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Overview
Practice With Confidence - Know Your Ethical Obligations Cold
Every year, attorneys face discipline, suspension, or disbarment - not because they meant to cause harm, but because they let the fundamentals slip. Missed deadlines, blurred confidentiality lines, overlooked conflicts: these are not exotic edge cases. They're the everyday situations that trip up even experienced practitioners. This course cuts through the noise and gives you a clear, practical framework built directly on the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Designed for attorneys at every stage, from newly licensed to long-practicing, this course delivers the essential principles you need to protect your clients, your license, and your reputation. You'll leave with a working understanding of your core duties, a sharper eye for the conflicts and confidentiality traps that generate the most bar complaints, and a practical checklist you can apply to your practice starting today. Register today!
- Understand the attorney's core duty of competence and how to meet it.
- Manage client communications in every format confidently.
- Identify, analyze, and resolve key conflicts of interest.
- Protect client confidences under Model Rule 1.6 and know when exceptions apply.
- Navigate fees, trust accounts, and client funds responsibly.
- Apply disciplinary rules in your day-to-day practice with confidence.
Abbreviated Agenda
- Competence, Diligence, and Communication
- Confidentiality
- Conflicts of Interest
- Fees, Trust Accounts, and Client Property
- Candor and Honesty Rules
- Supervisory Responsibilities
- Daily Ethics in Practice: Quick Compliance Checks for Common Attorney Tasks
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Get the OnDemand Instead
Watch the recording of this event on your own schedule. We'll notify you when its ready.
Credit Details
Credits Available
| Credit | Status | Total |
|---|---|---|
| California MCLE Paralegal |
|
3 Total |
| Alaska CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Alabama CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Arkansas CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Arizona CLE |
|
3 Total |
| California CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Colorado CLE |
|
4 Total |
| Connecticut CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Delaware CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Florida CLE |
|
3.5 Total |
| Georgia CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Hawaii CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Iowa CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Idaho CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Illinois CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Indiana CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Louisiana CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Maine CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Minnesota CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Missouri CLE |
|
3.6 Total |
| Northern Mariana Islands CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Montana CLE |
|
3 Total |
| North Carolina CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Nebraska CLE |
|
3 Total |
| New Hampshire CLE |
|
3 Total |
| New Jersey CLE |
|
3.6 Total |
| New Mexico CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Nevada CLE |
|
3 Total |
| New York CLE |
|
3.5 Total |
| Ohio CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Oklahoma CLE |
|
3.5 Total |
| Oregon CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Pennsylvania CLE |
|
3 Total |
| South Carolina CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Tennessee CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Texas CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Utah CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Virginia CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Vermont CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Washington CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Wisconsin CLE |
|
3.5 Total |
| West Virginia CLE |
|
3.6 Total |
| Wyoming CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Delaware Certified Paralegal Program |
|
3 Total |
| Florida Registered Paralegal |
|
3.5 Total |
| Indiana Paralegal CLE |
|
3 Total |
| Montana CLE Credit for Paralegals |
|
3 Total |
| North Carolina Continuing Paralegal Education |
|
3 Total |
| New Mexico Paralegal Division, State Bar of |
|
3 Total |
| Ohio Certified Paralegals |
|
3 Total |
| NFPA |
|
0 Total |
| Texas State Bar of Paralegal Division |
|
3 Total |
Select Jurisdiction
CLE
Paralegal
Agenda
-
Competence, Diligence, and Communication
- The Duty of Competence: What It Means and How to Maintain It
- Diligence and Followthrough
- Keeping Clients Reasonably Informed
-
Confidentiality
- The Duty of Confidentiality and Its Scope
- Permitted Exceptions and Mandatory Disclosure Scenarios
- Confidentiality in the Digital Age: Email, Cloud Storage, AI, and Remote Work
-
Conflicts of Interest
- Concurrent Conflicts With Current Clients
- Specific Prohibitions (Business Transactions, Gifts, Loans, Media Rights)
- Duties to Former Clients
- Conflict Screening and Waiver Basics
-
Fees, Trust Accounts, and Client Property
- What Makes a Fee Reasonable
- Safekeeping Client Funds, IOLTA Basics, and Common Pitfalls
- Retainers, Earned-on Receipt Arrangements, and Fee Disputes
-
Candor and Honesty Rules
- Candor toward the Tribunal
- Truthfulness in Statements to Third Parties
- Practical Boundaries: Negotiation, Puffery, Omission, and Outright Misrepresentation
-
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Oversight of Non-Lawyer Staff and Outsourced Work
- AI and AI Supervisory Duties
- Responsibilities of Partners and Supervisory Lawyers
- Delegation Without Abdication
-
Daily Ethics in Practice: Quick Compliance Checks for Common Attorney Tasks
- Before You Close the File: 4 Questions to Ask Before Releasing a Matter
- Before You Hit Send: 3 Checks Every Client Communication Needs
- Before You Bill: A 5-Point Invoice Check
- Before You Delegate: 5 Things to Clarify to Get on the Same Page
- When Something Feels Off: A Simple Framework for Spotting Ethical Red Flags Early
Who Should Attend
This program is designed for attorneys. Paralegals, legal administrators, and law clerks seeking a practical grounding in professional responsibility will also benefit.
Speakers
Speaker bio
Daniel H. Butler
is a Shareholder with Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney. He was born in New York City and grew up on Long Island, New York, before attending the University of Michigan and Syracuse University College of Law (cum laude). After graduating from Syracuse Law and working for the asset forfeiture department of the Northern District of New York for over a year, Mr. Butler moved back to New York City in 2016 and began working as a litigation attorney. He practiced for six years at a busy litigation firm in Manhattan and focused his practice on the defense of professionals and in construction litigation, before moving to Southern California with his wife. Mr. Butler remains licensed in both New York and California. He also has experience in insurance coverage litigation. As a practicing litigator in California since 2022, Mr. Butler's practice has remained focused on the defense of financial professionals and attorneys as well as construction litigation. He has experience in all facets of litigation by virtue of exclusively litigating complex professional responsibility and construction matters. Mr. Butler has also successfully resolved dozens of cases for private clients and insurance carriers through mediation and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. He has been selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in New York City for the years of 2020 and 2021, and in Southern California for the years of 2023, 2024, and 2025. This is an award given to only 2.5% of practicing attorneys in the region. Mr. Butler has also been published in USI Affinity's newsletter (2017) and in the Professional Liability Defense Federation's quarterly publication (Vol 1. 2021), with both publications concerning issues pertaining to the defense of professionals.
Speaker bio
Bradley D. Honnold
is the founding partner with the Leawood law firm of Goza & Honnold, LLC with more than 30 years of experience trying lawsuits and managing high stake litigation throughout the country. After graduating and before starting his own law firm, he was a partner at a large nationally known firm. Mr. Honnold was a defense attorney from 1989 to 2004, representing hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and physicians in product liability and medical negligence litigation. In 2005, he made the switch to representing plaintiffs. Mr. Honnold, along with his friend and law partner Kirk Goza, started Goza & Honnold, LLC. After working as a defense lawyer, he wanted to use his expertise to represent clients who had experienced an injury caused by medical malpractice. Because of his experience as a defense lawyer, Mr. Honnold brings a different perspective to cases, and he felt a calling to do something different, something that would help people in their time of need. As a partner of Goza & Honnold, LLC, he focuses on medical negligence, pharmaceutical and prescription drugs, medical devices, and general personal injury cases. Since partnering and working on national litigations, the firm has represented thousands of clients, including Vioxx, Bextra/Celebrex, Fleets Phospho Soda, Trans Vaginal Mesh, DePuy ASR, Zimmer Durom, Pradaxa, Fosamax, Actos, and Power Morcellator. Mr. Honnold's most recent notable cases include JUUL Labs, Inc., MDL No. 2913 (Appointed by Hon. William Orrick, III, District Court Judge, Northern District of California, to serve on Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, In Re JUUL Products Liability Litigation), Proton-Pump Inhibitor, MDL No. 2789 (Mr. Honnold is a co-chair of the Discovery Committee and is on the Plaintiff's Steering Committee) and 3M Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2885 (Appointed by the Hon. M. Casey Rodgers, District Court Judge, Northern District of Florida, to serve on Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, 3M Combat Arms Ear Plug Litigation, MDL #2885). His recent verdict and settlement includes $775 million settlement against Xarelto. Mr. Honnold has been named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers for Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs, Kansas City-KS (2018 and 2020). He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Mr. Honnold earned his B.B.A. degree With Distinction from the University of Iowa and his J.D. degree, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law. He is a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, University of Iowa Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society, Order of Omega (Greek Honor Society) and the Delta Tau Delta Social Fraternity. He is also a member of the plaintiff's steering committee in the federal multidistrict litigations (MDL) for Xarelto, Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI), JUUL Inc., and 3M Military Ear Plugs, as well as a co-chair of the discovery committee for the PPI and JUUL MDLs. As a frequent speaker addressing medical malpractice, trial practice, and product liability, Mr. Honnold is dedicated to teaching how to get the best possible outcome. He is admitted to practice in Kansas, Missouri, U.S. District Court, District of Kansas, U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri and The Missouri Association of Trial Lawyers.
Speaker bio
Barry M. Snyder
is the owner of The Law Office of Barry M. Snyder, P.A. He has more than 40 years of litigation experience focusing in the fields of personal injury, wrongful death, and criminal defense. Mr. Snyder is a board-certified civil trial lawyer, mediator and qualified arbitrator. He is also a NBTA certified trial lawyer. Mr. Snyder is AV rated with Martindale-Hubbel and voted Top Lawyers in Florida, Super Lawyer, and National Trial Lawyer's Top 100 Civil Plaintiff. He is admitted to practice in Florida, as well as federal court (Southern, Middle and Northern districts). Mr. Snyder is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Justice Association; committee member of the Miami-Dade Branch of Professionalism for Attorneys; past guest speaker at University of Miami Law School, St. Thomas Law School, and Miami-Dade College; and is a trial consultant with Trial Consultants Inc. He is also a former past president of the North Dade Bar Association. Mr. Snyder earned his B.A. degree from the University of Miami and his J.D. degree from the University of New Hampshire Law School (Franklin Pierce Law Center).
Speaker bio
James K. Weston, II
is a board-certified civil trial lawyer at Phelan Tucker Law, LLP, in Iowa City, Iowa. He has been a practicing trial lawyer since graduating from law school in 1996. Mr. Weston practices in the areas of personal injury and wrongful death, professional negligence/malpractice, commercial litigation and general civil litigation. In addition to his trial practice, he regularly speaks to lawyers' groups on litigation and trial issues, insurance law, and other subjects. Mr. Weston earned his B.A. degree from the University of Iowa and his J.D. degree from Drake University School of Law. He is a fellow of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Speaker bio
Charles E. Hoffecker
is a member with Hotchkiss Hoffecker Peacock, where his practice focuses primarily on representing clients in employment litigation, contract litigation, commercial/business litigation and liability litigation. He has extensive trial experience in both state and federal courts throughout the country. Mr. Hoffecker also regularly conducts arbitrations and mediations, and appears in state and federal appellate courts on behalf of the firm's clients. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Middle and Southern districts of Georgia. Mr. Hoffecker earned his B.A. degree, with honors, from Albion College and his J.D. degree from Valparaiso University School of Law.
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