Recent Developments in the Law CLE

Overview

KU Law hosts a Recent Developments in the Law CLE program each spring. Attorneys are invited to learn about the latest developments in a wide range of law practice areas. Attendees can earn CLE hours in Kansas and Missouri.

Information about the most recent Recent Developments in the Law CLE is below.

Recent Developments in the Law 2023

Friday, May 19, 2023

KU School of Law | Green Hall, Lawrence campus

Join us for a revamped, one-day CLE covering recent developments in the law. The program has been approved in Kansas and Missouri for 6 hours of CLE, including 1 hour of ethics and professionalism.

Schedule

9-9:50 a.m. | Constitutional Amendments in Kansas

Richard E. Levy, J.B Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law

This session will provide background on three constitutional amendments considered by Kansas voters during the 2022 election cycle. The presentation will provide background on the constitutional provisions concerning amendments, Kansas Supreme Court decisions interpreting those provisions, and judicial review of the amendment process. In addition, the presentation will consider the possibility of constitutional challenges based on misleading ballot language.

9:50-10 a.m. | Break

10-10:50 a.m. | Recent Developments in Juvenile Law

Meredith Schnug, Associate Director, Legal Aid Clinic, Clinical Associate Professor

This session will review recent case law and policy developments affecting juvenile justice and child welfare law in Kansas. 

10:50-11 a.m. | Break

11-11:50 a.m. | Demystifying Domestic Extremism

Paul Cope, Director, Master of Science in Homeland Security: Law and Policy Program

This presentation will address domestic terrorism and domestic extremism, the application of the laws pertaining to those topics including recent cases, and considerations for practitioners in the national security field.

11:50 a.m.-1 p.m. | LUNCH (on your own)

1-1:50 p.m. | Great Power/Great Responsibility: Recent Developments in Ethically Supervising Law Students in Your Practice (Ethics)

Melanie Daily, Director, Legal Aid Clinic, Clinical Associate Professor

This session will explore the professional and ethical responsibilities of attorneys who supervise law students in a variety of settings - whether students have a 715 permit or not. Kansas Supreme Court Rule 715 (formerly 719) has been revised in recent years to more clearly reflect the duties of lawyers supervising law students, and to ensure that attorneys employing students are aware of the many steps they must take to protect client interests. KPRC Rule 5.3 squarely outlines supervisory responsibilities over non-lawyers - and Rule 715 renders an attorney "fully responsible" for all of a legal intern's activities through that attorney's supervision. Failure to ethically supervise students under Rule 715 can implicate ethical violations under KRPC Rules 1.1 (Competence), 1.5 (Fees), 5.5 (Unauthorized Practice of Law) and more. We will examine how to undertake supervision, what Rule 715 students can and can't do, best practices for structuring and documenting supervision, and what missteps might result in ethical violations by supervising attorneys or character and fitness issues for students applying to become members of the profession.

1:50-2 p.m. | Break

2-2:50 p.m. | NLRB Recent Developments - The Biden Board Gets to Work

Betsy Lawrence, Adjunct Professor, KU Law

After somewhat of a slow start, the National Labor Relations Board's Democratic majority found its footing near the end of 2022, issuing a flurry of decisions and announcing long-anticipated rule changes. The Biden Board has continued to gain traction in 2023 and has several more cases pending that are likely to serve as vehicles for more significant changes to federal labor law. This presentation will highlight those recent and anticipated changes most impactful to workers, unions and employers.

2:50-3 p.m. | Break

3-3:50 p.m. | The State of SOGI Law

Kyle Velte, Associate Dean and Professor of Law

Professor Velte will discuss the current status of state and federal law regarding sexual orientation and gender identity ("SOGI"), as well as what's on the legal horizon for the LGBTQ+ community. Topics will include employment discrimination, religious exemptions from anti-discrimination laws, and anti-transgender legislation.