Day 3 Sessions

Gear up for the grand finale of NALA’s Conference & Expo on Day Three! Experience the excitement as we bring you the culmination of continuing legal education sessions, each packed with insights and delivered by renowned speakers. Dive into the session details, including captivating descriptions and precise timeslots. It is the perfect way to conclude the conference.

9:00 am-10:30 am ET

The class action litigation structure is unique in the American legal system, allowing numerous duplicate individual cases to be combined and tried as one suit. In this session, we will examine the underlying federal statutes that pertain to class action lawsuits and the structure of class action litigation from first filing through case resolution. Participants will discuss the risks and benefits of class actions from both the plaintiff and defendant perspectives and the differences between class actions and mass tort actions. They will compare class action litigation to the life cycle of more traditional litigation and review several notable class action cases.

SPEAKER: Heather Crawford

Do you want to become an Excel power user? This session will review the basics of creating Excel spreadsheets and provide insights into making Excel a powerful productivity tool. Participants will explore advanced techniques, useful keyboard shortcuts, and strategies for getting the most out of Excel.

SPEAKER: Terry Hale, ACP

This session explores the intricate legal and ethical landscapes surrounding the adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in legal and compliance departments. Participants will review key legal considerations, including data privacy, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance. The session will also address ethical issues such as bias, transparency, and accountability. It is designed for legal professionals, compliance officers, and organizational leaders. Through practical implementation strategies, case studies, and interactive discussions, attendees will examine methods for developing and applying robust compliance frameworks and risk management practices. The goal is to help participants navigate the complexities of integrating AI technologies into their operations while upholding the highest standards of legal and ethical conduct.

SPEAKER: Dipo Akin-Deko

This session will review key considerations for managing international legal entities. It will explore the meaning of apostilles, legalizations, and which countries are signatories to the 1961 Hague Convention. To highlight some differences, attendees will examine specifics around entities formed in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Hong Kong.

SPEAKER: Lisa Ellis, CP, CIPP-US

This session offers a review of the Real Estate and Property section of the Certified Paralegal (CP®) Knowledge Exam. It will include key terminology, an outline of this area of law, and more than 100 sample multiple-choice questions. Participants will analyze essential concepts, including the main types of property: real property, personal property, and fixtures. The session will also cover fundamental real estate principles relevant to both real estate transactions and real estate litigation, as these topics may appear on the Knowledge Exam.

SPEAKER: Glenn Leier, JD

11:00 am-12:30 pm ET

What happens when millions of people incur the exact same damages from a big box retail store after a data breach allows cybercriminals to steal customers’ protected information? No court can handle a million identical lawsuits all at once, so those individual suits get consolidated into a class action lawsuit. In this session, we will examine the underlying federal statutes that pertain to class action lawsuits and the structure of class action litigation from first filing through case resolution. We will also discuss the ramifications of a data breach, what the most at-risk information is, and how it is protected. The presentation will include a discussion of In re: Target Corporation Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, arising out of a 2013 data breach of retail giant Target that affected an estimated 70 million customers.

SPEAKER: Heather Crawford

This session will provide a historical overview of privacy in the United States, focusing on the regulation and enforcement of privacy rights. It will review key Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulatory actions and analyze the elements of unfair, deceptive, and abusive trade practices. This session will also explore recent legislative developments shaping privacy law.

SPEAKER: Lisa Ellis, CP, CIPP-US

How do you present a paperless trial if you do not have the best technology? What if you come from a small firm or a government agency that does not use all the newest technology? Digital or electronic trials have been and will continue to be the preferred way to present a trial. Participants in this session will explore how to prepare for trial with no or less paper using Adobe, Teams, OneNote, Audacity, and DaVinci Resolve. The goal is to provide insights into eliminating giant binders, long waits for transcripts (or going without), and the need to flip through hundreds of pages to find that one nugget of info.

SPEAKER: Terry Hale, ACP

After you win a monetary judgment, the next step is collecting the debt. As a paralegal, you may never consider that you may be put in the position of the much-maligned debt collector! Explore collection laws under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, methods of collecting debt, insights into finding assets, and the possibility of uncollectible debt.

SPEAKER: Olivia Renfroe, ACP

This session is a review of corporate and commercial law designed to assist those preparing for the Knowledge Exam portion of the NALA Certified Paralegal (CP®) Exam. This presentation provides an overview of business law, including the various kinds of business entities and their advantages and disadvantages, business formation, securities regulations, fiduciary duties, the business judgment rule, mergers, acquisitions, dissolutions, and antitrust laws.

SPEAKER: Thomas James, Esq.

2:30 pm-3:30 pm ET

As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly permeates creative industries, the intersection of technology and copyright law has become a critical area of concern. This session explores the legal landscape surrounding AI-generated works, with the goal of providing participants insights and practical guidance to better understand the complex relationship between AI and copyright.

No prior knowledge of copyright law is required, but a basic understanding of legal concepts would be helpful.

By the end of this session, participants will be introduced to key concepts of how copyright law applies to AI-generated works and tools that can help mitigate risks in their creative endeavors.

SPEAKER: Amber Simon, JD, LLM

 

Risk, compliance, and legal teams play critical and distinct roles in organizations, especially those operating in high-risk markets. These teams must work in concert to navigate complex regulatory landscapes, manage risk, and ensure legal compliance, thereby safeguarding the organization’s reputation and financial health. This presentation will offer practical strategies for these teams to collaborate to ensure synergy while meeting their team goals.

SPEAKER: Dipo Akin-Deko

This session will examine the rules of professional responsibility regarding candor, confidentiality, loyalty, and fairness through an interactive quiz show format. Attendees will compete for bragging rights as Atlantic City’s Most Knowledgeable Quiz Show Paralegal. The questions presented will give participants a chance to explore critical ethical rules all paralegals need to know and practice.

SPEAKER: Thomas Pokladowski, Esq.

This session will discuss case eligibility, criteria, processes, and the likelihood of certain outcomes based on the type of criminal case and the client’s circumstances. It is important for legal professionals working on criminal defense cases to be aware that the repercussions of a criminal arrest, offense, or conviction may continue long after a sentence is completed. Gaining an understanding of barriers to reentry can offer insights into strategies for client satisfaction. Options for post-conviction relief are available in some state and federal cases.

SPEAKER: Corrin Swintosky

This session is an overall review of contract law designed to assist those preparing for the Knowledge Exam portion of the NALA Certified Paralegal (CP®) Exam. The goal of this presentation is to provide a general overview of contracts, including their elements, formation, types, obligations, enforceability, remedies, and ethical considerations.

SPEAKER: Jill I. Francisco, ACP

4:00 pm-5:00 pm ET

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg held to the mantra of “Get it right and keep it tight” when writing her notorious legal opinions. Explore the importance of research, words, grammar, and punctuation in your legal writing. Gain insight into how to avoid distractions in the wording of your argument with the goal of making your motions and briefs memorable to judges.

SPEAKER: Olivia Renfroe, ACP

This session will explore the impact of cannabis legalization on state and federal criminal offenses. It is important to distinguish between states that have legalized cannabis medically and/or recreationally and ones that have decriminalized it. Changes in cannabis law have resulted in both the decriminalization of cannabis possession or use and different forms of relief for cannabis-related criminal offenses. Discussions surrounding state and federal legislation will offer insights into the processes of cannabis criminalization and explore ways government agencies and legal professionals can address challenges faced by individuals with cannabis-related criminal records.

SPEAKER: Corrin Swintosky

This session will explore the potential challenges with using artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal field. While AI has become a very powerful tool, it is important for lawyers and paralegals to consider professional responsibility rules before incorporating AI into their work. This presentation will explore specific legal ethics rules related to the use of AI in providing legal services.

SPEAKER: Thomas Pokladowski, Esq.

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform society radically, including the legal profession. However, it has produced many gray areas in the law and new kinds of legal and ethical risks. Courts, legislators, and administrative agencies have been forced to grapple with these issues in recent years. This session will review developments in case law, legislation, and administrative regulation of the use of AI since 2023.

SPEAKER: Thomas James, Esq.

This session is designed to assist those preparing for the Certified Paralegal Exam, focusing on review for the ethics portion of the Knowledge Exam. It will cover ethical responsibilities when performing delegated work, paralegal professional responsibility, professional relationships, client and public contracts, and the attorney code of ethics and discipline.

SPEAKER: Jill I. Francisco, ACP