Handling Your First Auto Case: Part I – Before Litigation
Are you a new attorney about to embark on your first automobile case, or are you in need of an auto law refresher? Whether you’re a recent law school graduate or transitioning to a new practice area, this introductory course is designed to provide you with the essential knowledge and skills needed to successfully handle your first auto case. Navigating the intricacies of automobile accidents, insurance claims, and legal proceedings can be overwhelming, but this course aims to provide you with a solid foundation and practical insights.
The course will provide an overview of:
- Introduction to Auto Cases
- Understanding the Basics: Key legal concepts and terminology related to automobile cases.
- Types of Auto Cases: Differentiating between personal injury, property damage, and insurance-related cases.
- Initial Client Consultation: Effective communication and information gathering.
- Investigating the Accident
- Gathering Evidence: Identifying and collecting relevant evidence, including photographs, witness statements, and police reports.
- Evaluating Liability: Determining fault and liability through careful analysis.
- Dealing with Insurance
- Auto Insurance Essentials: Exploring the types of coverage and policy limits.
- Negotiating with Insurers: Strategies for effective communication and negotiation with insurance companies.
- Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claims: Handling cases when the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured.
- Building Your Case
- Document Preparation: Drafting demand letters, pleadings, and other necessary documents.
- Expert Witnesses: Identifying and working with medical experts, and other specialists.
- Calculating Damages: Understanding how to calculate and present various types of damages.
This CLE, taught by experienced auto law attorney Daniel J. Siegel, is approved for one substantive CLE credit in Pennsylvania, and will prepare you to handle your first auto case with confidence.
Hosted By: Daniel J. Siegel
On: September 28, 2023
Time: 1 p.m.
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Law Firm Succession Planning (Ethical Issues)
Why You Should Attend
Life can throw curveballs at us quickly and unexpectedly. A serious illness or injury – to ourselves or an immediate family member – can mean having to suddenly walk away from a law practice, whether long term or even permanently. If that happened to you, do you have a plan in place? Will your client matters be transitioned and handled properly? Will those working for you get paid? Will you (or your family) get your share of any unpaid or residual fees that come due?
Lawyers have an ethical obligation to diligently handle client matters, and to assure the efficient transition of those matters should they become disabled or die. Despite this obligation, many attorneys do not have succession plans in place, and many states do not specifically require attorneys to have such a plan or to designate a successor attorney. For solo and small firm practitioners in particular, an unanticipated closing of a practice can result in adverse, unethical, and even dire financial consequences to the attorney, their family, colleagues, and their clients. Don’t let that happen to you!
What You Will Learn
In this one-hour ethics CLE, Attorney Daniel J. Siegel, Chair of the Pennsylvania Bay Association Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility, whose practice focuses on professional responsibility and law firm technology will discuss the applicable Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct implicated by the duty to have a succession plan, including Rule 1.3 (Diligence), Rule 1.15 (Safekeeping of Property), and Rule 1.17 (Sale of a Law Practice). He will also outline the basics of lawyer succession planning, including:
- transition of active matters, including documenting what events can trigger a transition and the scope of work
- transition of closed files and firm data
- compensation for successor counsel, including fee division agreements
- best practices, such as creating office manuals with key information and maintaining an up-to-date calendar of deadlines
This webcast on law firm succession planning will benefit all lawyers in the private sector, regardless of firm size or practice area.
Hosted By: Law Firm Succession Planning (Ethical Issues)
On: November 2, 2023
Time: 1 p.m.
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