LOOKING FOR AN ETHICS CLE PROGRAM?

Lawyers Mutual is dedicated to malpractice reduction by education. We are pleased to offer ethics and risk management CLE seminars on the Kentucky Rules of Professional Conduct and malpractice prevention as a bar service. The goal of each seminar is to capitalize on the experience of attending lawyers to come up with realistic resolutions of ethics and malpractice issues pertinent to day-to-day practice. These programs can be approved by the CLE commission for 1/2 to 2 hours of ethics credits.

Our CLE programs are presented by Pete Gullett. In addition to his duties as Lawyers Mutual’s chief operating officer, Pete works extensively with the KBA and local bar groups providing CLE seminars. He will present a program for any local bar or other group of Kentucky lawyers at no cost. Pete provides a copy of the required written materials. All you need to do is apply to the CLE Commission for credit, copy the materials for distribution, and draw a crowd. Please contact Pete Gullett at 1-800-800-6101 or 502-568-6100 to set up your CLE event.

The following seminar programs are available in a two hour format:

• Amanda Kumars Case – Features a video that tells the story of a young child who may have been sickened by a defective drug. Issues presented for discussion include the permissible limits of deception in the negotiation process, nuts and bolts of the initial contact with and ultimate representation of an unsophisticated client, the conflicts inherent in dual representation of parent and child, use of discovery to discourage claims, plus much more.
• Seaside Resort Investment – Features a four part video on representing business clients. The scenario begins with the startup of a new business and ends with disaster. Issues raised in the video include conflicts of interest, advising the organizational client, fees, and lawyer negligence.
• The Case of the Silent Alarm -- Features a seven part video that focuses on a broad variety of ethical issues raised in a case in litigation from formation of the attorney-client relationship through settlement.
  • The Lawyer Interview (professionalism, client relations and screening)
  • Who’s In Charge Here? (scope of representation, zeal, trial tactics, withdrawal)
  • The Smoking Gun. (conflicts of interest, business entity clients, negotiations)
  • The Mistake Of Fax. (confidentiality, risk management, supervisory responsibility)
  • Playing To The Jury. (improper influence, misconduct)
  • The Morning Lawyer. (impaired lawyers, supervisory responsibility, negotiations)
  • Blowing The Whistle! (safekeeping property, reporting misconduct)
• Dinner At Sharswood's Cafe -- Features a video of four thirtysomething lawyers who meet for dinner while attending their law school class reunion. Over the course of dinner the lawyers tell these stories about tough professional responsibility issues they are facing:
  • “Black Market Babies” -- Client confidentiality and candor toward the tribunal.
  • “Take No Prisoners” -- Fairness to the opposing party when the opposing lawyer is an inexperienced rookie who thinks you are the epitome of what a lawyer should be.
  • “Fun and Games in a Corporate General Counsel’s Office” -- Partner supervisory responsibility, corporate client duties, and sexual harassment in the corporate law office.
  • “The Case of the Smoking Floppy Disk”-- The ethics of lawyer custody of real evidence in the age of cyberspace.
• The Challenges Of In-House Counsel At Homewares Corporation, USA – Features a seven part video that gives lawyers providing legal services to corporations and other business entities either as outside counsel or in-house counsel an opportunity to test their knowledge of the applicable Kentucky Rules of Professional Conduct. Professional responsibility issues covered are corporate governance, advising constituents of a corporation, outside counsel billing controls, outside counsel relations, dealing with illegal conduct of a constituent, situations when professional obligations conflict with the corporation’s interests, and sexual harassment.
• Adventures in Professional Responsibility – Features a video of several vignettes depicting ethical and malpractice issues in realistic situations. These situations focus on:
  • Conflicts of interest which arise when one firm represents both parties in a real estate transaction.
  • Candor toward the tribunal in the context of an automobile accident personal injury case and potentially fraudulent evidence.
  • The basic rules of professional responsibility of outside and house counsel to their business entity clients.
  • The reasonableness of fees charged to business entity clients by outside counsel and the professional responsibility of house and outside counsel when abuse is suspected.
  • Client confidentiality and conflicts of interest from the perspective of the defense lawyer selected by an insurance company Claims Counsel to represent an insured defendant.
• "And Here's The Top Ten" -- This one hour seminar covers the most prevalent types of legal malpractice. It includes ten practical steps to avoid or prevent the likelihood of receiving a claim. The seminar format draws on the experience and knowledge of the participants to develop realistic methods of risk management.