In this program, Jana Gardner, Senior Counsel with the California Association of REALTORS®, will discuss the most recent updates to C.A.R.'s Standard Forms, including the purchase agreement, disclosures, and property management forms. She will also discuss the most significant new 2026 laws affecting residential sales and leasing.

This program will be moderated by Howard Gould.

The Real Estate Law Section is chaired by Howard Gould and Elizabeth Dryden.

Editors of the Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Artificial Intelligence and the Law, Elizabeth Rothman and Ryan Abbott, examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping legal practice across a broad range of areas of law. Dr. Abbott is a mediator and arbitrator with JAMS, Inc., in Century City and Los Angeles and a prominent figure in law and AI including as the co-author of the JAMS AI Rules. He will cover the evolving integration of AI into mediation and arbitration, including by parties, counsel, and neutrals. Ms. Rothman, bringing her experience as an attorney and educator on AI and the law, will map the expanding areas where AI intersects with legal practice. She will also discuss the risks of uploading client data to AI tools, why lawyers should be skeptical of technology companies' promises about privacy and security, and what firms should be considering when developing and implementing AI use policies. The discussion highlights why these considerations matter for all attorneys, not just those who focus on dispute resolution or even just those that utilize AI tools.

The Alternative Dispute Resolution Section is chaired by Robert Cohen and Jeffrey Kravitz

The decision on the Top Gun case reaffirms what is already known: copyright does not protect abstract ideas. Looking at Yonay v. Paramount Pictures Corp and Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg, et al, this program explores existing doctrine and analyzes the future of copyright cases. Attorney Scott Hervey provides an in-depth review of both cases, from the application of the intrinsic test in the Kat Von D case to the failure of the estoppel argument in the Yonay case.

The Intellectual Property Law Section is chaired by Adrian Cyhan.

This program, led by Law Professor Chris Chambers Goodman, will be conducted in three parts. The first part will provide some historical background and statistics on gender representation in the legal profession and particular manifestations of gender bias. The second part will address sources of biased data in machine learning systems and some illustrations of how biases can and do impact recruiting and employment opportunities for women and other marginalized groups. The final segment will highlight some specific manifestations of gender bias against attorneys IRL (in real life). Participants will walk away with identifiable strategies for interrupting bias in the legal profession.

The AI and the Law Section is chaired by Marc Hoag.

This program explores how common entertainment transactions can unravel into high-stakes litigation, drawing on real-world cases involving contracts, copyright ownership, influencer marketing, and implied agreements. Through an entertainment litigator’s lens, the program highlights nuanced, hard-to-spot risk areas and explains how courts analyze disputes when deals are incomplete, ambiguous, or never papered at all. Attendees gain practical guidance on drafting and deal practices that can help entertainment transactional attorneys minimize exposure before conflicts arise.

The Entertainment Law Section is chaired by Keith Kell

While probate legal guardianship matters are private custody disputes—typically involving a relative or family friend—they differ significantly from family law actions, and in practice often resemble quasi-dependency proceedings. Parents can face serious consequences, including suspension of their parental rights and the termination of all contact with their children.

Because of these high stakes, it is essential that parents have access to skilled and informed legal representation. This training will equip attorneys with the knowledge and tools needed to advocate effectively for parents, including how to assist with objections, petitions to terminate a guardianship, and petitions for visitation. Participants will also receive access to Public Counsel's new practice manual for parents' attorneys, with sample pleadings, templates, and forms to support their practice.

The Trust and Estates Law Section is chaired by Jennifer McNeil-Lozano and Teal Schoonover.

Tyler Paetkau and Kathy Huynh of Paetkau Law Group will walk through the most common drafting mistakes that render employment arbitration agreements unenforceable — and how to avoid them. Drawing on California and federal case law including Armendariz v. Foundation Health Psychcare Services, Mendoza v. Trans Valley Transport, and Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, they will cover critical issues such as delegation clauses, signature requirements, unconscionability, class action waivers, and the interplay between the FAA and California Arbitration Act. Attorneys will leave with a practical checklist for drafting agreements that are clear, fair, and built to hold up in court.

The Employment Law Section is chaired by Andie Fields.

Jennifer Kennedy Park and Matthew M. Yelovich, partners at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, will walk through how AI-related white collar enforcement has evolved across administrations, covering both AI-enabled fraud schemes and "AI-washing" cases where companies misrepresent AI capabilities to investors. Drawing on DOJ and SEC actions including the first criminal AI-washing indictment under the Trump administration and DOJ's AI-powered healthcare fraud takedown, they will explain how enforcement is increasingly being shaped by executive policy rather than clear statutory frameworks. Attorneys will leave with a practical understanding of current criminal exposure risks and what strong AI compliance and governance programs should address.

The Criminal Law Section is chaired by Michael Freedman and Yan Goldshteyn.