HBA/CLE Seminars are held on Thursday mornings in the West Loop area and on Friday afternoons in the Harris County Jury Assembly Plaza. Each seminar is approved for 1.5 hours of MCLE credit, and many also have ethics credit. These seminars are free to HBA members and provide over 100 hours of MCLE credit at no cost each year. Written materials are available for $15. Non-members may attend for $50, including written materials. Please view the brochures for a schedule of the upcoming seminars. No pre-registration is required.

 View CLE Calendar

Click here to Print/Download the 2013 Spring/Summer Seminar Schedule [PDF]

Friday, April 26, 2013
The Ethics of Cloud Computing
As more lawyers move an increasing amount of their work product to the cloud – email, document management, task lists, contacts, etc. – the challenges of protecting client information have increased. This presentation will look at various cloud options with a view toward the ethical implications of each.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour ethics credit.


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Friday, May 3, 2013
Early Case Dismissals, Expedited Actions and the Ongoing Saga of "Loser Pays"
The Texas Rules of Civil Procedure will soon include new rules regarding the early disposition of cases, expedited actions, and some elements of a "loser pays" system. This seminar will explore these new rules and compare them to similar rules that already exist in federal courts.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, no ethics credit.

Friday, May 10, 2013
How to Identify and Address Substance Abuse in Family Law Cases
This seminar is designed to provide an overview of the range of problematic substance abuse, how to identify if this problem exists, and what to do about it if you find it, whether in your client or on the other side. This seminar will also address evidentiary issues with drug testing and challenging expert witnesses.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, no ethics credit.

Thursday, May 16, 2013
Effective Use of Investigators in Litigation
This course will outline specifically how to establish a legal and effective working arrangement with an investigative agency, and then use the information and evidence prepared by the agency to strengthen the client's position in pre-litigation, litigation and post-judgment matters.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including .25 hours ethics credit.

Friday, May 17, 2013
Civil Lawsuits Involving Animals
When is an owner liable if his dog bites a child or horse injures a rider? If a vet negligently kills an animal, what damages can be obtained? Learn about civil cases involving horses, dogs, and other animals.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, no ethics credit.

Thursday, May 23, 2013
Contract Disclaimers & Tort Claims in Texas
Texas law allows contract parties to disclaim tort liability – sometimes. Texas courts and unhappy contract parties have wandered through this legal minefield, attempting to define when tort claims may be effectively disclaimed, and when they are not, with inconsistent results. Should your client agree to that disclaimer? Will a Texas court enforce it?
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including .5 hours ethics credit.

Friday, May 31, 2013
Cross Examination
Individuals will learn how to cross examine lay witnesses and experts in a criminal trial with an emphasis on DWI cases. This lecture will include information on preparation for cross examination outside the courtroom, as well as how to execute a plan during trial.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, no ethics credit.


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Thursday, June 6, 2013
Tax Controversy and Litigation Update
The program will focus on the nuts and bolts of handing federal tax controversies, including IRS audits/exams, administrative appeals, and litigation. The program will also address ethical issues with managing an IRS matter.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including .5 hours ethics credit.

Thursday, June 20, 2013
How to Open a Trusts and Estate Law Office
This presentation will cover the nuts and bolts of how to open your own law office, with specific emphasis on the trusts and estates practice. The speakers will cover issues relating to both estate planning and fiduciary litigation practices.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including .5 hours ethics credit.

Thursday, June 27, 2013
Dispute Resolution and Negotiation Strategies
An experienced trial lawyer and mediator will share effective and ethical strategies that will help you get the most from this important part of the legal process.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including .5 hours ethics credit.

Friday, June 28, 2013
Operation Information Interception
Operation Information Interception: When it's legal and when it's not on Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. Also covers what married couples can and cannot do with social media.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, no ethics credit.


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Thursday, July 11, 2013
Overview of Social Security Disability Hearings
Have you ever wondered how a person may qualify for social security benefits prior to retirement age? This presentation will cover the basics of a request for social security disability filing. Learn the difference between Title XVI and Title II filings, and why these differences may be very important to your clients. The presentation will also cover ethical and practical considerations in preparing and presenting your clients for their hearings before an administrative law judge, as well as fee agreements and payment for representation.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including .5 hours ethics credit.

Thursday, July 18, 2013
Professional Responsibility Issues in Oil, Gas and Energy Law Practice
This seminar will cover some recent ethics-related developments and issues that will have impact on the Oil & Gas industry and other sectors. The course will discuss the Dodd-Frank Whistle Blower Provisions, lessons learned from a recent case about communicating with the government and other important issues.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including .25 hours ethics credit.

Thursday, July 25, 2013
Cybersleuthing Without Losing Your Law License
Now that the electronic landscape has become a prevalent aspect of client behavior and e-mail has become a routine aspect of attorney-client communications, cybersleuthing is essential to attorneys' gaining adequate insight into the factual basis and concomitant issues underlying legal matters. Nevertheless, a Texas attorney must be cognizant of and comply with the relevant federal and Texas statutes and implicated Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct in order to judiciously implement cybersleuthing protocols without jeopardizing his or her law license.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour ethics credit.

Friday, July 26, 2013
Little Known Retaliation Claims That Bite Back - A Primer on Workers' Compensation, FMLA, and FLSA Retaliation Claims
This seminar will provide a general overview of employment-related retaliation claims, and will focus on little-known claims involving workers' compensation, FMLA, and FLSA retaliation. The seminar will discuss the legal framework for these claims, including potential damages, legal defenses, and practical tips to avoid retaliation claims.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, no ethics credit.


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Thursday, August 1, 2013
Attacking the Business Valuation Expert: Will Your Expert's Opinion Withstand Scrutiny?
To the untrained eye, all business valuations look the same. However, to the trained eye, there are often numerous errors in a business valuation report. This seminar will teach the attorney how to identify problems in both their and the opposing expert's business valuation reports. It is easy to discredit a business valuation report if you can recognize its faults.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including .25 hours ethics credit.

Friday, August 2, 2013
Contracts for the International Sale of Goods
This seminar will cover the fundamentals of contracts for the international sale of goods. There will be an in depth treatment of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), including issues of contract formation, battle of forms, Nachfrist periods, remedies, and other topics specific to the Convention. There will also be brief coverage of dispute resolution issues, including how they relate to contracts for the international sale of goods, use of Incoterms in conjunction with the Convention, as well as how these techniques may be utilized in sales contracts.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, no ethics credit.

Friday, August 9, 2013
Preservation of Error
This presentation encompasses trial counsel's ethical duty to preserve potential reversible error for appellate review by making timely and specific objections and obtaining adverse rulings at every stage of the proceedings. It will cover a myriad of areas where the need to preserve potential reversible error is paramount, including pre-trial suppression matters, voir dire, extraneous offenses, the State's right to appeal, admission and exclusion of testimony, the trial court's charge, final argument, and motions for new trial.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including .75 hours ethics credit.

Thursday, August 15, 2013
Religious Discrimination in the Age After the Age of Aquarius
Title VII prohibits religious discrimination in the employment relationship, and also requires employers to accommodate religious beliefs and practices of employees, but the devil (so to speak) is in the details. This presentation will focus on significant and/or entertaining court decisions relating to religion (as broadly defined under Title VII) in the workplace.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, including .25 hours ethics credit.

Friday, August 23, 2013
Cyberspace & Security for Lawyers
Lawyers are being targeted because they house high value data in less secure, consolidated locations. Lawyers have a duty (ethically & statutorily) to protect client information. Notification statutes are forcing data breaches to become public knowledge. Simple, cost effective tools exist to increase data protection & prevent liability exposure.
1.5 hours MCLE credit, no ethics credit.


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