Presented by Hon. Matthew Guerrero, San Luis Obispo Superior Court

May 2, 2024, 12:00 p.m.

Santa Maria Inn (Hancock Room)

This event will be in-person only.

Judge Guerrero will present the evolution of the judicial and legislative attempts to eliminate bias during jury selection.  This will include analysis of the current state of the law and the application of C.C.P. 231.7 in jury selection and is intended to identify recognized bias in jury selection. The current state of the law and a brief summary of the cases shall be included.

Judge Guerrero was appointed by Governor Brown to the San Luis Superior Court in 2017.  He spent his first 3 years in a criminal trial court overseeing misdemeanor and felony cases.  From 2021-2023 Judge Guerrero presided over the family court in Paso Robles.  In 2024, he returned to San Luis Obispo and is again sitting in a criminal trial court.  He has presided over 200 trials, including both court trials and jury trials.  Prior to being appointed, he was a contract public defender for San Luis Obispo County and litigated numerous felony and misdemeanor trials.  Prior to appointment, Judge Guerrero was active with California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ), was a small business owner,  and an elected official.  Most importantly, he is married to his wife of 20 years, Cynthia,  with whom he shares two children.  Judge Guerrero continues to serve the legal community by speaking at MCLE events on topics that include criminal law, family law,  and trial advocacy, and by volunteering on the Judicial College Steering Committee as well as serving as a seminar leader for new bench officers. 

1 hour MCLE Specialty Credit in Elimination of Bias

Register now with your menu selection:

Chicken Croissant Sandwich; Deli Trio Sandwich; Coastal Green Salad

$35 Members, Staff, Judiciary, Law Students; $50 Non-members

March 28th @ 12 Noon at The Santa Maria Inn, Hancock Room

Presenter: Ty Green of Radovich Tangeman Green

Ty has been practicing law for 43 years with the first half of his career devoted entirely to litigation. His career gradually moved from litigation to a practice dominated by transactional/commercial matters. Over his career, Ty has been involved in hundreds of mediation sessions.

The discussion will focus on strategies for more satisfying mediation for attorneys and clients:

1. Pre-mediation conferences with the mediator
2. Preparing the client for mediation
3. Strategies for an effective resolution
4. What you can do to help the mediator
5. Creative settlement options
6. Making sure the settlement sticks
7. Post-mediation
8. And, of course, the inevitable war stories (which will hopefully be used only for illustration)

Registration/lunch prices are $35 members/staff/law students; $50 non-members and includes your choice of a Ranch Cobb Salad, Turkey Club, or Veggie Wrap.

Thursday, October 19th 2023, 12:00 PM via Zoom

Topics will include:
Nuts and bolts of remote practice
The evolving role of the office
New opportunities for efficiency gains
Drawbacks of remote practice, and other lessons learned
Recent ethics opinions and academic research on the subject
New considerations for office employment law compliance
Recent Department of Labor guidance

Speakers
Ruben Escobedo practices employment law at WorkWorld Law, a virtual law office focusing on employee rights. He has represented both employers and employees throughout his career.

Crystal Forsher has been fighting for injured workers since 2003. She manages the Law Offices of Edwin K. Stone’s Santa Maria office and is Certified by the State Bar of California as a Workers’ Compensation Specialist.

1 hour of general MCLE

Registration $10 members/staff; $20 nonmembers

Zoom link and materials will be provided to registrants the morning of the event

September 28th, 2023; 5:00 PM Happy Hour, 6:00 PM Dinner

Trattoria Uliveto, 285 S. Broadway, Old Orcutt

Entree Choices:

Ribeye with Cabernet Sauce

Sole Piccata

Chicken Breast with Mushroom and Fresh Herb

Dinner will include appetizer and dessert

$75 members, staff and judicial officers/ $95 for non-members

1 Hour MCLE

Please register by September 22nd

This will be a panel discussion with Judges Deroian, Hippach, and O’Neil regarding their pathways to becoming judges and their observations from the bench.

July 20th, 2023, 12:00 PM at the Santa Maria Inn. This event will be in-person only.

1 Hour MCLE General Credit

Register now with your lunch selection: Chicken Croissant Sandwich, Turkey Club, or Grilled Vegetable Wrap

$35 for members and staff/$45 for non-members

Thursday, June 22nd 2023 @ 12 noon at The Santa Maria Inn (in-person only)

Presented by Tracy Splitgerber and David Nyssen

RSVP by June 16 with your lunch selection:

Ranch Cobb Salad; Southwest Chicken Sandwich; Grilled Vegetable Wrap

Registration is $35 for members, $45 for non-members

One hour MCLE general credit

Register Here

Thursday, May 25th, 2023 @ 12 noon, Via Zoom

Speaker: Lita Abella, Sr. Program Analyst, Office of Professional Competence, Lawyer Assistance Program, State Bar of California

• Addressing substance use and mental health issues among legal professionals • Identifying the warnings signs of substance use and mental health issues
• Developing a self-care plan and wellness strategies during these challenging times
• Discussing moral characters issues
• Learning about the Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) and other resources to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle

The presentation is interactive and the attendees will need their smart phones.

Register Here

Thursday, April 27th, 2023 @ 12:00 PM via Zoom

Speaker Michael Watters

Michael G. Watters is a trial attorney with extensive trial as well as significant appellate experience, and Managing Partner of O’Brien, Watters & Davis. Mr. Watters specializes in all aspects of trial work, with emphases on complex civil litigation, business litigation, employment litigation, family law and insurance. Mr. Watters is a frequent panelist with MCLE programs, recently focusing on the subject of trial practice and emphasis on depositions, including “Deposition Basics”, “How to Take the Deposition of an Expert Witness…Any Expert!”, “Deposition Objections”, and “How To Prepare to Take a Key Deposition”. He also serves as an expert witness as well as a litigation coach.

$10 members, $20 non-members

Register Here

December 1, 2022, 12:00 PM via Zoom

This program highlights important issues and decisions that lawyers and judges face daily where civility is a deserving consideration.   The panel will discuss how civility or its absence impacts lawyers and their clients, the bench and the public at large.  The discussion will include an important update on the State Bar’s current efforts to achieve real civility among its members.

Associate Justice Hernaldo Baltodano; Roy Ogden, Esq.; and Chase Martin, Esq.

Specialty credit in Ethics

Register Here

“Handling Difficult Situations”

This is a session that will help us understand and deal with some of the stress inherent in the high-pressure environment of law firms. We will cover topics such as:

-Situations that are difficult

-What makes them difficult

-How to deal with them

-Remote work

$10 for members and staff/$20 Non-Members

Register Here