2009 Programs

National Association of Elder Law Attorneys Annual Conference and CLE

November 13, 2009: A full day of programming, presented by the Washington Chapter of NAELA, including discussions on Family Relationships & Social Services, Financial Planning & Investment Scams, Quality of Life for the Aging, and more.

Why There Should Be Lawyers in Misdemeanor First Appearances

November 6, 2009: A free half-day CLE featuring panels and speakers from the Washington Office of Public Defense, The Defender Initiative, the Seattle Municipal Court, and more.

Hope & Help In Hard Times: Pro Bono Practice

October 30, 2009: A day of pro bono workshops on: how to get involved in local pro bono activities, the basics of setting up a pro bono practice and working with pro bono clients, and Pro bono incentives and ethics, followed by a reception honoring Bill Gates Sr., winner of the prestigious ABA awards.

Washington State Paralegals Association Fall 2009 Conference & Continuing Education Program

October 23, 2009

DR board Breakfast CLE, Poverty Simulation CLE and Social Justice Week Reception featuring Prof. Jay Kesan, University of Illinois College of Law

October 15, 2009

What to Watch for at the Supreme Court with Professor Siegel

October 2, 2009

Past Present & Future of Domestic Partnerships in Washington State

September 25, 2009

State Judicial Independence - A National Concern featuring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

September 14, 2009

Domestic Violence Symposium: Are we there yet? Commemorating the past, creating the future

September 11 & 12, 2009

Tinker & Technology with Professor Halliburton

September 1, 2009: The ACLU of Washington Hosts a Discussion of Student Rights.

40-Hour Basic Mediation Training

August 10-14, 2009: We are pleased to invite you to enroll in a Mediation Training presented by the Dispute Resolution Board of Seattle University in conjunction with the Dispute Resolution Center of King County. This 40-hour, 5-day training teaches the basic skills of facilitative mediation, using the interest-based approach common in community dispute resolution.

U.S. and International Advertising Law in a Global World

May 21, 2009: A company's ability to effectively communicate with customers in a global marketplace is critical in today's increasingly connected world. More than ever before, marketers are reaching broader global audiences and looking for opportunities to interact with consumers both in the U.S. and abroad. This program provides a unique opportunity to learn valuable information and insight about advertising law issues around the globe.

Join leading in-house and outside legal counsel, including representatives from GALA - the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance - for this special program. Scheduled topics include panels and presentations on testimonials and endorsements, product placement, green marketing, contests and sweepstakes and advertising to children. Additionally, there will be time to network with GALA lawyers from more than forty countries.

CLE Roundup

May 15, 2009: This half-day program provides an opportunity to get quick updates in four different and active subject areas from both savvy practitioners and thoughtful academics: Charitable Contributions, Family Law, Criminal Defense Law, Ethics. Being held in Tacoma, the program is especially accessible to practitioners in the South Sound area.

Sustainability and the Law

May 1, 2009: Over the course of the last decade, our nation has experienced a significant shift in focus on how we view the concept of sustainability and the value of sustainable practices, particularly in the areas of green building and development and alternative and renewable energy. The rapid growth of the Sustainability sector and its incorporation into local, state and federal legislation has had, and will continue to have, a defining impact across major industries, involving both public and private sector businesses and organizations.

This CLE is designed to provide a general yet substantive overview on the legal implications of recent and expected changes in Sustainability-related state and federal regulation. Recent passage of state laws regarding LEED® (Washington State was the first to mandate that all state projects meet LEED silver requirements), and federal tax incentives in the areas of Brownfields redevelopment and green energy development, provide new economic opportunities for tribal and non-tribal entities. In an uncertain economic climate and with a new administration in power, we are likely to see further progression of sustainable initiatives and programs, as the field continues to develop and expand. This program will feature leading industry professionals, in conjunction with two of our LEED accredited attorneys, to address these topics and further explore this rapidly emerging area of the law.

Federal and State Regulation of Immigration - Lozano and Its Progeny

April 17, 2009: Increasing numbers of states and localities are undertaking efforts to reduce or thwart what they characterize as adverse consequences of Federal immigration policy or the result of failures by the Federal government to enforce its immigration policy. These actions are raising important and difficult questions concerning the relationship of Federal, state and local law.

This program will discuss the actions being taken, analyze the litigation that has addressed those efforts and assess the impact of proposed Federal immigration reform. Among the areas expected to be addressed are social security, healthcare, education, employment, landlord/tenant, driver's license. There will also be an analysis of the impact of terrorism and national security concerns on immigration reform.

Labor Arbitrators' Day

April 15, 2009: This conference, held immediately before this year's annual Collective Bargaining Conference for labor and management representatives being held in Seattle, is for experienced labor arbitrators who serve as neutrals under labor-management agreements throughout the Pacific Northwest in both the public and private sectors. Organized by the Pacific Northwest Region of the National Academy of Arbitrators, with members in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Alaska, and Idaho, the conference will include intermediate to advanced level lectures, panel presentations, and workshops devoted to current issues in labor arbitration theory and practice led by experienced arbitrators and labor-management advocates, as well as updates from representatives of appointing agencies (the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service, American Arbitration Association, Washington Public Employment Relations Commission, and Oregon Employment Relations Board).

The Annual James L. Holman Ethics Program

April 3, 2009: Are there circumstances under which threats from terrorists could legally excuse or justify a corporation's disregard of its reporting or disclosure obligations? How would the corporation, its directors, officers and their counsel go about considering these circumstances? Must they consult with government regulators and, if so, when? Are there conflicting professional obligations imposed upon attorneys who counsel clients in these situations? And what if the proposed course of action raises challenges with the attorney's personal moral code?

These are the kinds of practical, legal and ethical questions that faced the officers, directors and counsel of Chiquita Brands concerning its operations in Columbia during 2001 - 2004 - and the subject of this challenging and provocative program. Following an explanation of the increasing number of business reporting and disclosure obligations facing corporations operating in today's global business environment, this program will examine obligations arising from national and state professional rules of practice and conclude with a panel focusing on how these obligations affect decisions on a practical basis.

Building Mediation Markets/Demand

April 3, 2009:Sponsored by the Dispute Resolution Board of Seattle University School of Law & the King County Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Building Mediation Markets/Demand will explore ways to build community awareness of and confidence in the mediation process, and ways that attorneys can work with their clients to prepare them to be effective within that process. Speakers will discuss methods for incorporating mediation into practice, marketing a mediation practice, reinvigorating the idea of mediation and mobilizing community support, and expanding and raising practitioner and client confidence in the process.

Identity Theft and the FTC's "Red Flags" Rules

March 20, 2009: Identity thieves use people's personally identifying information to open new financial accounts and misuse existing accounts, creating havoc for consumers and businesses. Identity theft cost Washington State victims well over $1 billion in both 2006 and 2007, and almost 20% of all state residents have been victims of identify theft in the last five years.

This program will provide an overview and explanation of the basics of identity theft prevention program rules, including clarification of their scope and applicability, e.g., identification and rationale of businesses subject to their requirements.

The Law of the Commons

March 13, 2009: A dominant concept of British and American civil law is that everything is based on property rights, and it is the lawyer's job to protect and exalt those rights. This program will offer attorneys a different set of glasses through which to view the traditional property-based legal structure. Although legal concepts of "property," overlaid on fundamental concepts of "common law," have antecedents that long predate the U.S. Constitution, in the 21st Century, these "common law" antecedents, together with science and computer technology, have developed along a new legal trajectory that many attorneys and judges still do not have the experience or knowledge to appreciate.

This program looks at, identifies and scrutinizes popular impulses toward "common" stewardship of resources in contrast and reaction to political, economic and legal pressures to enclose, privatize or commercialize the commons. The program will give attorneys (and those who are not attorneys) a new perspective on the practice and ethics of law and a clearer apprehension of what the law could be. The program will offer profoundly different ways of thinking about personal and communal property, technology, science, culture, natural resources, civil rights and society. Distinguished speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds will help lawyers gain the insight necessary to communicate with and to develop business and representational contacts with vast, highly sophisticated and highly influential communities whose legal issues are the future of the law. A primary objective of the program is to help lawyers better perform their traditional roles as agents of change and justice.

What Every Practitioner Needs to Know About e-Discovery

February 6, 2009: Designed to provide an overview of the basics of e-discovery, this program will explain what e-discovery is, why attorneys must be concerned about it and how it impacts daily practice, including attorney-client privilege. Federal and state e-discovery rules, caselaw and a focus on current concerns in Washington State will also be discussed. A third session will explore ethical issues arising from metadata and the Qualcomm decision.

How to Use the Internet to Find Free (or Inexpensive) Reliable Information

January 30, 2009: This hands-on program will show you how to make the best use of the free Web to find primary legal materials and practice aids. You'll learn how to gain free access to high-powered subscription databases by using your public library card. We'll cover ways the Web can be used for current awareness and to find practice tools. Lastly, you'll learn to effectively and efficiently mine comprehensive sources of public information, enhancing your people finding skills. With these databases and search techniques, you'll have business information, statistics, legislative documents, scholarly research, and so much more, right at your fingertips.

Music Copyright Law in the Digital Age

January 23, 2009: The digital age has already had a dramatic impact on all types of intellectual property - and music has led the way. According to The New York Times, Atlantic, a unit of Warner Music Group, recently reached a milestone that no other major record label has hit: more than half of its music sales in the United States are now from digital products. Copyright laws related to music are going through dramatic changes as technology develops and improves. Many professionals including attorneys, musicians, and managers must track copyright laws and understand how they affect business practices and industry developments. This program will provide music industry perspectives on copyright issues, examine the litigation of music copyright and review recent developments in music copyright law.