CLEs You Actually Want to Hear

Robin Sax, attorney and clinical therapist at Dear Co-Parent, Hon. Joshua D. Wayser of LASC, and Anthony Storm, founding partner at Storm Palyan LLP, will explore how integrating legal and therapeutic frameworks can lead to more durable resolutions in high-conflict custody matters. Sax will draw on her dual-discipline practice to address the emotional and psychological dynamics that drive conflict between co-parents, while Storm will cover mediation, arbitration, and collaborative strategies for steering disputes away from costly litigation. Together, they will walk through how a settlement-focused mindset, informed by both courtroom experience and therapeutic insight, can be applied at every stage of a custody dispute. Attorneys will leave with practical tools for identifying when a collaborative or therapeutic approach is appropriate, how to work alongside co-parenting professionals, and what it takes to help families reach agreements that actually hold. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.

Using real-world mediation insights, MyKhanh Shelton and Stacie Hausner of ADR Services, Inc. explore how opening moves, anchoring psychology, and end-of-day strategy shape settlement outcomes in employment cases.

How does defendant sexual orientation affect juror decisions? Does heterosexism have significant impact on how jurors decide these cases? Does juror gender and attractiveness of defendant contribute to potential bias? This program will discuss research conducted by Forensic Psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Professor of Psychology at California State University, Fullerton, Russ Espinoza, Ph.D., on the implicit biasing effects of juror decisions. Dr. Espinoza will review a specific research study he conducted that varied defendant sexual orientation, defendant attractiveness, and juror gender for cases involving murder of partner. Attendees will walk away with an understanding of the theoretical explanation of this potential bias, as well as other perceived influencing variables that contribute to juror bias.

Automated and semi-automated vehicle systems are now common across major manufacturers and they generate data that can be critical in accident investigations. In this CLE, Andrew McDevitt of Walkup Melodia Kelly & Schoenberger will examine how advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) function and the types of data they capture before, during, and after a crash. Through case examples, this program will explore systems such as combined cruise control and lane keeping, automatic emergency braking, and lane assistance, with a focus on how their data is recorded, preserved, and interpreted. Attendees will learn how to identify key evidence, understand the limitations of event data recorder (EDR) outputs, and spot potential red flags in vehicle-generated data. Participants will leave with a practical understanding of how ADAS technology impacts accident reconstruction and litigation strategy across a range of vehicle manufacturers.

This program covers federal tax foundations for like-kind exchanges and focuses on critical distinctions and rules specific for California review. Join attorneys Howard Fisher of Fisher & Fisher and LaVonne D. Lawson of Leech Tishman as they review real property like-kind tax exchange concepts and the pre- and post- TCJA (Tax Cuts & Jobs Act) landscapes. While explaining federal requirements and highlighting differences for California property transactions, they will traverse specific requirements and exceptions, navigate procedural issues and enforcement tools, and consider instructive case law. Attendees will gain additional insight into the benefits and exposure with respect to these transactions and better appreciate considerations relevant to their practical use.

When announced in December 2025, Disney and OpenAI's first-of-its-kind intellectual property licensing agreement sent shockwaves through Hollywood. A mere four months later, in an equally shocking development, OpenAI abandoned the deal and Disney withdrew in tandem. Join Julia Cherlow of Bird Marella LLP and David Shraga, the Media Mediator, as they explore the market driven reasons behind this pivot, how the deal nonetheless has permanently shifted the AI litigation and licensing markets, and insights the precedent-setting framework provides to stakeholders in this ecosystem.