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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Identify the ethical issues raised under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. In further exploring the practical use cases for AI products, platforms, and machine learning technology within an underdeveloped security regime, this presentation will alert practitioners to common pitfalls relating to clients communications, confidentiality, and fees within the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI usage.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

The Texas Lawyer's Creed reminds us of our oath to "disagree without being disagreeable." But today's polarizing culture ensures we will have to interact with coworkers, leaders, and volunteers who can make it very hard to remain civil. In this enlightening and entertaining session, we'll discuss how to navigate difficult conversations respectfully, manage our own impulses toward being difficult, and actively model civility to ensure that we are in compliance with our legal and professional duties toward all.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

An overview and analysis of the rules, case law and ethics opinions regarding conflicts of interest rules including simultaneous representation of potentially adverse clients, positional conflicts, conflicts involving the lawyer’s personal interest, imputed disqualification, conflicts involving insurance, conflicts regarding former or prospective clients, and conflicts arising from pre-retention contacts.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Dive into the challenges faced when employees become the subject of viral attention—whether caused by the district, an employee, or external actors. Explore when, who, and how to take action, and what legal implications have been established as a result of such events.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Artificial intelligence has been in the legal and cultural zeitgeist for a few years now. Explore the transformative effects (and lack thereof) of artificial intelligence on the legal industry in that time. Examine both the advancements and limitations, highlighting how AI has streamlined processes, improved efficiency, and where it still falls short in replacing human expertise.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

This presentation covers deal considerations in project-level renewable energy M&A, including both development-stage MIPAs and later stage Build Transfer Agreements. It briefly touches on deal structuring considerations and look at certain key provisions in the primary transaction documents for each deal type.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Session 01: Procurement and Construction in Energy Projects - Explore key considerations and potential pitfalls in structuring and carrying out procurement and construction for energy projects, including competitive bid processes, early design and engineering, and key contractual provisions, such as financing and tariff considerations and UFLPA and IRA requirements. Session 02: Flexible Structures for Renewable Energy Construction Financing - Explore how construction financing differs from other types of project financing and discuss case studies to accommodate variable tax equity investment structures (ITCs, PTCs, and direct sponsor transfers).

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Session 01: Public Benefits Overview and Key Concepts - Hear an overview of the different public benefits programs that may impact a special needs client, and explore Texas-specific waivers as well as federal and state regulations. Session 02: Special Needs Trusts 101: The Basics - An overview of the basics of special needs trusts and public benefits including selection of appropriate trust option, pitfalls to avoid and case examples. Session 03: The Ethics of SNT Administration - In this session, the presenters review the decisions a trustee makes in administering a trust, the standards a trustee should use in making decisions, and a framework to make sure the trustee’s decisions and actions are ethical. Session 04: Redlining the Basics with 1st Party SNT - Dissect a basic first-party SNT to highlight best practices with various key provisions, a walk-through relevant POMS provisions, and other practical tips in evaluating the use(s) of a first-party SNT. Session 05: Maximizing Public Benefits - 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. Session 06: Working Together: Texas ABLE Accounts and Special Needs Trusts - 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 covers specifics about Texas ABLE and how it can be used in conjunction with Special Needs Trusts, while helping to preserve state and federal means-tested benefits, including SSI and Medicaid. Learn how recent regulatory and legislative developments have continued to expand the flexibility and impact of ABLE accounts. Session 07: Initial Client Meeting Guidance and Resources - Exploring the art of focusing client appointments and staying on track. Session 08: Sole Benefit Trusts: What, When, and Why - 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. Session 09: A Quick Trust Tax Tutorial - You don’t need to be a tax lawyer, but every special-needs planner should know at least the basics of trust income tax. Explore key rules in an accessible way for non-tax practitioners. Session 09: SSA Regional Trust Leads Presentation Regarding SSI Trusts - 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. Session 11: Special Needs Trusts Ethics Jeopardy - 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 Paper Slides

Session 01: Lifecycle of Renewable Energy Projects - A discussion of the sequencing of the development of renewable energy projects and how lawyers and developers can best work together to mitigate project risks at each stage of development.  Session 02: Overview of Renewable Project Development and Finance - An overview of (a) key development contracts, and (b) the process of raising capital to develop, construct, and operate renewable energy projects. Session 03: Empowering the Grid: Title Considerations in Renewable Energy Deals - Explore the unique title challenges in renewable energy transactions. As the demand for clean energy continues to rise, understanding the intricacies of title work in this sector is crucial. Gain valuable insights into navigating title issues in renewable projects and how they differ from the traditional commercial and residential title insurance projects. Session 04: Finance: Introduction to Structure of Construction Financing & Role of Key Parties - Discuss the basics of construction finance, loan agreements and their key provisions, conditions to closing, and schedules and exhibits. Explore the role of commercial parties, counsel, and consultants and other third parties in the loan agreement negotiation process.   Session 05: Finance: Introduction to Structures for Tax Equity Investments in Renewable Energy Transactions - The Inflation Reduction Act has led to an uptick in tax equity investments in renewable energy transactions. Look at how these investments are structured and why, including a look at key transactions documents and new emerging hybrid structures that take advantage of tax credit transfers. Session 06: What's New? Federal Energy Update - Hear a lively update on developments affecting the renewable energy market.  Session 07: Joint Venture and Joint Development Agreements - As more new entrants enter the renewable energy industry, we continue to see an increase in joint ventures and other types of joint development arrangements. In this panel, we will discuss the reasons why, different types of joint structures, and key issues that tend to arise in these negotiations.   Session 08: Mineral Issues Impact on Real Estate Documents, Siting and Planning: Texas vs. California - Understanding the interplay of the mineral estate to the surface estate, and site control agreement and title insurance issues and strategies for securing financeable renewable energy surface rights in Texas and California, and more generally. Session 09: ​Procurement and Construction in Energy Projects - Explore key considerations and potential pitfalls in structuring and carrying out procurement and construction for energy projects, including competitive bid processes, early design and engineering, and key contractual provisions, such as financing and tariff considerations and UFLPA and IRA requirements.  Session 10: Ethical Obligations in Negotiations - A foundational discussion about how you, as Counsel, accomplish your objectives and meet your goals while acting legally and ethically during negotiations. Reinforces the professional responsibility a lawyer must maintain when faced with ethical dilemmas in negotiations in order to identify: (1) the balance between a lawyer’s obligations of honesty and candor with client advocacy; (2) best practices in negotiations; and (3) the application of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct in legal negotiations.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

THIS MONTH: Crossover Creators: A Legal Guide to Multi-Industry Success • ​Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape: Best Practices for Governance • Partition of Real Property Under Texas Law: A Primer • Preparing for a Bankruptcy • Who’s Your Client?

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides