Ethics Hot Issues 2021

Ethics Hot Issues 2021

Program Chair Sonya Pfeiffer has assembled an excellent lineup of speakers and topics on the hottest ethical issues this year. Regardless of whether you need to fulfill your year-end requirements for the NC State Bar or want to be up to date on the most recent ethical issues, this seminar has you covered! 

Registration includes seminar materials (in electronic format) and 3.0 CLE ethics hours. 

AGENDA

8:55 am | Welcoming Remarks – Program Chair

• Sonya Pfeiffer, Rudolf Widenhouse, Charlotte

9:00 am | Eviction in the Pandemic

• Kathryn A. Sabbeth, Associate Professor, UNC School of Law, Chapel Hill
  • This presentation will discuss the challenge of access to justice for tenants facing eviction. We will discuss the eviction crisis pre-pandemic, how the pandemic has influenced the causes and consequences of eviction, and the role that representation of tenants can play.

10:00 am | The First Rule About Confidentiality: Don't Talk About Confidential Information 

• Brian Oten, NC State Bar Director of Special Programs, Raleigh
  • The broad scope of Rule 1.6’s duty of confidentiality is being tested in an unprecedented manner:  Can I respond to this negative online review about my services?  Am I really supposed to keep publicly available information confidential?  My client just told me he has COVID-19, but he’s insisting on attending tomorrow’s deposition – what should I do?  Explore these and other issues surrounding the ethical duty of confidentiality for today’s lawyer.

11:00 am | Break        

11:15 am | What’s Ethics Gotta Do With It? Pretrial Investigation

• Deja Vishny, Nelson Defense Group, Hudson, WI​
  • In depth pretrial investigation is the key to winning a case or obtaining a great settlement for clients.   Much more information about witnesses is available online than ever before.  This session will cover how far and how aggressive one can go when investigating witnesses and litigants while still remaining on the correct side of the ethical line.

12:15 pm | Adjourn

Seminar Materials

All of our seminar materials are PAPERLESS! Please be on the lookout for an email 72 hours prior to the seminar that includes an electronic link to the seminar materials to download and print.

Cancellations received a week prior to the program are refunded less a $35 service charge. Refunds cannot be given after this date. Substitutions are welcomed and may be made until the date of the seminar. For registrants who wish to transfer their registration to another NCAJ seminar, transfer requests received by 12:00 noon the third working day prior to the seminar are subject to a $50 transfer fee. Transfer requests received after this time are subject to a $110 transfer fee. Registrations may be transferred once and only to seminars scheduled through June 30, 2021.