Every year, the members of the Calvert Inns of Court will present CLE presentations. This page documents the 2018-2019 presentations.

"This Just In: Grand Juries, Investigations, Plea Bargains, Trials, and Sentencing-Criminal Law in the News."(Oct. 9, 2018)

From criminal investigations, to plea bargains and cooperation, to trial and beyond, this presentation takes the audience through various stages of the criminal justice process using samples pulled from the daily headlines. Each segment of the presentation features media reports from high profile criminal cases and investigations, including that of Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, and Larry Nassar. In using these examples, the program highlights different avenues taken by each of these individuals, the underlying legal and ethical issues associated with such approach, and how those approaches may have been handled if they took place in Texas, including discussions of Texas criminal procedure and ethical obligations.

Team 1 was led by Kevin Terrazas and members included: Patrice Jane Arnold, Catherine Baron, Norman Cahn, Jose de la Fuente, Sarah Glaser, Vanessa Gonzalez, Markuz Griffie, Melissa Holman, Tom Jacob, James Kennedy, David Lawrence, E. G. Morris, Jessica C. Neufeld, Daniel O'Brien, D. Todd Smith, Monica B. Stallings, Jason Storck, and Michael Vitris.

"Expectations of Privacy in The Digital Age" (Nov. 13, 2018)

Today, an unprecedented amount of information about our lives--and our clients' lives--exists online. This program addressed the privacy implications and challenges of this digital age we live in. Specifically, this program explored the legal origins of the right to privacy and related developments in statutory law. Additionally, criminal law considerations for attorneys and defendants, employment law issues, and important ethical considerations for lawyers and judges was addressed. The program provides lawyers with the skills necessary to protect their clients' interests and protect themselves against invasions of privacy. Privacy, long-recognized as a fundamental right, proves extremely difficult to protect in this digital age. For criminal defendants, courts can now gain access to and search smartphones and other electronic devices that store details of an individual's life. However, for searches incident to arrest, a smartphone "is not a pair of pants." Law enforcement, as well as judges, must take steps to balance societal interests with individual interests in privacy. Courts across the nation and the Supreme Court continue to grapple with this evolving area of the criminal law. Outside the criminal context, this presentation discussed several protections provided to employees' private email accounts and social media accounts. These protections are important for both clients and lawyers as employees and employers. Lastly, this presentation featured important ethical considerations for lawyers. The top tips that the team hoped to impart to the Inn members included: strengthen passwords, never disclose confidential information, and protect office systems. In short, the team wanted to help lawyers stay abreast of the law in this rapidly changing world.

Team 2 included Jeff Hobbs, William Parrish, Mary Crouter, Christopher Merritt, David Newell, Julian Grant, Franklin Hopkins, Michael Kabat, Leslie Thorne, Claude DuCloux, Julie Pennington, Theresa Golde, Stephanie Rojo, Elizabeth Jones, and Julie Koura. Team 2 was led by Michael Kabat.

Examining Potential Legal Obstacles in the Emerging Market of Dockless Scooter Mobility (December 11, 2018)

Dockless scooter companies, such as Bird and Lime, have been sweeping major cities across the nation, including Austin. This program examines the regulatory and liability implications, including civil and criminal, these companies have when they begin providing services in a city.

Team 3 was lead by David Neal Stern and included Rachelle Nicolette Robles, Kathleen Ford Bay, Kelly Canavan, Braden Civins, Davis Clark, Christopher Clough, Christopher Elliott, Matt Garcia, Sandra D. Gonzalez, Ann Elise Greenberg, Kurt Kuhn, Tara Moriarty Kumpf, Mikayla McIntyre, Paula Pierce, Ashley Presson, Jeannie Marie Ricketts, Hon. Timothy M. Sulak, and Kevin J. Weber.

"You and #MeToo: The Effects of the Movement on Society and on Your Legal Practice" (Jan. 8, 2019)

This program explores a topic that has gripped the American public and that has significant implications for the legal field. After a brief overview of the #MeToo movement, presenters seamlessly transition between the effects of #MeToo on criminal law and evidentiary issues, employment law, defamation actions, and Title IX policies on college campuses, offering a comprehensive look at the legal implications of the movement. The presentation also addresses the real-world implications of sexual harassment, and what that means for attorneys representing corporations mired in scandal. The final component of the program addresses ethics and professional responsibility. The presenters offer staggering statistics illustrating the impact of sexual harassment in legal workplaces, and urge legal organizations to take an active role in preventing and addressing sexual harassment by adopting policies and procedures outlined in the presentation.

The team was lead by Christine Burgess and included Danielle Ahlrich, Jay Ellwanger, Craig Enoch, Laura Fauber, Ari Gardner, Prof. Thomas William George, Robin Harris, Scott Hendler, Hon. Chari Kelly, Sarah Lacy, Joseph Loiacono, Priscila Mosqueda, Marshall Sales, Chris Sapstead, and Sherine Thomas

"U.S. Supreme Court Nominations and Confirmations: The Convergence of the Three Branches"(Feb. 12, 2019)

On February 12, 2019, the members of the Robert W. Calvert Inn of Court received a timely and interactive presentation (led by team leader Les Trobman) on the U.S. Supreme Court nominations process. The presentation covered an overview of the Supreme Court composition over time as well as a granular look at how the nominations process has evolved during the high court's storied history. Team members specifically presented, among other things, legal criteria for nomination qualifications; timing and removal considerations for justices; monumental "firsts" in the history of the Court; ideology of justices over time; and pre- and post-Bork era issues related to the nomination and confirmation process.

Team 5 was led by Les Trobman and members included: Kelly Capps, Gabriel Culver, Steven Garrett, Edward Grauman, Kevin Henrichson, Bill Henry, Kyle Highful, Michael Marin, Craig Moore, Erik Moskowitz, Vela Price, John Saba, Jr., Judy Furth, AJ Smullen, Ryan Turner, and Benton Wheatley.

"Unregulated Weapons and their Effect on Society and Future Regulation" (March 12, 2019)

This program discusses "why" we regulate weapons; "what" weapons we regulate; "who" can be regulated; and "when" and "how" such regulations work; but with an emphasis on emerging technology that blurs the legal lines and/or removes certain weapons from regulation landscape altogether, including 3D printed guns, mail-order gun kits, smart weapons, non-powder weapons, exploding targets, sophisticated air rifles that can take down big game, swords, knives, and even sling shots.

Team 6 was led by James Kennedy, and included Patrice Jane Arnold, Jeffrey D. Boyd, Jose de la Fuente, Christopher L. Elliott, Jay D. Ellwanger, Jim Ewbank, Christine Henry Andresen, Kyle Highful, Jeffrey J. Hobbs, Lloyd P. Lochridge, Jr., Adam Loewy, Nikki Maples, Xavier G. Medina, Lisa Newman, Paula Pierce, Alec Puente, Stephanie S. Rojo, AJ Smullen and the Hon. Timothy M. Sulak.

"Flying: Your Legal Rights From Check-in to Landing" (April 9, 2019)

A broad overview of the legal rights and responsibilities of a commercial airline passenger from check-in to landing, including TSA security checks, flight cancellations and delays, right to travel free from discrimination, flying with children and with pets, flying with a disability, mischief and injuries mid-flight, international law concerns, and rights and remedies as to lost luggage.

The team was led by Cristina Nahidi, and included Jeffrey D. Boyd, Hon. Karin Crump, Dan Dilizia, Jeffrey Fazio, Brian Golde, Hon. Raul Arturo Gonzalez, Christine Henry Andresen, Kenton D. Johnson, Paula Katherine Knippa, Claire McGuinness, Laura M. Merritt, Jason Ortega, Laura Bellegie Sharp, Ryan Shelton, Andi St. Leger, Maitreya Tomlinson, Susan S. Vance, and Gary E. Zausmer.