Round-Trip Yokohama (Tokyo)

This class will focus on the internationally-recognized Law of War and the decision making process for military and political leaders in a time of conflict. Class discussions will include peacetime measures and the various types and levels of conflict, all from a legal perspective, with an appreciation of the attorney’s role in the overall decision making. This Destination CLEs cruise visits both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thus providing an opportunity for attendees to explore the legal principles and ethics of those historical events in person and as depicted in the film Oppenheimer. Our class will also compare these events to historical and contemporary cases, including the current conflicts in Europe and elsewhere. Overall the class is intended to provide an orientation to the recognized factors of ethical decision making in such settings and give attendees the opportunity to explore how those factors apply across a range of hypothetical, historical, and contemporary events.

This class will focus on contracting with the U.S. Government, including the discrete rules and requirements that make this practice unique. Covering a subject where many standard contracting rules rarely apply, topics will include contract formation, administration, dispute resolution, and related matters. Our class will focus on representing clients engaged or seeking to engage in business with the Federal Government, and class discussions will highlight aspects where attorneys can help clients succeed in an often-challenging business environment.

This class will focus on covering the essentials of contract formation along with the essential terms every attorney should insert in contracts drafted or reviewed for clients. We will discuss structuring and formatting contracts to avoid ambiguities and enforcement issues, best practices for setting forth certain provisions and terms, and a practical discussion on client interviewing to determine the clauses that are sufficient or really need to be added to their contracts. In addition, as time permits, we will discuss strategies for inserting or negotiating certain terms into contracts.

This class will focus on the main contract issues that generally arise in litigation over or concerning contracts. We will discuss how and when these issues can appear strategically in the litigation, how to anticipate and defend contract issues before and within the litigation, and other options for addressing contract deficiencies in litigation. It is a goal of this class that attendees can combine knowledge of how contract terms and conditions work in litigation with the companion class on contract terms to better assist clients in determining which contract terms and provisions are actually necessary for client contractual arrangements.

It’s every litigator’s worst nightmare. Worse than appearing before a court sans-trousers. Being on the receiving end of a harsh rebuke from a judge does not end up on too many lawyer’s “Top 10 Fondest Memories” list. That being said, there is a lot to learn about oral argument from bench slaps. We look at some of the worst bench slaps, analyze why the slap occurred, and most importantly, how you can avoid it happening to you!

What does Walt Disney, Johnny Cash and your little sibling have in common? They all know how to tell good stories! And everyone loves a good story, including courts. This class, for all attorneys but especially for those communicating with courts, explores how the art of storytelling can be accomplished in your complaints, pleadings and memos. You won’t ever rush through a statement of facts section again after taking this class! The goal? To make your legal writing into a real page turner that the court won’t be able to set down.

Lawyers, liars, and lunatics! This class focuses on why some people (lunatics) think that lawyers have a problem with lying. We go to the top of our profession – good ol’ Honest Abe – to see what he has to say about honesty in the legal profession. Do we have a problem with honesty? And if so, what can we do to fix it? In this class, we look at the various model rules requiring honest legal practices, such as 3.3, 4.1, 7.1 and 8.4, and then look at case examples where attorneys have been disciplined for dishonest activities. And of course, we end by vowing to not do likewise.