Litigation & Appeals

4.73

Civil Litigation Hearings From Start to Finish

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
California MCLE Paralegal Approved 6 Total
Alaska CLE Reciprocity 6 Total
Alabama CLE Approved 6 Total
Arkansas CLE Approved 6 Total
Arizona CLE Approved 6 Total
California CLE Approved 6 Total
Colorado CLE Approved 7 Total
Connecticut CLE Approved 6 Total
Delaware CLE Approved 6 Total
Florida CLE Approved 7 Total
Georgia CLE Approved 6 Total
Hawaii CLE Approved 6 Total
Iowa CLE Approved 6 Total
Illinois CLE Approved 6 Total
Indiana CLE Approved 6 Total
Kansas CLE Approved 7 Total
Kentucky CLE Approved 6 Total
Maine CLE Approved 6 Total
Minnesota CLE Approved 6 Total
Missouri CLE Approved 6 Total
Northern Mariana Islands CLE Approved 6 Total
Mississippi CLE Approved 6 Total
Montana CLE Approved 6 Total
North Carolina CLE Approved 6 Total
North Dakota CLE Approved 6 Total
Nebraska CLE Approved 6 Total
New Hampshire CLE Approved 6 Total
New Jersey CLE Approved 7.2 Total
New Mexico CLE Approved 6 Total
Nevada CLE Approved 6 Total
New York CLE Approved 7 Total
Ohio CLE Approved 6 Total
Oklahoma CLE Approved 7 Total
Oregon CLE Approved 6 Total
Pennsylvania CLE Approved 6 Total
Rhode Island CLE Approved 6 Total
South Carolina CLE Approved 6 Total
Tennessee CLE Approved 6 Total
Texas CLE Approved 6 Total
Utah CLE Approved 6 Total
Virginia CLE Approved 6 Total
Vermont CLE Approved 6 Total
Washington CLE Approved 6 Total
Wisconsin CLE Approved 7 Total
West Virginia CLE Approved 7.2 Total
Wyoming CLE Approved 6 Total
Delaware Certified Paralegal Program Approved 6 Total
Florida Registered Paralegal Approved 6 Total
Indiana Paralegal CLE Approved 6 Total
Montana CLE Credit for Paralegals Approved 6 Total
North Carolina Continuing Paralegal Education Approved 6 Total
New Mexico Paralegal Division, State Bar of Approved 6 Total
Ohio Certified Paralegals Approved 6 Total
NFPA Approved 0 Total
Texas State Bar of Paralegal Division Approved 6 Total
OnDemand
5 hours 55 minutes
Lee Lefkowitz
N. Jeffrey Blankenship
Brett Wolfson
James Susag
With Lee J. Lefkowitz from Zarin & Steinmetz LLP + 3 others
Recorded April 15, 2026.
Product ID 101749

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Overview

Judges Value Their Time, So Make Every Minute Count

Civil hearings are where preparation, strategy, and persuasion converge - and where cases can be won or lost. This comprehensive, basic-level CLE walks you through hearings in civil litigation with a clear understanding of what to expect and how to deliver your arguments effectively. Whether you're handling summary judgment arguments or evidentiary hearings, learn how to make every appearance strategic and impactful. Register today!

  • Learn how to take control of case scheduling and set an appropriate pace for litigation.
  • Draft motions and briefs that persuade on paper, not just comply with form.
  • Read the judge, pivot when it counts, and turn oral arguments into conversations that persuade.
  • Get practical tips for navigating dispositive and non-dispositive hearings.
  • Avoid hearing missteps that derail credibility and cross ethical lines.
  • Discover five trial truths every attorney should know before stepping into the courtroom.

This program was designed in conjunction with NBI's esteemed 2023-2026 Content Advisory Committee Member James Susag.

Abbreviated Agenda

  1. Making Case Scheduling, Case Management, and Status Hearings Count
  2. Motion and Brief Writing Tips: How to Make the Judge Say “Yes” on Paper
  3. The Art of Oral Advocacy: Having a Conversation With the Judge
  4. "Don't Do That, Counsel": Avoiding Ethical Pitfalls
  5. Tips for Using Settlement Conferences and Mediation Strategically
  6. Dispositive Hearings: From Dismissal to Summary Judgment
  7. Non-Dispositive Hearings: Picking Your Battles
  8. The Final Pretrial Conference, Evidentiary Hearings, and Trial

Related Topics

Product ID 101749

Credit Details

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
California MCLE Paralegal Approved 6 Total
Alaska CLE Reciprocity 6 Total
Alabama CLE Approved 6 Total
Arkansas CLE Approved 6 Total
Arizona CLE Approved 6 Total
California CLE Approved 6 Total
Colorado CLE Approved 7 Total
Connecticut CLE Approved 6 Total
Delaware CLE Approved 6 Total
Florida CLE Approved 7 Total
Georgia CLE Approved 6 Total
Hawaii CLE Approved 6 Total
Iowa CLE Approved 6 Total
Illinois CLE Approved 6 Total
Indiana CLE Approved 6 Total
Kansas CLE Approved 7 Total
Kentucky CLE Approved 6 Total
Maine CLE Approved 6 Total
Minnesota CLE Approved 6 Total
Missouri CLE Approved 6 Total
Northern Mariana Islands CLE Approved 6 Total
Mississippi CLE Approved 6 Total
Montana CLE Approved 6 Total
North Carolina CLE Approved 6 Total
North Dakota CLE Approved 6 Total
Nebraska CLE Approved 6 Total
New Hampshire CLE Approved 6 Total
New Jersey CLE Approved 7.2 Total
New Mexico CLE Approved 6 Total
Nevada CLE Approved 6 Total
New York CLE Approved 7 Total
Ohio CLE Approved 6 Total
Oklahoma CLE Approved 7 Total
Oregon CLE Approved 6 Total
Pennsylvania CLE Approved 6 Total
Rhode Island CLE Approved 6 Total
South Carolina CLE Approved 6 Total
Tennessee CLE Approved 6 Total
Texas CLE Approved 6 Total
Utah CLE Approved 6 Total
Virginia CLE Approved 6 Total
Vermont CLE Approved 6 Total
Washington CLE Approved 6 Total
Wisconsin CLE Approved 7 Total
West Virginia CLE Approved 7.2 Total
Wyoming CLE Approved 6 Total
Delaware Certified Paralegal Program Approved 6 Total
Florida Registered Paralegal Approved 6 Total
Indiana Paralegal CLE Approved 6 Total
Montana CLE Credit for Paralegals Approved 6 Total
North Carolina Continuing Paralegal Education Approved 6 Total
New Mexico Paralegal Division, State Bar of Approved 6 Total
Ohio Certified Paralegals Approved 6 Total
NFPA Approved 0 Total
Texas State Bar of Paralegal Division Approved 6 Total
Select Jurisdiction
CLE
Paralegal

Agenda

All times are shown in

  1. Making Case Scheduling, Case Management, and Status Hearings Count

    1. How Much Say Do You Have in the Schedule?
    2. Build in the Time Necessary - Don't Shortchange Yourself!
    3. How to Make These Hearings Work For You
    4. Questions You Should Ask
    5. Professional Efficiency vs. Gamesmanship
    6. Tips for Addressing Specific Procedural and Scheduling Issues

  2. Motion and Brief Writing Tips: How to Make the Judge Say “Yes” on Paper

  3. The Art of Oral Advocacy: Having a Conversation With the Judge

    1. How to Prepare (and Thoroughly)
    2. Create an Outline - But be Ready to Adjust on the Fly
    3. Starting Strong
    4. Using the Record and Authorities Effectively
    5. Handling Questions and Interruptions
    6. Think About Where the Judge is Going and How You Need to Respond
    7. How to Address Adverse Authority and Weaknesses
    8. Closing With Purpose

  4. "Don't Do That, Counsel": Avoiding Ethical Pitfalls

    1. Meritorious Claims and Contentions, Competence, and Diligence
      1. Wasting Court Time on Unnecessary Hearings
      2. Repeating Briefs vs. Zeroing in on Key Issues
      3. Not Being Prepared - Including Not Knowing Your Judge
    2. Candor, Truthfulness, Misrepresentation, and Decorum
      1. Deflecting or Dodging Questions
      2. Interrupting the Court or Opposing Counsel
      3. Pressing Your Point After the Judge Has Moved on
      4. Stretching, Misstating, or Venturing Off the Record
    3. Ex Parte Communication

  5. Tips for Using Settlement Conferences and Mediation Strategically

  6. Dispositive Hearings: From Dismissal to Summary Judgment

  7. Non-Dispositive Hearings: Picking Your Battles

    1. Injunctive or Emergency Hearings: Urgency vs. Emergency
    2. Discovery Hearings
    3. Practical Insights for Other Non-Dispositive Hearings

  8. The Final Pretrial Conference, Evidentiary Hearings, and Trial

    1. The Final Pretrial Conference: How to Prepare and What to Expect
    2. Handling Motions in Limine and Other Evidentiary Battles
    3. Trial Readiness Checklist
    4. Five Trial Lessons You'll Learn the Hard Way (Unless You're Here)

Who Should Attend

This program is designed for attorneys.

Speakers

Lee J Lefkowitz
Lee J.
Lefkowitz
Zarin & Steinmetz LLP
N. Jeffrey Blankenship
N. Jeffrey
Blankenship
Ziegler & Schneider P.S.C.
Brett A Wolfson
Brett A.
Wolfson
Zarwin Baum DeVito Kaplan Schaer Toddy P.C.
James M Susag
James M.
Susag
Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren Ltd.
Speaker bio
Lee J Lefkowitz

Lee J. Lefkowitz

Zarin & Steinmetz LLP
Lee Lefkowitz

is a partner at Zarin & Steinmetz LLP. He litigates high-stakes regulatory, real estate, land use, constitutional, and commercial matters in state and federal court. Mr. Lefkowitz litigates municipal and zoning matters, environmental cleanup lawsuits, religious and civil rights actions, as well as contract, commercial, property, and business disputes. He has made submissions and argued cases before federal and state courts of all levels, including the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Lefkowitz earned his B.A. degree, cum laude, from Binghamton University and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. 

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Speaker bio
N. Jeffrey Blankenship

N. Jeffrey Blankenship

Ziegler & Schneider P.S.C.
N. Jeffrey Blankenship

is an attorney at Ziegler & Schneider P.S.C. He is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Kentucky and Ohio. Mr. Blankenship is admitted before the U.S. Supreme Court. He has handled all areas of personal injury and commercial litigation, including car wrecks, premises liability (slip and fall), employment law, Kentucky workers' compensation, family law, probate law, and social security disability cases. Mr. Blankenship's practice also encompasses representation of a significant number of small local businesses, such as restaurants, churches, and other nonprofit organizations, retailers, and service providers, whom he advises on both employment and contractual aspects of their businesses, having negotiated numerous mergers and acquisitions, real estate purchases, noncompete, and nondisclosure agreements. He has published or co-published numerous papers on various aspects of legal issues, such as hedonic (loss of enjoyment) damages, the use of child witnesses, a law review article on juvenile-status offenders, and premises liability. Mr. Blankenship earned his J.D. degree from NKU Chase College of Law (top 10 of graduating class); his B.A. degree, cum laude, from Northern Kentucky University; and has also worked toward a master's degree in church music at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Speaker bio
Brett A Wolfson

Brett A. Wolfson

Zarwin Baum DeVito Kaplan Schaer Toddy P.C.
Brett Wolfson

is a shareholder at Zarwin Baum DeVito Kaplan Schaer Toddy P.C. He has been practicing for over 25 years, defending catastrophic injury and damages claims with vigor and success. Mr. Wolfson is highly regarded by carriers, claims adjusters, and self-insureds for his ability to collaborate with clients. He communicates and reports on all aspects of litigation promptly and efficiently. Mr. Wolfson is a highly regarded and experienced litigator and trial lawyer in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. He has successfully tried complex matters in state and federal courts throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Mr. Wolfson's areas of expertise include defending products liability, industrial, and commercial motor vehicle accidents, in addition to medical malpractice and Dram Shop litigation. He has extensive experience handling cases involving catastrophic injury or death, with damages and settlement demands often in the seven to eight figure range. Mr. Wolfson is skilled in taking over cases from other defense firms shortly before trial in order to strengthen the client's position and dispute unreasonable settlement demands. 

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Speaker bio
James M Susag

James M. Susag

Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren Ltd.
James Susag

is a seasoned trial attorney with a focus on franchise and dealer disputes, real estate, and complex commercial matters. He has been the lead attorney in over 100 trials and arbitrations in state and federal courts across the country, and in domestic and international arbitration forums. Mr. Susag has the unique perspective of a trial lawyer who has also managed complex litigation and developed strategic legal plans as in-house counsel. Clients appreciate his boardroom-to-courtroom experience in crafting resolutions for their business disputes. Mr. Susag is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in Minnesota, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh, Fourth and Eighth circuits. He earned his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from the University of St. Thomas and his J.D. degree, summa cum laude, from William Mitchell College of Law.

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