Recent Developments in the Law CLE

Recent Developments in the Law 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
Green Hall, Lawrence campus

Join us for a one-day CLE covering recent developments in the law. This program has been approved for eight hours of CLE credit in Kansas and Missouri, including two hours of ethics and professionalism.

Schedule

7:30 - 8 a.m. | Check-in and Continental Breakfast

8 - 8:50 a.m. | Regulatory Update on Consumer Financial Services

Tom Witherspoon, Partner, Stinson, LLP and Adjunct Professor, KU School of Law

The consumer protection landscape has changed dramatically since the advent of the second Trump Administration. Federal regulators have moved to deregulation, while various States have stepped into the void. This presentation will review the current state of consumer financial law, rulemaking, supervision and enforcement.

8:50 - 9 a.m. | Break

9 - 9:50 a.m. | From Cyber to the Caribbean: Recent Developments in National Security and Homeland Security Law

Paul Cope, Director, Master of Science in Homeland Security: Law and Policy Program and Professor of Practice, KU School of Law

This session surveys major recent developments in national security and homeland security law, including the end of Chevron deference, renewed challenges to DHS and DOJ rulemaking, reforms to foreign intelligence surveillance authorities, immigration enforcement litigation, cybersecurity disclosure and infrastructure protection, and emerging international law issues surrounding sanctions, blockades and maritime interdiction.

9:50 - 10 a.m. | Break

10 - 10:50 a.m. | Recent Developments in Securities Regulation

Alex Platt, Earl B. Shurtz Research Professor of Law and Director, Polsinelli Transactional Law Center, KU School of Law

This session will cover important recent developments in federal securities regulation across a variety of areas, including recent judicial decisions, regulatory changes and enforcement trends.

10:50 - 11 a.m. | Break

11 - 11:50 a.m. | AI, Ethics, and Mistakes (ethics)

Mike Hoeflich, John H. & John M. Kane Distinguished Professor of Law, KU School of Law

This session will deal with the ethical rules that control lawyer use of generative AI. It explores the impact of KRPC1.1 and lawyer’s responsibility of reviewing documents produced by generative AI.

11:50 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Lunch on your own

1 - 1:50 p.m. | Updates in Kansas and Missouri Estate Planning and in Federal Laws Related to Estate Tax and the SECURE Act

Lea Bailes, Senior Trust Counsel, Commerce Trust and Adjunct Professor, KU School of Law

This presentation highlights major developments in Kansas and Missouri estate planning, including Kansas’s guardianship and conservatorship reforms, the Missouri Electronic Wills and Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act, and emerging regional trends in trust and probate practice. It also provides an overview of recent federal changes affecting estate, gift and GST taxation, along with key updates under the SECURE Act that impact retirement and wealth transfer planning.

1:50 - 2 p.m. | Break

2 - 2:50 p.m. | Nationwide Injunctions vs. Class Actions: Recent Decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court

Sharon Brett, Associate Professor, KU School of Law

This presentation will address recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding prospective relief, including the Trump v. CASA decision limiting the use of nationwide injunctions and its implications for class action litigation going forward.

2:50 - 3 p.m. | Break

3 - 3:50 | Breaking Out: Finding the Ethical Exit from Representation (ethics)

Gayle B. Larkin, Disciplinary Administrator, Office of the Disciplinary Administrator, Kansas Judicial Branch

During this hour, we will examine ABA Formal Ethics Opinions 516 and 519 and their guidance on a lawyer’s ethical obligations when terminating representation. We will explore your (sometimes conflicting) duties under KRPC 1.6 and KRPC 1.16. Our goal is to provide you with clear guidance for ethically withdrawing from representation while minimizing harm to clients.

3:50 - 4 p.m. | Break

4 - 4:50 p.m. | High Stakes Jurisprudence: The Changing Landscape of Marijuana Law and its Consequences for Kansans

Adam Sokoloff, Supervising Attorney, Project for Innocence & Post-Conviction Remedies; Instructor, Trial Advocacy and Mock Trial, KU School of Law

Explore the changing marijuana legal landscape affecting Kansas practitioners, from the recent federal rescheduling directive to active state legislation on medical marijuana and decriminalization. Learn how these developments impact criminal defense, employment law, family law, and business practice in a state surrounded by legalized markets.