Judicial Forum

Live Online

Contract Interpretation From the Bench

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Alaska CLE Reciprocity 3 Total
Alabama CLE Approved 3 Total
Arkansas CLE Approved 3 Total
Arizona CLE Approved 3 Total
California CLE Approved 3 Total
Colorado CLE Approved 4 Total
Connecticut CLE Approved 3 Total
Delaware CLE Approved 3 Total
Florida CLE Approved 3.5 Total
Georgia CLE Approved 3 Total
Hawaii CLE Approved 3 Total
Iowa CLE Approved 3 Total
Idaho CLE Pending 3 Total
Illinois CLE Approved 3 Total
Indiana CLE Approved 3 Total
Kansas CLE Approved 3.5 Total
Kentucky CLE Approved 3 Total
Louisiana CLE Approved 3 Total
Maine CLE Approved 3 Total
Minnesota CLE Approved 3 Total
Missouri CLE Approved 3.6 Total
Northern Mariana Islands CLE Approved 3 Total
Mississippi CLE Approved 3 Total
Montana CLE Pending 3 Total
North Carolina CLE Approved 3 Total
North Dakota CLE Approved 3 Total
Nebraska CLE Approved 3 Total
New Hampshire CLE Approved 3 Total
New Jersey CLE Approved 3.6 Total
New Mexico CLE Approved 3 Total
Nevada CLE Approved 3 Total
New York CLE Approved 3.5 Total
Ohio CLE Approved 3 Total
Oklahoma CLE Approved 3.5 Total
Oregon CLE Approved 3 Total
Pennsylvania CLE Approved 3 Total
Rhode Island CLE Approved 3.5 Total
South Carolina CLE Approved 3 Total
Tennessee CLE Approved 3 Total
Texas CLE Approved 3 Total
Utah CLE Approved 3 Total
Virginia CLE Approved 3 Total
Vermont CLE Approved 3 Total
Washington CLE Approved 3 Total
Wisconsin CLE Approved 3.5 Total
West Virginia CLE Approved 3.6 Total
Wyoming CLE Approved 3 Total
Live Online
3 hours 15 minutes
Bradford Charles
Dafney Dubuisson Stokes
Thomas Anderle
Socrates Manoukian
With Hon. Bradford H. Charles from Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas + 4 others

Fri, Oct 23, 00:00 AM – 00:00 PM

Product ID 102538

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Overview

What Judges Actually Think When They Read Your Contracts Featuring 4 Judges From Across the Nation

The stakes couldn't be higher. A single misunderstood clause can unravel years of careful deal-making, expose your client to unexpected liability, or result in a ruling that defies what both parties intended. And most attorneys only learn these lessons after the verdict.
This program changes that. In a rare panel-style format, judges pull back the curtain on contract interpretation from their unique vantage point. You'll hear directly from the bench on how courts actually approach ambiguous language, implied terms, extrinsic evidence, and the doctrines that determine outcomes: delivered with candor and practical insight that no treatise can replicate. Walk away with a judge's-eye view of contract law that will immediately sharpen how you draft, review, and litigate contracts for your clients. Register today!

  • Gain a judge's-eye view of how contract language is actually interpreted - not just how it should be.
  • Understand the doctrines judges rely on most, from plain meaning to the parol evidence rule.
  • Learn what contract arguments judges find credible versus those that lose in the first paragraph.
  • Discover the drafting habits that create ambiguity and how courts resolve them, often not the way you'd expect.
  • Get candid judicial perspectives on implied terms, course of dealing, and good faith obligations.
  • Apply bench-tested insights to strengthen your contracts before disputes arise.
Panelists: Hon. Thomas P. Anderle, Hon. Bradford H. Charles, Hon. Harvey Schlesinger and Hon. Socrates P. Manoukian
Moderator: Dafney Dubuisson Stokes

Abbreviated Agenda

Contract Interpretation From the Bench

Break: 12:30 – 12:45

  1. How Judges Approach Contract Disputes - 30 Minutes
    1. The Judge's First Read: What They're Looking For Before Arguments Begin
    2. Judicial Philosophy and Interpretive Frameworks: Textualism vs. Contextualism on the Bench
    3. What the Docket Reveals: Common Patterns in Contract Litigation
  2. Plain Meaning, Ambiguity, and the Language Judges Trust - 45 Minutes
    1. The Plain Meaning Rule in Practice: When It Controls and When It Doesn't
    2. What Makes Language Ambiguous: Patent vs. Latent Ambiguity from the Bench
    3. Canons of Construction Judges Actually Apply (and Which They Ignore)
    4. Poorly Drafted Clauses: Real Examples From the Bench
    5. Words That Create Problems - Judges' Perspectives
  3. Extrinsic Evidence, Context, and the Parol Evidence Rule - 45 Minutes
    1. When Courts Look Beyond the Four Corners: The Threshold Judges Apply
    2. Parol Evidence Rule: How Judges Actually Apply It vs. How Attorneys Argue It
    3. Course of Dealing, Course of Performance, and Trade Usage: Evidentiary Weight
    4. Merger and Integration Clauses: Do They Really Shut the Door?
    5. What Extrinsic Evidence Has Changed a Ruling?
  4. Implied Terms, Good Faith, and Gaps in the Contract - 30 Minutes
    1. Gap-Filling: How Courts Imply Terms and When They Refuse
    2. The Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing: What Judges Expect
    3. Reasonable Expectations Doctrine and Its Limits
    4. Force Majeure and Frustration: Post-Pandemic Judicial Trends
  5. Drafting and Advocacy Takeaways From the Panel - 30 Minutes
    1. What Judges Wish Attorneys Would Do Differently - In Contracts and in Court
    2. Five Drafting Habits That Create Disputes (and How to Break Them)
    3. How to Make Contract Arguments That Help the Judge Rule

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Related Topics

Product ID 102538

Credit Details

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Alaska CLE Reciprocity 3 Total
Alabama CLE Approved 3 Total
Arkansas CLE Approved 3 Total
Arizona CLE Approved 3 Total
California CLE Approved 3 Total
Colorado CLE Approved 4 Total
Connecticut CLE Approved 3 Total
Delaware CLE Approved 3 Total
Florida CLE Approved 3.5 Total
Georgia CLE Approved 3 Total
Hawaii CLE Approved 3 Total
Iowa CLE Approved 3 Total
Idaho CLE Pending 3 Total
Illinois CLE Approved 3 Total
Indiana CLE Approved 3 Total
Kansas CLE Approved 3.5 Total
Kentucky CLE Approved 3 Total
Louisiana CLE Approved 3 Total
Maine CLE Approved 3 Total
Minnesota CLE Approved 3 Total
Missouri CLE Approved 3.6 Total
Northern Mariana Islands CLE Approved 3 Total
Mississippi CLE Approved 3 Total
Montana CLE Pending 3 Total
North Carolina CLE Approved 3 Total
North Dakota CLE Approved 3 Total
Nebraska CLE Approved 3 Total
New Hampshire CLE Approved 3 Total
New Jersey CLE Approved 3.6 Total
New Mexico CLE Approved 3 Total
Nevada CLE Approved 3 Total
New York CLE Approved 3.5 Total
Ohio CLE Approved 3 Total
Oklahoma CLE Approved 3.5 Total
Oregon CLE Approved 3 Total
Pennsylvania CLE Approved 3 Total
Rhode Island CLE Approved 3.5 Total
South Carolina CLE Approved 3 Total
Tennessee CLE Approved 3 Total
Texas CLE Approved 3 Total
Utah CLE Approved 3 Total
Virginia CLE Approved 3 Total
Vermont CLE Approved 3 Total
Washington CLE Approved 3 Total
Wisconsin CLE Approved 3.5 Total
West Virginia CLE Approved 3.6 Total
Wyoming CLE Approved 3 Total
Select Jurisdiction
CLE

Agenda

All times are shown in

  1. Contract Interpretation From the Bench

    Break: 12:30 – 12:45

    1. How Judges Approach Contract Disputes - 30 Minutes
      1. The Judge's First Read: What They're Looking For Before Arguments Begin
      2. Judicial Philosophy and Interpretive Frameworks: Textualism vs. Contextualism on the Bench
      3. What the Docket Reveals: Common Patterns in Contract Litigation
    2. Plain Meaning, Ambiguity, and the Language Judges Trust - 45 Minutes
      1. The Plain Meaning Rule in Practice: When It Controls and When It Doesn't
      2. What Makes Language Ambiguous: Patent vs. Latent Ambiguity from the Bench
      3. Canons of Construction Judges Actually Apply (and Which They Ignore)
      4. Poorly Drafted Clauses: Real Examples From the Bench
      5. Words That Create Problems - Judges' Perspectives
    3. Extrinsic Evidence, Context, and the Parol Evidence Rule - 45 Minutes
      1. When Courts Look Beyond the Four Corners: The Threshold Judges Apply
      2. Parol Evidence Rule: How Judges Actually Apply It vs. How Attorneys Argue It
      3. Course of Dealing, Course of Performance, and Trade Usage: Evidentiary Weight
      4. Merger and Integration Clauses: Do They Really Shut the Door?
      5. What Extrinsic Evidence Has Changed a Ruling?
    4. Implied Terms, Good Faith, and Gaps in the Contract - 30 Minutes
      1. Gap-Filling: How Courts Imply Terms and When They Refuse
      2. The Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing: What Judges Expect
      3. Reasonable Expectations Doctrine and Its Limits
      4. Force Majeure and Frustration: Post-Pandemic Judicial Trends
    5. Drafting and Advocacy Takeaways From the Panel - 30 Minutes
      1. What Judges Wish Attorneys Would Do Differently - In Contracts and in Court
      2. Five Drafting Habits That Create Disputes (and How to Break Them)
      3. How to Make Contract Arguments That Help the Judge Rule

Who Should Attend

This program is designed for attorneys. Transactional lawyers, litigators, and general counsel who regularly draft, review, or dispute contracts will find this program especially valuable. Paralegals, contract managers, and legal operations professionals may also benefit.

Speakers

Hon. Bradford H Charles
Hon. Bradford H.
Charles
Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas
Dafney Dubuisson Stokes
Dafney
Dubuisson Stokes
Forthright Solutions
Hon. Thomas P Anderle
Hon. Thomas P.
Anderle
Santa Barbara County Superior Court
Hon. Socrates P Manoukian
Hon. Socrates P.
Manoukian
Santa Clara County Superior Court
HS
Hon. Harvey E.
Schlesinger
United States District Court Middle District of Florida
Speaker bio
Hon. Bradford H Charles

Hon. Bradford H. Charles

Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas
Bradford Charles

is a Judge in the Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas.

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Speaker bio
Dafney Dubuisson Stokes

Dafney Dubuisson Stokes

Forthright Solutions
Dafney Dubuisson Stokes

is the operations counsel at Forthright Solutions, a global provider of process design, automation, and management solutions and administrator of the state of New Jersey's No-Fault Insurance Personal Injury Protection (PIP) arbitration program under the State's Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act. As Operations Counsel, Ms. Dubuisson Stokes oversees New Jersey operations and provides counseling to the management team and employees on a wide range of legal matters - including high-level issues that ensure the meeting and advancement of the program's regulatory and statutory goals. She is a frequent National speaker teaching and providing up to date information and knowledge on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Ms. Dubuisson Stokes' career includes leadership roles at Wong Fleming, P.C., where she served as a Partner, representing Fortune 100 companies, leading complex litigation, and creating innovative operational processes. A graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law and Boston College she is also a respected speaker and author on legal ethics, diversity, and inclusion. Ms. Dubuisson Stokes is also a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Ethics Committee (District IIIB) and on the Board of the Marks Cares, Inc. in Montclair, New Jersey, with a mission to eradicate homelessness throughout New Jersey. She has also been recognized by NJBiz as a 2023 Leader in the Law. Ms. Dubuisson Stokes is licensed to practice law in New Jersey (2013), New York (2018), Ohio (2022) and Pennsylvania (2012). She earned her a B.A. degree, with honors, from Boston College and her J.D. degree from Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law.

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Speaker bio
Hon. Thomas P Anderle

Hon. Thomas P. Anderle

Santa Barbara County Superior Court
Thomas Anderle

is a Superior Court Judge in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court of California.

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Speaker bio
Hon. Socrates P Manoukian

Hon. Socrates P. Manoukian

Santa Clara County Superior Court
Socrates Manoukian

has served as a Superior Court Judge in Santa Clara County Superior Court since 2010.

View full profile
Speaker bio
HS

Hon. Harvey E. Schlesinger

United States District Court Middle District of Florida
Harvey Schlesinger

is a United States District Court Judge in the Jacksonville Division of the United States District Court Middle District of Florida.

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