourself and your purpose.

Join #1 New York Times bestseller Ezra Klein and a panel of sensational experts for a special discussion about the abundance agenda for California’s economy, policy reform and dispute resolution. Are you interested in building what California needs, political governance and current affairs? This lunchtime webcast is for you.
This complimentary CLE program is presented by ADR Services, Inc., and co-sponsored by CA FWD, Kearns & West, and Hanson Bridgett.

Mediating construction disputes often turns on two critical drivers: the role of experts and the availability of insurance or other risk transfer contractual provisions. Panelists will explore how to effectively use experts to further a party’s objective at mediation, including discussion of the timing, preparation, credibility of experts and recent case law requiring experts to have personal knowledge of the facts underlying their opinions. Panelists will also share practical strategies for leveraging expert reports, coordinating expert-to-expert meetings, and using actual repair costs to build credibility.

On the insurance side, the panelists will analyze the key coverage issues that influence both negotiations and resolution. Topics discussed will also include key contract terms and anti-indemnity statutes.

Through real life examples, attendees will learn how to use experts and insurance most effectively to achieve resolution in complex construction disputes.

The Pinto decision upended long-standing assumptions in California insurance litigation, directly challenging the validity of CACI 2334 and setting off a wave of change across bad faith failure-to-settle claims. In response, courts and legislators acted—producing two significant published opinions and ushering in Code of Civil Procedure § 999, which now governs pre-litigation settlement demands.

Speakers: Michael Balmages, Esq.  - ADR Services, Inc. Shirin Forootan, Esq. - Forootan ADR Location: Western State College of Law, Irvine CA Price: $150 Members, $225 Non-members  

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how legal professionals draft, research, and strategize. But how can attorneys use these tools effectively—and ethically?

In this engaging and practical CLE program, Dan Garrison, CEO of OpenWallet and adjunct professor at the University of Utah College of Law, and Judge Victoria Wood (Ret.), a seasoned neutral and retired judge, explore how generative AI tools like ChatGPT can be used to enhance legal work product without compromising professional obligations.

The program will demonstrate a hands-on exercise for using AI to optimize (not replace!) human work product —showing how attorneys can train AI to improve outputs through structured prompting, context building, and iterative feedback. Through real examples and interactive discussion, the speakers will highlight best practices for leveraging AI tools in tasks like legal drafting, oral argument preparation, and brief analysis.

Interwoven throughout the presentation will be key ethical considerations under the California Rules of Professional Conduct, including duties of competence, confidentiality, candor to the tribunal, and oversight of non-lawyer (and now, non-human) assistance.

Attendees will leave with practical takeaways, sample prompts, and an adaptable framework for integrating AI tools into their legal practice—safely, ethically, and effectively.

This program will examine the legal frameworks and practical challenges of subrogation litigation in auto, workers’ compensation, and property disputes, emphasizing strategies to maximize the effectiveness of mediation in reaching durable, cost effective outcomes.