The Firm Retreat - Charlottesville Morning

“The Firm Retreat” is a 3-hour, in-person CLE Ethics Program offered free for Virginia attorneys in partnership with the Virginia State Bar. 

Each program will show three videos taking us behind the scenes as a law firm holds its annual staff retreat.  A panel of your peers will apply the Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct to their analysis of the issues presented. During the panel discussions, attendees will be encouraged to ask questions and share comments. 

Ultimately, the goal is for you to leave the program with a greater sensitivity of the many ethical issues that can be in play any day of the week, be better prepared to view these issues as learning opportunities, and be more willing to take advantage of these opportunities in order to see that the issues are responsibly addressed and resolved.

The issues raised in Vignette One “The Plan Comes Together” include communications between an attorney proceeding pro se and an opposing party who is represented, concerns with the use of “reply all” when responding to an email, application permissions when using a smart phone for work, the tension between client confidentiality and courthouse security, and issues surrounding the filing of a disciplinary complaint.

In Vignette Two “Down to Business,” the panel will discuss the issues raised when a client dies during settlement negotiations, concerns surrounding the use of crowdfunding, use of the term “minimum fees” in an engagement agreement, and the responsibilities that arise when deploying generative AI in the practice of law.

Finally in Vignette Three “The Debrief” the program will conclude with discussions on the tension between wellness and burnout in the practice of law, the benefits and risks that come with deploying communication channels intended to replace traditional email, attorney departure concerns (to include when an attorney retires), and the use of independent contractors and legal staffing companies to meet staffing needs.