It is important for attorneys who want to thrive professionally to keep up with changes in the law and nurture connections with their peers. MSBA’s Legal Excellence Week provides Maryland attorneys with the chance to do both, offering unparalleled opportunities for learning and networking. This year, lawyers gathered from throughout the state to take part in Legal Excellence Week, which was held at Live! Casino & Hotel in Arundel Mills on November 13 through 15.
Legal Excellence Week featured accredited CLE programs on a variety of topics for a total of 30 hours of CLE credits, as well as networking events and Q&A sessions. Did you miss Legal Excellence Week?
Sessions are now available on-demand. Click on the title of each program to register.
Legal Excellence Week kicked off on Monday, November 13, 2023, with the Advanced Real Property Institute. The day began with The Ethics of Negotiation and Adversaries’ Mistakes, followed by a session on the Negotiation of Solar Leases. The day continued with Negotiation Points in Subordination, Non-Disturbance, and Attornment (SNDA) Agreements and Public-Private Partnerships. The Advanced Real Property Institute concluded with a session on the State of the Commercial Real Estate Financing Markets.
The MSBA also held the Succession Planning Workshop on Monday, which explored the intricacies of Why Succession Planning is Necessary & How Bar Counsel’s Office Might Intersect with the Process, followed by a panel discussion on Risk Management: Malpractice Exposure for the Attorney and Impact on Clients, with an Overview of Ethical Issues to be Considered in Succession Planning. The Workshop also included Succession Planning & Sale of a Solo or Small Firm Law Practice and Strategies For Leveraging Insurance Within The Succession Plan. At the end of the day, faculty conducted a case study on Determining and Implementing the Best Succession Strategy for your Firm.
Tuesday brought the Criminal Practice Update, during which attorneys learned about recent case law, legislative updates, and changes at both the state and federal levels in Recent Developments in Maryland & Federal Criminal Law. The day also offered Ethics Update: What Every Criminal Practitioner Needs to Know, and Hot Topics: Sentencing and Forfeiture in Maryland Criminal Cases, before wrapping up with A View from the Bench & Best Practices – Circuit and District Court Judge’s Panel, featuring insights from The Honorable Lisa Phelps and The Honorable Lawrence Hill.
The MSBA held the Civil Pre-Trial Practice & Trial Notebook Workshop on Tuesday as well, which provided practical information on the post-discovery phase of trial preparation, covering the period from the conclusion of discovery through a motion for summary judgment to the opening statement. Insight into how to organize, assemble, and utilize a trial notebook, a crucial tool that top litigators consider indispensable for trial proceedings, was one of the highlights of the day.
Legal Excellence Week wrapped up on Wednesday with Hot Tips in Family Law, which offered attorneys opportunities to various issues via programs such as Divorce & Bankruptcy: What to Look For In Your Cases and How to Protect Your Client and Your Firm, What to Do in the Event of a Client’s Death, Incompetence, or Incapacity, and What Legalized Cannabis Could Mean for Your Maryland Child Custody Case. The day also included sessions on Hot Topics in Tax for Divorce Attorneys and Appellate Brief and Memorandum Writing for Family Law Cases.
Technology for Transactional Lawyers: AI and Cybersecurity Issues was presented on Wednesday as well, where experienced faculty offered insights into issues surrounding the use of AI for transactional lawyers during: Overview of Generative AI and How it Can Work for Transactional Attorneys; Cyber Security Strategies for Law Firms; Practical Applications and Ethical Concerns of Using AI in Your Legal Practice; Cybersecurity, Data Management, & Compliance Issues Related to Using AI; Copyright Issues Arising from AI Created Content; and Cyber Security Strategies for Law Firms.
After the learning sessions wrapped up, the MSBA Young Lawyers Section invited participants to its Annual Summit, featuring a fireside chat with Baltimore City States Attorney Ivan Bates and a conversation with EVP and General Counsel for Fender Music Corp. Aarash Darroodi. Many of the programs offered during Legal Excellence Week will be available on-demand in the MSBA’s CLE catalog, which you can access here.