Season 2
Clients rarely come to lawyers with purely legal problems. Beneath the contracts, disputes, negotiations, and litigation are often deeper business, interpersonal, and strategic dynamics driving the conflict. Talin Yacoubian, Yacoubian & Powell, explores the emerging concept of “Business Therapy” and the evolving role of lawyers as trusted advisors who identify patterns, manage risk beyond the courtroom, and help clients navigate the human and operational realities underlying legal issues. Through real-world examples and practical insights, the presentation examines how effective lawyers move beyond technical legal analysis to become strategic counselors capable of solving the problems clients do not always recognize themselves. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.
The Supreme Court is reshaping the legal landscape on conversion therapy, with significant consequences for state and local governments that have enacted bans to protect LGBTQ+ youth. This program examines the constitutional arguments at issue in the recently decided case of Chiles v. Salazar, the lower court conflicts that brought the issue before the Court, and what the ruling means for civil rights protections going forward. Professor Scott Skinner-Thompson, Colorado Law, and Pelecanos, Lambda Legal, bring frontline academic and litigation perspectives to a case that sits at the intersection of free speech, equal protection, and the rights of minors. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.
California's family courts are no longer tolerant of litigation theater. Overloaded dockets, a diversifying bench, and evolving civility standards have shifted the strategic calculus: professionalism now translates directly to credibility, and credibility wins cases. Noel E. Guth, Guth & Changaris, examines how family law practitioners can convert opposing counsel's incivility into a competitive advantage. Topics include the limits of Family Code section 271 sanctions, the strategic use of case management orders under sections 2450 and 2451, early mediation as a litigation tool, joint statements of disputed facts, bifurcation, and evidentiary objection management under Reid v. Google. Attorneys will leave with a concrete framework for maintaining professionalism under pressure while structuring cases to expose and capitalize on an adversary's misconduct. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.
This program will explore the practical and legal challenges attorneys face when negotiating office, retail, and industrial leases for tenants with limited leverage, budgets, and experience. Bryan Mashian of Mashian Law Group will explore strategies for identifying and negotiating the lease provisions that matter most to smaller tenants. The presentation will cover both key economic terms and legal terms. The economic terms will include rent, CAM charges, tenant improvement allowances, and personal guarantees. Time permitting, the legal terms will include repair obligations, use clauses, assignment rights, default remedies, and end-of-term issues including surrender rights. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.
Hon. Susan L. Greenberg (Ret.), former Supervising Probate Judge of the San Mateo County Superior Court and neutral at Signature Resolution, presents a review of new laws concerning real property and small estates. Changes to tax laws impacting vacation property as well as distribution of digital assets will also be discussed. New laws regarding professional fiduciary oversight and current court backlogs in probate courts will be reviewed. Judge Greenberg will also address Haggerty v. Thornton, a significant new case concerning trust modifications with direct implications for estate planning practitioners. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.
AI hallucinations are no longer a novelty. Nearly 1,000 documented court decisions in the United States now involve AI-generated errors in legal filings, from fabricated citations to inaccurate procedural statements, and the number continues to grow. These incidents highlight not only the limitations of AI technology but also lawyers' longstanding responsibilities to verify information before relying on it. In this program, Professor John Lande, University of Missouri School of Law, will examine what AI hallucinations reveal about lawyers' duties of competence, diligence, and candor under the ABA Model Rules. The program will explore practical verification strategies and how thoughtful use of AI can reinforce habits of careful analysis and independent professional judgment under California's AI-related ethics proposals. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for integrating AI into their practices while maintaining responsibility for the accuracy of their work. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.
Piper Hinson, Southwestern Law School graduate, presents her award-winning law review article on the constitutional case against state gender-affirming care bans. Courts are split on whether these bans violate the Equal Protection Clause, and the divide comes down to one question: which standard of review applies. Piper argues that "rational basis with bite," rooted in City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Center, is the answer. These statutes ban puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender minors while expressly permitting the same treatments for intersex and cisgender minors, and she makes the case that animus, not child protection, is what's actually driving them. The Rule of Law Writing Competition encourages law students to integrate Rule of Law concepts into their writings. Papers may be on any topic either directly discussing an aspect of the Rule of Law, demonstrating how the Rule of Law affected the topic, defining the Rule of Law, criticizing the Rule of Law, or demonstrating the economic social or political effects of the Rule of Law. 100% of proceeds from this program will be donated to the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation. The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity is the community arm of the Beverly Hills Bar Association with direct impact in promoting equal access to justice, community service and law-related education. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.
The landmark 2026 social media decisions did not end in the trial court. Ari Stiller, Stiller Law Firm, examines how these rulings are being tested on appeal, what appellate courts are scrutinizing most closely, and where the doctrine is likely to land. He covers the key procedural and substantive issues driving appellate review, including challenges to the product defect theory, First Amendment tensions, and the legal weight courts are giving the addiction framing. Attendees will leave with a clear picture of where this litigation stands at the appellate level and what to watch as the law continues to develop. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.
In this session, attorneys will discover three Breath Performance Strategies they can use anywhere — at their desk, before court, or between back-to-back meetings — to generate energy, clarity, and focus on demand. Most attorneys are running on borrowed energy: caffeine, adrenaline, and willpower, until the body and mind finally push back. Yet the legal profession demands sustained cognitive performance under enormous pressure. The breath is the fastest, most accessible, and most under-used lever for shifting physiology, regulating the nervous system, and restoring mental clarity. Backed by a growing body of peer-reviewed research, breathwork is increasingly used in elite athletic, military, and clinical settings to support performance and resilience.
When a client has a disability or a dependent with special needs, the legal documents are only half the picture. The financial strategy behind them (how a trust gets funded, how benefits eligibility is protected, how a family plans across more than one lifetime) is where things often succeed or fall apart. This program is built for attorneys who work with families affected by disability and want a clearer view of how the financial pieces fit alongside the legal ones. Our speaker will review: How families build a plan that spans multiple lifetimes, from early childhood through retirement and beyond