Live In-Person

LA Specific

Litigation & Appeals

Live In-Person

Trials of the Centuries - Landmark Cases

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Alabama CLE Approved 6 Total
Arkansas CLE Approved 6 Total
Georgia CLE Approved 6 Total
Louisiana CLE Approved 6 Total
Mississippi CLE Approved 6 Total
Tennessee CLE Approved 6 Total
Baton Rouge, LA
6 hours
Joel Oster
With Joel L. Oster from Comedian of Law, LLC

Thu, Dec 17, 00:00 AM – 00:00 PM

Product ID 103036

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Course Includes
$350

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OnDemand content will be available within 7 days of event date.

Overview

Landmark Cases, Legendary Lawyers, and Unforgettable Legal Lessons

Go back through centuries of landmark litigation to examine the cases, advocates, and courtroom strategies that helped shape the law—and the legal profession itself. From The Trial of Socrates and Marbury v. Madison to Leopold and Loeb, the Scopes Monkey Trial, and People v. O.J. Simpson, you’ll explore the issues, arguments, strategies, and outcomes that made these cases unforgettable.

But this isn’t just a history lesson. Each case offers practical insights into advocacy, persuasion, judgment, ethics, and the role of the lawyer, with lessons you can apply to your own practice today.

Then, to cap off the day, we head to the other end of the legal spectrum with the Darwinian Awards: a look at attorneys whose encounters with the Rules of Professional Conduct provide unforgettable examples of what not to do.

Learn from some of the greatest moments in legal history, some of the profession’s most memorable mistakes, and everything in between. Revisit what it means to be a lawyer, and take away practical lessons you won’t soon forget. Register today!

This program is presented in partnership by Joel Oster, Comedian of Law, and NBI.

Abbreviated Agenda

  1. The Trial of Socrates: Ancient Case, Enduring Legal Lessons
  2. Marbury v. Madison and the Judicial Power Grab
  3. Leopold and Loeb: Defending the Imperfect Crime
  4. The Scopes Monkey Trial: Ethics, Publicity, and Litigating Counter-Cultural Cases
  5. The People v. O.J. Simpson: Trial Strategy, Media, Evidence, and the Court of Public Opinion
  6. The Darwinian Awards: Unforgettable Ethics Lessons From Lawyers Behaving Badly

The Location

Baton Rouge, LA

Hampton Inn & Suites, Baton Rouge Downtown
462 Lafayette Street
Baton Rouge, LA, 70801
See Location

Related Topics

Product ID 103036

Credit Details

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Alabama CLE Approved 6 Total
Arkansas CLE Approved 6 Total
Georgia CLE Approved 6 Total
Louisiana CLE Approved 6 Total
Mississippi CLE Approved 6 Total
Tennessee CLE Approved 6 Total
Select Jurisdiction
CLE

Agenda

All times are shown in

  1. The Trial of Socrates: Ancient Case, Enduring Legal Lessons


    Long before social media, the trial of Socrates raised questions that still resonate today. Accused of impiety and corrupting the youth, Socrates faced a public proceeding that continues to inform debates over free thought, academic freedom, jury trials, and the relationship between law and society.
    1. The Charges Against Socrates: Impiety and Corruption of the Youth
    2. The Evidence, Testimony, Jury, and Verdict
    3. Public Trials and Trial by Jury
    4. The Lasting Legacy: Separation of Church and State, Academic Freedom and Freedom of Thought, and Jury Trials

  2. Marbury v. Madison and the Judicial Power Grab


    A young nation faced one of the first great tests of its new constitutional system. Explore the political maneuvering, legal arguments, courtroom strategy, and landmark decision that established the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review.
    1. The Facts, Key Players, and Political Backdrop of Marbury v. Madison
    2. The “Midnight Judges” and the Fight Over the Federal Judiciary
    3. The Judiciary Act of 1789, Article III, and the Right to Mandamus
    4. The Court’s Three Questions: Did Marbury Have a Right, Was There a Remedy, and Could the Supreme Court Grant It?
    5. The Decision and the Emergence of Judicial Review
    6. The Federalist Papers and Competing Views of Judicial Power
    7. The Lasting Legacy of Marbury v. Madison

  3. Leopold and Loeb: Defending the Imperfect Crime


    Two wealthy young men set out to commit the “perfect crime.” One pair of eyeglasses helped unravel it. Examine the investigation, defense strategy, and legendary advocacy of Clarence Darrow in one of the most infamous criminal cases of the twentieth century.
    1. The Murder of Bobby Franks, Key Players, and the Facts of the Case
    2. The Investigation and the Evidence That Broke the Case
    3. Defense Strategy: Why Darrow Chose Not to Plead Insanity
    4. Taking the Case to the Court
    5. Darrow’s Closing Argument and the Verdict
    6. Lasting Lessons in Capital Defense Advocacy
    7. Capital Punishment Jurisprudence: Wilkerson v. Utah, In re Kemmler, Hall v. Florida, Glossip v. Gross, Hurst v. Florida, Madison v. Alabama, and Bucklew v. Precythe

  4. The Scopes Monkey Trial: Ethics, Publicity, and Litigating Counter-Cultural Cases


    Clarence Darrow. William Jennings Bryan. A nationally broadcast courtroom showdown over evolution, education, religion, and the law. Explore the advocacy, publicity, ethical questions, and strategic choices that turned the Scopes Trial into one of the most famous proceedings in American legal history.
    1. ABA Model Rules Review: 1.1, 1.4, 1.7, 3.3, 3.6, 3.7, and 7.3
    2. Facts of the Case
    3. Calling Bryan to the Stand - Rule 3.7 and Lawyer as a Witness
    4. Verdict and Appeal
    5. Ethical Violations and Aftermath - Lying to the Court, Conflicts of Interest, and Competency

  5. The People v. O.J. Simpson: Trial Strategy, Media, Evidence, and the Court of Public Opinion


    The white Ford Bronco chase. The gloves. DNA evidence. Wall-to-wall media coverage. Few trials have changed the public’s relationship with the courtroom quite like the O.J. Simpson case. Examine how the case was investigated, litigated, and ultimately remembered.
    1. The Facts and the Key Players
    2. The Marital Abuse, the Murders, the Arrest, and the Timeline
    3. Preliminary Proceedings, Jury Selection, and Trial Strategy
    4. Prosecution's Theory vs. Defense Case
    5. DNA and Forensic Evidence: Presentation, Attacks, and Persuasion
    6. The Verdict and the Lasting Legacy of the Simpson Trial

  6. The Darwinian Awards: Unforgettable Ethics Lessons From Lawyers Behaving Badly


    Charles Darwin had a theory that only the fittest survive. Well… you can be among the fittest by adjusting your behavior to not match these lawyers. From a lawyer creating a fake dating profile for opposing counsel to an attorney trying to evade a court’s word limit by deleting spaces, this entertaining ethics session highlights memorable examples of professional conduct gone spectacularly wrong.
    1. ABA Model Rules 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.15, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 7.1, 7.3, 8.3, and 8.4
    2. Award for Stumbling Out of the Gate
    3. Award for Picking the Wrong Profession
    4. Award for Best Client Story
    5. Award for Acting Like a Toddler
    6. Award for Impersonating Dr. Who
    7. Award for Mishandling Client Money
    8. Award for Judicial Jealousy
    9. Award for Getting Too Excited
    10. Award for Creativity in Argument
    11. Award for Handling Opposing Counsel
    12. Award for Poor Client Relations

Who Should Attend

This live, in-person CLE seminar is designed for attorneys who want to sharpen their advocacy, revisit the foundations of the legal profession, and learn from both landmark cases and unforgettable ethical missteps.

Speakers

Joel L Oster
Joel L.
Oster
Comedian of Law, LLC
Speaker bio
Joel L Oster

Joel L. Oster

Comedian of Law, LLC
Joel Oster

is a litigator, national speaker, podcaster and stand-up comic. He is in private practice specializing in constitutional law, appellate advocacy, and attorney ethics. Mr. Oster regularly litigates First Amendment issues and has been lead counsel on two cases that ended up in the U.S. Supreme Court. He has argued a case before the United States District Court for the Western District of New York and the Second Circuit and was part of a legal team that successfully defended a case in the U.S. Supreme Court. He's also prevailed as lead counsel in defending a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Mr. Oster has spoken to thousands of attorneys across the United States and brings their combined practical perspectives to his seminars. He has presented at numerous bench and bar conferences and co-hosts the podcast DeBriefing the Law with Chris Marohn. The podcast covers current legal news and true crimes using their brand of humor. From the Supreme Court to O.J. Simpson, no legal topic is off-limits. Most importantly he is also a stand-up comic. Even though he has argued before numerous appellate courts, including Judge Calabresi of the Second Circuit, he said nothing compares to the nerves of trying to make a room full of drunk college kids laugh. He headlined the comedy tour "Presumed Funny" which featured random musings about the legal profession. Mr. Oster earned his J.D. degree from the University of Kansas School of Law. He is admitted to the bar in Kansas, Missouri, Florida and numerous federal courts.

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