5th Annual CLE by the Sea: NE Conference for Solos and Small Law Firms

Greater Newburyport Bar Association with

The Maine State Bar, The New Hampshire Bar, The Massachusetts Bar Association, The Mass. Academy of Trial Attorneys, The WBA of MA, Starting Out Solo, and Essex County Bar Association and LCL/LOMAP

9.50 CLE State Bar has approved for 9.50 Credits, including 1.25 ethics and 1.25 H&D. NHMCLE credits are indicated below

8:00-8:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30-9:45 CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

A.  Prenuptials (75 NHMCLE min.)

  Gary Todd & Julianna Zane, Todd & Weld, MA

Purposes of a Prenuptial Agreement; Traps; Standards; Prenuptial Agreement Challenges 

B. How to Run Your Practice for Greater Predictability

  Martha Bagley, BagleyLaw & Thomas Taranto, Taranto Law, MA

How to calculate the cost of obtaining a client; How to find reliable sources of income; How to create a budget for your practice; How to generate business for free; What habits could be adding to your anxiety and tips to avoid; How to avoid accepting clients who will add stress; What level of revenue do you need before you hire; Setting realistic expectations

C. Shifting Legal Landscape of the Budding Cannabis Industry (75 NHMCLE min.)

  Nathan R. Fennessy, PretiFlaherty, NH & Charles A. Reid, lll, Progressive Law, MA

What is the status in NE states and the state v. federal dynamic; Starting and operating a business; Risks management/tolerance

9:45-10:00 Networking Break

 10:00-11:15 CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

D. Understanding Complex Compensation (75 NHMCLE min.)

  Marc Bello, Edelsten & Company, LLP & Donald Pitman, Pitman Law Office

Non-qualified compensation plans, e.g. Stock Options, Restricted Stock, Performance Shares and Appreciation Rights

E. How to Improve Your Branding and Competitive Advantage

  Jared Correia, Red Cave Law Firm Consulting

What are the indices of effective logos + website redesign  strategies; How can you enhance your lead engagement? How do you implement a content marketing program? Why should you consider paid advertising options? How can you continue to adjust to marketing trends?

F.  Key Insights from Clio’s Legal Trends Report        

  Nefra-Ann McDonald, CLIO

The biggest takeaways from Clio’s research into 2021 legal trends; What today’s clients look for in hiring a law firm; Recommended actions for optimizing your firm’s success in 2022 and beyond

 11:15-11:30 Networking Break

11:30-12:30 Traditional vs Digital Advertising Tactics & What Works for Law Firms Today 

Nick Paul, NIFTY

What the modern client journey actually looks like; A comparison of cost & targeting options between traditional and digital channels; How to track results and identify secondary benefits; Tips and tricks to get the most out of your digital ad campaign

 12:30-1:30 Lunch (Included)

  1:30-2:30 Leveraging Technology to Implement 11 Habits of Successful Law Firms

Sy Sommer, Director of Litigation, LEAP

The practice of law has changed with meetings, court hearings, and workspaces being moved to online and virtual environments. As law firms consider their processes and take a long-term view of their future, how to adapt to the digital practices that are now industry standard should be a top priority. From how you interact with your clients and manage your staff to how you organize and access your matters, technology has completely reshaped the way lawyers can approach their day-to-day routines. By utilizing the right legal technologies, implementing the 11 Habits of Successful Law Firms, covered in this presentation, will help you become more successful in 2022 and beyond.

  2:30-2:45 Networking Break

2:45-4:00 CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

G. Practicing Family Law on the Borders (Part One) (75 NHMCLE min.)

 Hon. Mary Rudolph Black, Essex Probate & Family Court, Demetra Pontisakos, MA Catherine Shanelaris, NH, Dana Prescott, ME

Substantive Differences in Child Support/Parenting/Alimony; Practical Considerations and Sample Cases; Interstate Judicial Conferences to determine Jurisdiction; Enforcement and modification standards in three states; UIFSA basics.; UCCJEA basics vs. UCCJA basics (MA only); How to record a foreign judgment and what does it mean; QDROs

H. Surviving to Thriving: Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout (75 NHMCLE min.)  (1.25 Maine ethics credits)

    Heidi Alexander, Director, Massachusetts SJC Standing Committee  on Lawyer Well-Being and Jill O’Neill, Executive Director, NHLAP

Identifying & Understanding Signs of Burnout & Trauma; Strategies for Building Resilience; How Well-being Can Impact Your Professional Obligations; How to Control Distress & How Lawyers' Assistance Can Help; Efforts to change culture and make system change in the legal profession to improve the well-being of legal professionals

I.  Building, Navigating, and Trying Cases Involving Motor Vehicle  Evidence

(75 NHMCLE min.)

  Daniel K. Gelb, Gelb & Gelb, MA

Identifying and gathering evidence; Data collection, digital forensics and analytical tools; Accident reconstruction; Pretrial discovery and motion practice; Trial preparation and avoiding pitfalls 

 4:00-4:15 Networking Break

 4:15-5:30 CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

J. Practicing Family Law on the Borders (Part Two) (75 NHMCLEmin.)

 Hon. Mary Rudolph Black, Essex Probate & Family Court, Demetra Pontisakos, Catherine Shanelaris, Dana Prescott

K. Driving under the Influence of Cannabis (75 NHMCLEmin.)

 Stuart Horowitz, MA, Ted Lothstein, NH, John S. Webb, ME

If marijuana use is completely legal, can police officers who smell marijuana during a vehicle stop order the driver out of the car? Do standardized field sobriety tests measure anything of evidentiary value when the driver has been using marijuana? Can highly-trained police officers really tell what drug a person has used without chemical tests? Or is DRE testimony just "junk science”; How do you prepare your trial if the DRE testimony is admissible

L. Recognizing and Managing Implicit Bias in Practice (75 NHMCLE min.) (1.25 Maine H& D credits)

   Israela Adah Brill-Cass, Esq., Ombudsperson, Wesleyan University and Clark University, Communications Studies Senior Affiliated Faculty, Emerson College, Founder and Principal, Fixerrr and Hon. Mary F. McCabe, District Court, MA

What is bias and how do we recognize the impact it has on us as lawyers, on our clients and on what we’re able to achieve? Once we recognize it, how do we combat it? Learn new insights into recognizing and combating bias to produce the best results.

 5:30-7:15 Gourmet Reception for All at Surfside, Salisbury Beach, 

 Sponsored by the GNBA

CONFERENCE INFORMATION

Tuition: $199.00 | After June 12, $249.00

Tuition includes, continental breakfast, lunch, and reception and materials.

CREDIT information: We believe the sessions marked 75 NHMCLE min. meet the requirements of NH Supreme Court Rule 53 and may each qualify for 75 minutes toward the annual NHMCLE requirement. The Maine State Bar has approved for 9.50 CLE Credits, including 1.25 ethics and 1.25 H&D.

Parking is free in Blue Ocean lot.

For More Information on Blue Ocean visit www.BlueOceanEventCenter.com

Questions? Contact cwagan@greaternewburyportbar 

We thank our sponsors for their generosity and support!