Agenda

Webinar instructions will be emailed before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before start time.

Wednesday, October 18, 2023
9:00 am – 4:00 pm PDT


Basics of Law Office Management and Operation in Washington State
Presented by: J. Suits II

  • Law office organization
  • Staff roles and responsibilities
  • Awareness of attorney regulation and ethics rules
  • Managing contacts with potential clients and other law firms
  • Participating in client intake process
  • Creating, organizing and maintaining files
  • Client communications
  • Client billing and accounting practices

Locating Sources of Washington State Law
Presented by: L.M. Wilgis

  • Sources of Federal laws and regulations
  • Sources of Washington laws and regulations
  • Finding case law
  • Using secondary sources
  • Evaluating sources and information obtained

Basics of Washington State Civil Litigation
Presented by: Hon. B. Tollefson

  • Types of civil matters
  • State court vs. federal court practice
  • Prerequisites for litigation
  • The civil discovery process
  • Preparing for trial
  • Civil trials
  • Post-judgment matters and appeals

Alternative Dispute Resolution 101 for Legal Assistants
Presented by: Hon. B. Tollefson

Document Drafting and Editing
Presented by: James Suits

  • Legal terminology
  • Drafting legal documents
  • Editing legal documents
  • Updating legal references
  • Proofreading skills

 
Webinar Instructions

All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited.

Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.

Webinars are presented via GoToWebinar, an easy-to-use application that can be run on most systems and tablets. Instructions and login information will be provided in an email sent close to the date of the webinar. It is highly recommended that you download, install and test the application before the webinar begins by clicking on the link in the email.

GoToWebinar App requirements:
Windows 7 – 10 or Mac OSX Mavericks (10.9) – macOS Catalina (10.15)

Web Browser:
The two most recent version of the following browsers:
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge
Internet Explorer v11 (or later) with Flash enabled

Internet connection: Minimum of 1Mbps       Hardware: 2GB RAM or more

For more information, visit the Support section at www.gotowebinar.com

Credits

Paralegals:
6.0 CLE Hours

Washington State MCLE Board:
6.0 CLE Credits 

NALA:
6.0 CLE Hours 

 (5.0 Non-substantive hours, 1.0 substantive hour) 

NFPA:
6.0 CLE Credits 


Continuing Education Credit Information

This webinar is open to the public and offers up to 6.0 CLE hours to paralegals. Paralegal certification is not required to participate in this course.

The MCLE Board of the Washington State Bar Association has approved this live webinar for 6.0 CLE credits; 5.0 Law & Legal credits and 1.0 Other credit (office management). 

This course has been approved by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) for 6.5 general CLE credits. 

 The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) has approved this course for 6.0 total CLE hours which include 5.0 non-substantive hours and 1.0 substantive hour. 

Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the webinar for those who attend the entire course and score a minimum 80% on the quiz that follows the course (multiple attempts allowed). 

On-Demand Credits

The preceding credit information only applies to the live presentation. This course in an on-demand format is not eligible for the same credits as the live presentation.

Speakers

Linda Mason Wilgis

Meridian Family Law, PLLC

Ms. Wilgis is a passionate advocate for her clients, representing children and families for over 25 years as an attorney in private practice, as a former Assistant Attorney General, and as a family and children’s Ombudsman for the State of Washington. Ms. Wilgis is committed to helping clients navigate difficult transitions in their lives through compassionate advice and skilled advocacy, both through negotiation and litigation. 

 

James C. Suits II

Suits Litigation, Inc focuses on representing individuals who have been severely injured in catastrophic accidents. Mr. Suits spends substantial time listening to his clients, analyzing all potential legal strategies, and working closely with them throughout the entire litigation process in order to achieve the best results possible. His broad litigation experience brings the kind of judgment, expertise, and problem solving that each unique legal situation requires. Mr. Suits has 17 years of experience as a lawyer handling a broad range of civil litigation in San Jose, California, and founded the Law Office of James C. Suits II in 2012. Prior to 2012, Mr. Suits’ litigation experience included working as an associate attorney for Robinson Wood, Inc. and Tharpe Howell, LLP, as well as a Law Clerk for the Civil Liability Division of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Mr. Suits graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry in 1997. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 2003 from the University of Southern California Law School in Los Angeles, California. In 2004, Mr. Suits was admitted to practice law in California. He is admitted to practice in both California state courts and US federal courts. Mr. Suits is a Member of the State Bar of California and his State Bar Number is 229990. Mr. Suits also serves as a mediator for the Civil Early Settlement Conference Program (Local Civil Rule 4) administered by Santa Clara County Superior Court.

Brian Tollefson

Black Robe Dispute Resolution Services, PLLC

Mr. Tollefson is a principal at Black Robe Dispute Resolution Services, PLLC. He also serves as a pro-tem judge for Pierce County Superior Court. Previously, he served as a judge for Pierce County Superior Court for more than 27 years. During his time on Superior Court, he was on the Executive Committee, served as presiding judge, and participated on a number of local Superior Court committees. He served on several committees in the Washington State Superior Court Judges Association and as a trustee on the Association’s board of trustees for five years.