This program is eligible for 6 hours of CLE credit in 60-minute states. In 50-minute states, this program is eligible for 7.2 hours of CLE credit. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.
Overview
This CLE is a comprehensive and comedic de-briefing of the law. Joel Oster will kick things off with a wild ride through real-life ethics disasters—fist-fighting judges, Facebook-fueled misconduct, trust account chaos, romantic entanglements gone wrong, and even the $65 million pair of pants. Attorneys will decide whether these ethically-challenged lawyers should “take the deal” as we break down the relevant Model Rules and the severity of each violation. From there, we turn to Hollywood’s finest (and not-so-finest) legal lessons. Using films like My Cousin Vinny, A Few Good Men, Chicago, Suits, and more, we explore the Model Rules and professionalism concepts through the lens of pop culture’s most dramatic courtroom moments.
From Hollywood, it’s only a short trip to our true legal superheroes—the Supreme Court. This year’s review covers the biggest recent decisions, including presidential immunity in Trump v. United States, online speech regulation in Moody v. NetChoice, January 6 charges in Fischer, the death of Chevron deference in Loper Bright, nationwide homelessness concerns in Grants Pass, and major rulings on guns, opioids, and the 14th Amendment. Finally, we close out with a countdown of the Top 10 Wacky Cases, unpacking the law behind some of the most unbelievable headline-makers—from suing God, to Home Depot mishaps, to the legal circus surrounding Depp v. Heard, to litigation strategies that went catastrophically (and hilariously) wrong. You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, and you might leave with a new appreciation for just how strange the practice of law can be.
Faculty
Joel L. Oster, Esq.
Joel is a litigator, national speaker, podcaster and stand-up comic. He currently is in private practice specializing in attorney ethics and constitutional law. Being the host of the podcast, DeBriefing the Law, Joel regularly speaks on attorney ethics nationwide on issues relating to attorneys reaching their full protentional in the practice of law. Joel has spoken to numerous bench and bar conferences and as well as other specialized attorney conferences.
Joel has been lead counsel on two cases that ended up at the United States Supreme Court. He was counsel for the town of Greece, New York in the landmark case Galloway v. Greece. Joel argued the case before the United States District Court for the Western District of New York and the Second Circuit, and was part of the legal team presenting the case to the U.S. Supreme Court where they successfully defended the Town against a challenge to its practice of opening its sessions with an invocation. In addition, Joel argued Trinity Lutheran v. Comer before the Western District of Missouri and the Eighth Circuit, before the Supreme Court decided the case in favor of his clients.
Joel has also spoken to thousands of attorneys across the United States and has learned from their successful and unsuccessful legal practices. Joel brings this practical perspective to all his seminars.
Oster earned his J.D. in 1997 from the University of Kansas School of Law. Oster is admitted to the bar in Kansas, Missouri, Florida, and numerous federal courts.
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