Join thousands of lawyers who benefit from our accredited, live, weekly webinars in increments of time designed to fit today’s busy schedules. For over a decade, our high quality courses led by expert teachers have helped lawyers like you enhance their understanding of important topics and refine their skills from work, home, or the road. You can watch our webinars on your computer, tablet or smartphone.
Browse our upcoming courses below to find the webinars right for you, and start completing your continuing professional development requirement today! All of our courses are backed by excellent customer service and our satisfaction guarantee.
It’s 2021 and the world and the practice of family law is changing. Are you up to date on two of the biggest developments family law practitioners have seen in years? Bill C-78 amended three federal family laws: the Divorce Act, the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act and the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act. The coming into force of most of the amendments to the Divorce Act (originally scheduled to take place July 1, 2020) has now been deferred until March 1, 2021. In addition, Michel v. Graydon (2020) was a rare consideration of family law issues by the Supreme Court of Canada, and is the new authority on retroactive and historical child support orders. Join us for this essential 90 minute update with experienced family law practitioners Alex Boland and Leisha Murphy and learn how these changes will affect you and your clients, and what to look out for in the year ahead. Topics include...Read More
Do you understand the fundamentals and scope of Executor responsibility? Are you aware of the most common pitfalls practitioners face when advising an estate Executor or Trustee? This highly practical presentation with experienced estates and trusts lawyer Lynne Butler will review the responsibilities, powers, and liabilities of Executors, and the rights of beneficiaries, with a focus on how counsel for the Executor can help avoid conflict and litigation! Among the subjects Lynne will address are...Read More
As Canadians increasingly turn to assisted human reproduction (AHR) procedures to help build their families, more lawyers need to ensure they have a basic understanding of this growing area of client need. Once the niche of only a handful of fertility law specialists, today lawyers in every practice area, including family law, estate planning, employment law and contract drafting, are encountering clients with reproductive technology-related legal issues. This webinar will create the necessary awareness for practitioners in every field to inquire about and better address matters relating to collaborative reproduction they may come across in their practice. Family health law™ lawyer Lisa Feldstein will provide an overview of common assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and terms, discuss who uses ART and the multiple participants that may be included in a child’s birth, and explain the regulation of ART and surrogacy in Canada, and what courts have done when faced with difficult questions of ART. In addition, she’ll offer practical advice for anyone considering building a fertility law practice or adding fertility law to their existing practice. Topics include...Read More
Multiple wills are an established and increasingly popular estate planning strategy. Useful for a number of objectives, they often appeal to business owners, owners of foreign real estate, and individuals seeking additional privacy. While having multiple wills may seem like a simple solution to some testamentary issues, lawyers who prepare these documents must carefully draft them, with adequate consideration of relevant local laws, in order to avoid unintended and serious consequences. This program is designed to give you the knowledge and skills you need to decide when to recommend multiple wills to a client, and educate you about important drafting considerations to avoid duplicate bequests, revoking other wills, rendering all wills invalid, and other negative results. Leading estates practitioner Jordan Atin will address...Read More
As we head into 2021, employers and employees are reflecting on one of the most tumultuous years they have ever faced. From COVID-19 to dramatic shifts in social and cultural paradigms, workplaces and employment law are forever altered. This new, 90 minute webinar will explore how the unique events of 2020 have changed our ideas and understanding about the workplace and the employer/employee relationship, and will preview additional issues and challenges employers and employees should expect in 2021. Experienced employment law lawyer Ryan Watkins will focus on three developing areas: legal and practical issues arising from COVID-19, challenges of the remote workplace, changing approaches to diversity, harassment and discrimination. Ryan will address...Read More
At some point or another, even non-criminal lawyers are likely to receive a phone call from a client (or friend or relative) who has been arrested, or who has a family member who has been arrested. “What should I do?” they will ask. What you say, and what happens in the next few minutes and hours - whether dealing with a minor or serious matter - can have a profound impact on your client’s future. This popular 90 minute webinar, refreshed for 2021, will arm you with sufficient knowledge to answer that question intelligently and competently. The course is designed for non-criminal law practitioners and new lawyers considering a criminal defence practice. Although you may ultimately refer the client to another lawyer, what you learn in this program will enable you to collect essential information, and provide important advice about do’s and don’ts during detention, arrest and custody...Read More
No time for a full day estate planning institute? No problem! Stay on top of current developments in estates, trusts, and capacity law with this convenient, 90 minute practice-oriented update! Experienced trusts and estates practitioners Gillian Fournie and Joanna Lindenberg will address key legal decisions from the past year, preview cases to watch in 2021, and discuss how COVID-19 and other developments will continue to shape your practice in the future. You will: get the latest updates on legal issues involved in your cases, receive insights on significant court decisions and legislative changes, better understand trends and developments impacting your practice, learn helpful strategies for advising clients in a time of unprecedented uncertainty...Read More
Having a basic knowledge of financial statements is crucial for every well-rounded lawyer. The more you understand about financial statements, the better you’ll be able to counsel clients with confidence, and use your financial understanding to your client’s advantage during negotiations or litigation. Attend this newly updated program and learn how to understand the basic structure of a financial statement and identify its key components. You’ll work through sample balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements, including examples for a small law firm. Don’t miss this opportunity to get the fundamental knowledge you need to understand financial statements encountered in day-to-day business, family, estates, and general civil litigation practice...Read More
You spend a lot of time in front of a computer, and if you’re not sending emails, you’re probably using Microsoft Word to create and edit documents. Whether you’re a transactional lawyer or litigator, you rely heavily on form documents and templates - for agreements, affidavits, pleadings, even letters. But what happens when these documents aren’t formatted properly? You get disappearing text, visual confusion, errors, and more. So you spend minutes, maybe even hours, trying to “clean up” whatever you’ve created or are editing. Stop wasting your time! Attend this refreshed 90 minute webinar with legal technology trainer Craig Brody and learn the basics of Microsoft Word that every lawyer - especially small firm lawyers who don’t have the luxury of support staff - must know! Using simple, easy to understand on-screen examples, Craig will show you...Read More
The practice of law is filled with challenging conversations: tempering an emotional client’s unrealistic expectations, calling out a colleague’s lack of professionalism, and pointing out costly errors in a subordinate’s work. No one enjoys these tough talks, and many of us try to delay or avoid them, leading to wasted time, unnecessary stress, and even errors. So how do we turn these challenging conversations into productive dialogues that get the results we want? This new, 90-minute webinar is specifically designed to help lawyers navigate difficult but necessary discussions with greater skill and confidence. Lawyer and communications coach Karmen Masson will share proven tools and techniques for making uncomfortable conversations less painful, while maintaining and improving important relationships. You will learn...Read More
The coronavirus pandemic has brought commercial agreements into sharp focus. While force majeure clauses were the first flashpoint, it has become increasingly clear that additional contract terms, including those relating to termination and breach, require new consideration. In an environment where pandemics and other global crises are now foreseeable, anticipation and clarity in drafting is more important than ever. Drafters need to take a realistic look at current precedents and practices and earnestly tackle important changes going forward. This highly practical program with experienced commercial litigator Heather Devine will identify key clauses every lawyer should consider including in their commercial contract review checklist and propose simple drafting strategies to help reduce uncertainty and create sensible and effective mechanisms for dealing with major disruptions in the future. Among the topics Heather will address are...Read More
Estate planning is important for everyone but especially for entrepreneurs and business owners. Issues relating to incapacity, the transfer of property, continuity of the business and minimizing taxes go beyond simply having a will. This new 90-minute webinar examines critical considerations and estate planning tools available to practitioners who advise business owners. Experienced estates lawyer Daniel Nelson and CPA, CA Jeffrey Dessau will address the unique issues stemming from business interests in estate planning and administration and share practical planning and administration tools, including multiple wills, estate freezes, alter ego trusts and leadership succession planning. By the end of the program you’ll have a better understanding of special tax and other planning considerations when working with entrepreneurs, and you’ll be more comfortable with the various estate planning tools and techniques available to you to help meet your client’s needs. Among the questions the presenters will address are...Read More
Many lawyers are asked to draft wills for existing clients - or friends or relatives - whether or not their practices include estate planning. So, you follow your old Bar Admission materials and add a few online updates you’ve found, and all is well, right? Wrong! Drafting a will requires a general understanding of the technical and human aspects of will drafting, as well as specialized knowledge from other legal fields, including estate and income tax law. This new short course with experienced estates lawyer Jasmine Sweatman is designed for lawyers new to will drafting or who have limited experience in this area. In just 90 minutes, Jasmine will walk you through four key stages of will planning and drafting...Read More
Microsoft Word dominates word processing in the legal profession – you simply cannot practice law without encountering it. And while many lawyers may think they have mastered this omnipresent tool, chances are good that you are underutilizing powerful commands to help you efficiently create attractive, properly formatted documents, and fix documents that have problems. Enhance your existing Microsoft Word skills in this 90- minute webinar with legal technology trainer Craig Brody. Using simple, real-time examples via screen-sharing, Craig will expand on some commands introduced in Part 1 and share new commands to help you streamline and protect your documents. You’ll learn more about styles and page numbers, plus you’ll learn how to create legal templates and table of contents, and how to insert tables of authorities and tables of figures. In addition, Craig will show you how...Read More
While many residential real estate closings go as planned, there are some problems that can delay or even thwart a closing. From simple miscommunications to last-minute financing troubles, lawyers need to be alert to the early signs of potential deal-busters and have the knowledge and skills to safely save or terminate a transaction that falls apart. Never has the fragility of a timely and successful closing been clearer than during Covid-19. Closed offices, social distancing and other logistical issues are continuing to create challenges for buyers, sellers, lenders, and their counsel. So, what pre-pandemic practices and procedures effectively catch common problems in residential real estate closings, and what adjustments do we need to make to ensure smooth closings in 2021 and beyond? This highly practical, 90-minute webinar with experienced real estate lawyer Lisa Laredo will review...Read More
Estate planning seems relatively straightforward - a client asks for a will and you draw it up. You do what the client asks, and the client is happy, so all is well, right? Not exactly. Estate planning is complicated - it involves understanding estate and gift tax laws, income tax laws, probate procedure, financial planning, and long-term care planning. It also requires a tremendous amount of research, fact-finding and listening. Lawyers who dabble in will drafting, and even experienced estate planning practitioners who fail to have frank discussions with clients, can cause serious errors and invite negligence claims. Attend this program and learn how you can avoid costly mistakes for your clients, and for you. Experienced estates lawyer Lynne Butler...Read More
The greatest skill any lawyer can possess is the ability to write clearly, concisely, and convincingly. Good writing skills will not only improve the results you obtain, but will also enhance your reputation with judges, lawyers, and clients. The point-first approach to writing puts context before details, emphasizing the need for clarity and concision in legal memos and factums. In this entertaining, highly practical webinar, William Bernhardt, lawyer and New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books, tells lawyers what they need to know to succeed on the printed page, based upon personal experience, conversations with judges and lawyers, and a lifetime of writing. Bernhardt uses...Read More
Do you read "aging client" and move on? Stop! Aging is a continuum that affects our physical, social and legal connections, beginning as early as middle age. All lawyers can expect to encounter new dynamics in their relationship with clients as they age, including planning for and managing incapacity, protecting against abuse, exploitation and discrimination, and maintaining personal autonomy. Milestone events like retirement and later-life marriage and divorce require a more thoughtful lens, but so do quieter transactions like changing names on bank accounts, amending title and share documents, and drafting new powers of attorney. These are challenging conversations that can sometimes create conflicts but if trusted legal counsel doesn’t raise them, who will? This highly practical program with noted elder law lawyer Jan Goddard is designed to enhance your understanding of how specific legal issues related to aging arise in different practice areas, what steps lawyers can take to help safeguard clients' autonomy and self-determination, and general best practices for maintaining high standards of professionalism and service when working with aging clients. Using a combination of fact scenarios and audience polls, Jan will explore...Read More
Virtual examinations now appear to be a permanent part of the litigation landscape. And while the convenience and cost-savings are consistently clear wins for clients, the efficacy and success of a remote examination ultimately rests with counsel. So, how do you prepare for not just the substance of the examination, but also the logistical quirks of proceeding remotely? Should there be an agreement to go off the record when technical issues arise? What are the rules about who can be in the same room as the witness during the examination and how are these enforced? Are there rules for other forms of communication during the examination like texting or chatting? Are documents electronic or paper and how should they be handled? This new, 90-minute webinar with experienced litigation counsel Caroline Abela and Neil Paris will address...Read More
Joint ownership is frequently used in estate planning as a strategy to minimize probate fees and simplify estate administration. However, joint ownership may not be useful in all circumstances and decisions on such transfers should not be made lightly. This highly practical, 90 minute webinar with leading estates and trusts lawyer Jordan Atin will review the contexts in which joint ownership may be appropriate, factors to consider before recommending using joint ownership to clients as an estate planning tool, and unintended consequences of using joint ownership during and after the original owner’s life. Among the topics Jordan will address are...Read More
Do you struggle to begin a project? Do you find yourself easily distracted by other tasks that steer you away from what you really need to accomplish? Are you always rushing to be somewhere or get something done? Stop procrastinating - now! Delaying work can be a form of self-sabotage, decreasing productivity and resulting in costly and embarrassing errors. This convenient, 90-minute webinar with leading legal productivity expert Irwin Karp will help you kick the procrastination habit with proven techniques to complete your work with more control and less crisis management. By the end of the program you will...Read More
