CLE Program

The California Employment Lawyers Association's Wage & Hour Committee presents a hybrid full‐day, advanced‐level seminar on wage and hour law. This high‐quality program will help plaintiffs’ attorneys stay abreast of this rapidly evolving practice area. In addition to an annual case law update and legislative review, panels will feature a discussion regarding best practices for class and aggrieved employee communications; what judges and mediators think about PAGA settlement terms; how to deal with multiple cases against the same defendant; and, best practices in crafting class and PAGA complaints and PAGA letters.

As lawyers, litigators, appellate practitioners and beyond, we use writing skills every day to craft compelling arguments. In this program you will learn how to elevate your legal writing skills.

Three speakers give varied perspectives: Hon. Leslie Landau (Ret.) formerly of the Contra Costa Superior Court and appellate practice, is now a mediator and arbitrator; Claudia Hagadus Long is a mediator and successful novelist; and Patrick Burns is an appellate practitioner.

The program will help you build on your existing writing foundation and “up your game.” The speakers will address how to understand and balance the competing interests of diverse audiences (court, counsel, client, mediator), and tailor your writing to meet the needs of your case. They will also examine what works (and what doesn't) in legal briefs.

Finally, they will provide concrete suggestions to help you take your writing to the next level.

Join us for an insightful webinar delving into the complex interplay between cannabis law and various realms of civil litigation. As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, its intersection with other areas of law presents unique challenges and opportunities. Led by former Napa Superior Court Judge Victoria Wood and seasoned cannabis law practitioner Lauren Mendelsohn, this program will provide an overview of the current legal landscape, and examine considerations when cannabis-related issues crop up in civil litigation.

The SMBA’s Trusts & Estates section welcomes back Santa Monica Courthouse Probate Division celebrities, Hon. Craig D. Karlan (Ret.) and former Probate Attorney Carmen Alberio, Esq. – now Mediators with ADR Services, Inc. – for a thoughtful program about hot to set up your Trust & Estate clients for better outcomes in mediations.

SFTLA’s Women’s Caucus invites you to a special evening with California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye (Ret.), Hon. Angela Bradstreet (Ret.), and Hon. Anne Costin as they share stories of bias, inequality and other barriers that stood in the way of their path to becoming women judges and how they overcame them.