Tired of AI panels that hype the future but skip the how-to? This practical session cuts through the noise to show tech-forward lawyers exactly how to build their own lightweight AI tools—no coding required. You’ll learn how OpenAI’s custom GPTs can be quickly configured to streamline repetitive legal tasks, from contract review and subpoena responses to deposition summaries and litigation timelines. We’ll walk step-by-step through building one, explore real legal use cases, and cover critical privacy and privilege concerns. If you're ready to stop talking about AI and start putting it to work, this session is for you.

Aaron Bath, Balfour Beatty

Bullying of lawyers by other lawyers is a long-known but little-discussed problem, even though it exists in many practice settings across the country. Bullying can negatively impact the quality of a lawyer’s day-to-day practice, their emotional well-being and physical health, and the chance to thrive and be successful. Bullying also impedes an employer’s ability to create effective and collegial work teams, retain lawyers who do good work, and foster a culture that is inclusive and supportive of success for lawyers at all levels.

Join our speakers Roberta (“Bobbi”) Liebenberg and Stephanie Scharf, both former Chairs of the American Bar Association Commission on Women, to discuss their new research about Bullying in the Legal Profession, which was sponsored and published by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.

Based on extensive quantitative and qualitative data from more than 6,000 lawyers, and spanning diverse demographics and workplaces, this innovative research shows with clarity the many negative effects that bullying has on lawyers and the firms, companies, agencies, courts, and non-profits where bullying takes place. Of particular concern: while bullying impacts lawyers from all backgrounds, bullying disproportionately impacts women attorneys, younger attorneys, attorneys with disabilities, attorneys of color, and LGBTQ+ attorneys.

An important section of the Report describes recommended and data-driven best practices for leaders, legal employers, and individuals to take to eliminate bullying and its pernicious effects.

We welcome you to attend this program to hear researchers and co-authors Stephanie Scharf and Roberta Liebenberg discuss their empirical work and their recommended best practices to combat bullying in the legal profession.

Roberta Liebenberg, Fine, Kaplan and Black, R.P.C
Stephanie Scharf, The Red Bee Group LLC

What is implicit bias and how can it manifest in almost undetectable ways in all aspects of the legal profession? Our distinguished panelists have been on every side of the legal profession: attorney, mediator, and judicial officer. They will discuss two prevalent, yet covert ways implicit bias affects every sphere of the legal profession: microaggressions and gaslighting. They will provide real life examples from the legal profession and what we as attorneys can do better to move the legal profession forward.

Language plays a critical role in how we behave and interact with each other in our daily lives, including in places of employment. Join attorney Beth W. Mora as she discusses the significance of gender equity in language, the impact of language on perceptions and behaviors in the workplace, and the legal frameworks that support gender inclusivity. Practitioners of all practice levels will gain insight from Beth’s expertise and learn how to work towards inclusivity in their communication.

Discussion includes:

- Why language matters in communication
- How language reflects our biases
- Legal frameworks that protect against discrimination based on gender identity
- Ethical standards for attorneys regarding discrimination
- Best practices for creating a welcoming environment through language

In the past five years there has been a worldwide focus on the effects of recent events upon mental health. The World Health Organization’s campaign to make mental health and well-being for all a global priority included declaring October 10 to be World Mental Health Day. In addition to the WHO’s declaring a global mental health crisis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that substance abuse and drug overdose deaths has greatly increased in recent years.

The stresses of the legal profession put lawyers at risk for abuse of legal and illegal substances. How can those of us in the legal profession gain control and find joy in a “chaotic world”?

The presentation will discuss mental well-being and substance use disorders in the legal profession today.

Yin Yoga, often defined as still and contemplative yoga, is a slower paced, more meditative style of practice. Yin fosters a sense of balance in both our bodies and minds, offering lawyers a unique opportunity for self-awareness.

Given the high stress and emotionally charged environments lawyers frequently navigate, Yin invites us to pause and observe the body’s “fight-or-flight” responses without the interference of the ego. Beyond the mental benefits, holding Yin Yoga shapes for longer durations targets the deeper connective tissues, which can enhance mobility and increase blood flow for those experiencing stiffness from prolonged sitting.

This session will explore how Yin Yoga can improve your overall capacity to remain present during moments of discomfort, ultimately supporting both your professional and personal well-being. The presenters will also guide you through a few Yin Yoga shapes to easily utilize in your office and at home.

Bradley T. Bald, Lifestyle Communities
Mary Beth Harding, Mary Beth Harding Yoga

At its core, calendaring is not just about managing appointments; it is about safeguarding the rights and interests of your clients, maintaining professional integrity, and ensuring compliance with legal deadlines. The practice of law is inherently deadline-driven. Whether it’s filing a motion, responding to discovery requests, or appearing at a hearing, missing a single deadline can have catastrophic consequences for your client and your practice

Annie Thompson, Chief Claims Officer, Lawyers' Mutual Insurance Company & Certified Specialist, Legal Malpractice Law, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

This CLE presentation explores judicial opinions issued over the past two years that reference Generative AI, providing real-world examples of how judges, lawyers, pro se litigants, and experts are using these tools—some with cautious ingenuity, and others with adverse consequences. By examining creative use cases alongside instances of misuse that led to admonitions, sanctions, or penalties, we will enhance our awareness of the evolving potential role of Generative AI in legal practice, and discuss how to deploy these technologies ethically and responsibly in legal problem-solving.

Heidi Brown, New York Law School

Lawyers have a duty to be zealous advocates for their clients. But when it comes to standing up to judges and their rulings, where is the line? The recent case of Epic Games v. Apple demonstrates the importance of obeying judicial orders, and the potential ramifications of noncompliance. Using the Epic Games case as an illustration, this program will explore the ethical rules that govern a lawyer’s interaction with judges both in and out of the courtroom. It will also include an analysis of not only what lawyers can say to judges in the courtroom, but what they can say about them in the court of public opinion.

In this webinar, participants will learn:

The expansive boundaries of the duty of candor to the court
How the duty of candor generally applies in and out of the courtroom
Sanctions for violating the duty of candor to the court
What a lawyer can say about Judges they appear before
Where free speech meets rules of legal ethics and civil liability

Wendy Patrick, Black Swan Verdicts
David Carr, Law Office of David C. Carr PC

HBO's hit series "Succession" follows a fictional media company led by a legendary patriarch. As the title suggests, the patriarch's children are angling to seize the throne and succeed their father as the company's CEO. In this presentation, Brent Turman, Partner at Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP, tracks the power plays of the company's C-level executives and general counsel, explaining whether their on-screen actions comply with specific ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (spoiler alert: most of the time, they don't.). Through the lens of this captivating series, Turman provides an entertaining way for attorneys to obtain ethics credit.

Brent Turman, Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP