Asa P. Gullett, III

Join Pete Gullett as he provides his top ten practical steps to avoid or prevent the likelihood of receiving a claim. This seminar will cover the most prevalent types of legal malpractice claims, including allegations of failure to know the law, failure to properly commence an action, failure to calendar properly, and more. Attendees will be able to identify higher risk activities and how to proactively avoid making costly mistakes. And, if you haven’t taken care of your old dog recently…this seminar is for you!

Courtney Risk, Esq

Associates and nonlawyer staff provide significant contributions to the success of any firm. Supervising attorneys can support their important work through effective supervision. Over the last few years, societal workplace values have shifted, and many employees value the opportunity for professional growth and a culture of support over increases in monetary compensation. This program explores how attorneys can tap into the Kentucky Supreme Court Rules addressing supervision to not only meet one’s ethical duties while also meeting the team’s needs for professional growth and support.

Dorislee Gilbert, Esq., Heather Risk, PsyD

Lawyers often represent or interact with individuals who have been impacted by trauma. Understanding the psychological impact of trauma—and the resulting behavioral results—can help the client and the lawyer more successfully navigate the representation. Attendees will gain practical, easy-to-implement steps for representing trauma-impacted clients competently, including techniques for communicating effectively with such clients.

Courtney Risk, Esq

While it may take more than “an apple a day” to keep malpractice and ethical complaints at bay, LMICK has a new tool to check-up on the health of your firm. Attendees will receive an overview of the new 30-Minute Malpractice Check-Up and how to use it. This session will discuss issues related to communication (SCR 3.130(1.4)), fees (SCR 3.130(1.5, 1.15)), supervision (SCR 3.130(5.1-5.3)), and conflicts (SCR 3.30(1.7-1.11, 1.13). Attendees will gain a better understanding of these pitfalls and discuss solutions and resources for a healthier practice.

Bethany Breetz

Whether you routinely handle appellate cases or do so only on occasion, this session is for you! Attendees will gain an understanding of the overall changes to the appellate rules due to the adoption of the standalone Kentucky Rules of Appellate Procedure (RAP), effective January 1, 2023 (Supreme Court Order 2022-49). The session will discuss the rules and commentary provided during the Supreme Court hearing regarding RAP, to give context for the changes and provide appellate practitioners a firm foundation before tackling their next brief.

Courtney Risk, Esq

Courtney Risk, Business Development Specialist for Lawyers Mutual of Kentucky (“LMICK”), presents tips and strategies for attorneys to prepare for the unplanned and unavoidable circumstances that can interrupt practice operations, including extended illnesses, hospitalizations, and natural disasters. Attendees will gain practical tips for preparing for these eventualities. This session will also address succession planning issues and the ethical considerations, including relevant Model Rules of Professional Conduct, that apply to these issues and other life changing events.

Angela Logan Edwards, Esq., Courtney Risk, Esq.

Does a casual conversation provide a solid business opportunity or a potential ethical conundrum? The lawyer-client relationship forms along a continuum, beginning with the non-client and moving to potential to prospective to current to former client. Depending on where an individual falls on this continuum, lawyers may owe certain ethical duties. At what point does a conversation at the grocery trigger the lawyer-client relationship continuum? (Hint: The answer is not the payment of fees.) How can you identify the stage of relationship development and ensure you are meeting your applicable ethical duties?

This session will provide an overview of the rules and opinions governing lawyer-client formation in Kentucky, including the recent 2022 Kentucky Bar Association Formal Ethics Opinion on Prospective Clients. The presenters will then explore real-world scenarios, identifying various stages of lawyer-client relationship development. Attendees will gain an understanding of how to navigate these encounters to ensure acceptance of only those intended clients.