eCourses

Session 1: Perspectives from In-House IP Counsel - The panel features three in-house IP counsel sharing their perspectives on a variety of topics including: recent challenging IP issues they’ve confronted, addressing how they’re navigating or benefitting from use of AI, and describing what a successful outside counsel relationship looks like to them. Session 2: When Bad Things Happen to Good Employers: Crisis Management Strategies - Employment law issues can quickly become a crisis. This panel discusses how to manage an issue early and proactively, investigation challenges and strategies, communications planning, external/internal reporting and communications, and privilege implications.  Session 3: Multijurisdictional Considerations: Understanding the Laws Across State Lines - Employers are increasingly dealing with vastly varying laws across state lines that impact how companies do business. Hear from both a defense and plaintiff side attorney on issues you should be aware of to protect your organization and navigate this ever-changing landscape.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

An overview of the basics of special needs trusts and public benefits including selection of appropriate trust option, pitfalls to avoid and case examples.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Gain insight on the topic of the termination of the special needs trust when a beneficiary passes away and there is a Medicaid lien owed. Hear the basics of the requirements of the Medicaid pay-back provision, how to contact the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to verify the Medicaid lien and obtain the lien payoff, and the process of settling the lien with the agency.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Learn about the tax-advantaged Texas Achieving a Better Life Experience Program (Texas ABLE®), a disability savings program created specifically for Texans with qualifying disabilities. This session takes a deeper dive into all things Texas ABLE—from how to open and manage a Texas ABLE account to discovering ways eligible individuals with disabilities and their families are using the accounts, all while helping to preserve state and federal means-tested benefits, including SSI and Medicaid. The session also highlights upcoming legislative changes including the Age Adjustment Act and its impact on program eligibility.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Buying a home for an SNT beneficiary can be one of the largest and most consequential purchases an SNT trustee will make during the lifetime of the trust. In this session, review procedures, considerations, best practices, and potential pitfalls for SNT trustees as they navigate the home-buying process.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Address the basic requirements for special needs trusts, common errors in drafting, the requirements for reforming a trust versus modifying a trust, and the benefits for reformations.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

This presentation covers recent changes to HUD housing programs that impact how income and assets are calculated for families. Learn about the new law and analyze the key updates to better inform your clients. Additionally, the session provides guidance on recertifying tenant income to ensure compliance with the updated regulations and current creative housing trends such as the use of Accessory Dwelling Units.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

In the early days of special needs planning, “supplemental” needs trusts were intended to do just that: provide funds for quality of life enhancements for a person whose primary needs would be met by a wellfunded system of supports. Today, at a time when parents and caregivers are aging and dying, and where Medicaid funded programs are a shell of what they used to be, funds left in trust for a person with a disability will often serve as a primary source of long term support. This presentation highlights the benefits of case management and advocacy services in identifying and addressing the challenges faced by a trustee managing funds in a discretionary trust for a disabled beneficiary whose formal and informal support networks are changing.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Explore drafting strategies to prevent litigation. A drafting attorney and a litigation attorney deliberate the right words, communications, and approaches to provide clear legal drafting, forestall conflicting interpretations and avoid future disputes.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Discuss how to identify what benefits your client has; what additional benefits they may be eligible for; what distributions by a trustee (or anyone) will make them ineligible; and what distributions will keep them eligible for those benefits.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

A review of the Medicare Program Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D including recent changes in Part D.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

A review of recent cases from around the country impacting special needs trusts, trustees and trust beneficiaries.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Focus on the uses of Sole Benefit Trusts, including distinguishing them from other types of special needs trusts. It will include practical application, hypothetical situations, and sample language.

Includes: Video Audio Paper

Attorneys and trustees need to clearly understand their ethical obligations. Using the Jeopardy game show format, in this interactive session, the presenters cover various ethical issues encountered in a special needs practice, providing the answers while the audience provides the questions.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

The centralization of SSI trust reviews business process celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2024. This session provides a look back, including improved quality, accurate and consistent trust determinations, and technical proficiency of employees. In addition, hear the latest regarding the legal opinion process, early termination, 90-day amendment period, and updates to the trust POMS.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

This presentation unpacks the case study of The Center for Special Needs Trusts Administration to better understand what happened and explores the deviations from best practices in pooled trust administration. Also, discuss safeguards for beneficiaries with disabilities, standards for trust administration, and what checkpoints to look for in a pooled trust’s operations.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

A basic overview of tax issues relating to the administration of special needs trusts, including those created by court order.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Most special needs trusts will be depleted long before the end of a beneficiary’s life. To protect a child with disabilities for life, a plan may need to consider a full 100 years. To protect an adult, a plan may need to consider 50 years or more. This session highlights projections, distribution plans, changes in circumstances, age-based changes, trustee continuity, administration costs, and funding (not wasting a penny).

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Changing trustees can be easy or complex, depending on the type of trust, the assets of the trust estate, and a variety of other factors. Discuss the process for changing trustees, as well as potential obstacles,

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

A discussion of recent electioneering litigation, including a review of various legal issues that school district officials must navigate when speaking with their communities about school funding, budget shortfalls, and other matters of public concern.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides