Agenda

Webinar instructions will be emailed before the date of the webinar.

Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before the start time.

Tuesday, October 1, 2024
9:00 am – 3:50 pm EDT

 

Presented by: Regina C. Graziani, Esq. and Patrick Tomasiewicz, Esq.

Overview of a Civil Trial

  • Pre-trial procedure and scheduling orders
  • Discovery control plan and discovery overview
  • Pre-trial motion practice
  • Anatomy of a trial

Assisting with Investigations

  • Summarizing depositions
  • Skip tracing
  • Coordinating witnesses
  • Reviewing pleadings and discovery

Managing Evidence

  • Types of evidence
  • Rules for admissibility of evidence
  • Preserving evidence

Effectively Working with Opposing Counsel and Staff

  • Analyzing methods of communication
  • Standards for responding to emails
  • Working with the courts
  • Maintaining professionalism

Assembling and Using Trial Notebooks

  • Essentials of a trial notebook
  • Organization of a trial notebook
  • Uses for a trial notebook before trial
  • Uses of a trial notebook during trial

Litigation Ethics for Assistants and Paralegals

  • Attorney and paralegal ethical rules
  • Specific areas of concern for legal support staff
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Confidentiality
  • Ex-parte communications
  • Avoiding the unauthorized practice of law
  • Working with clients, courts and opposing counsel

   

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 (Including 1.0 Ethics Hour)

NFPA - National Federation of Paralegal Associations
6.0 CLE Credits (Incl. 1.0 Ethics Credit)

 

Continuing Education Credit Information

This webinar is open to the public and is designed to qualify for 6.0 CLE hours, including 1.0 ethics hour, for paralegals. Paralegal certification is not required to participate in this course.

This webinar has been approved by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations for 6.0 total CLE credits which includes 5.0 general CLE credits and 1.0 ethics CLE credit. 

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 pre-approved by any licensing boards and may not qualify for the same credits; please consult your licensing board(s) to ensure that a structured, asynchronous learning format is appropriate.

Speakers

Regina G. Graziani, Esq.

Director of, and an Instructor in, the Paralegal Studies Program at the University of Hartford

Ms. Graziani holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Salve Regina University. She attended Brandeis University as a Gordon Fellow, earning a Master’s degree in American Politics. Ms. Graziani earned her Juris Doctorate at Villanova University School of Law. She is a co-chair of the Paralegals Section of the Connecticut Bar Association and a past member of its House of Delegates. Ms. Graziani is the chair of the Paralegals Committee of the Hartford County Bar Association. She is admitted to practice before the courts of the State of Connecticut, the United States District Court, and the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Graziani has been a member of the Greater Hartford legal community for over 20 years, beginning her career as a litigation paralegal in a major New England law firm, specializing in large case management. As an attorney, her practice has focused on the representation of regulated industrial, financial, and commercial establishments, and select citizen plaintiffs in state and federal court, focusing on environmental law. Ms. Graziani has taught and advised paralegals and paralegal students for over two decades. She presents nationally and regionally on topics relevant to paralegals, lawyers, and the education of paralegals. Ms. Graziani’s teaching background includes undergraduate courses in law, politics, and a doctoral course in higher education law.

Patrick Tomasiewicz, Esq.

 Principal and Owner of Fazzano & Tomasiewicz, LLC in Hartford, CT

Mr. Tomasiewicz is a criminal defense, personal injury, and medical malpractice trial attorney who is board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in the field of civil trial work. A limited number of attorneys have this distinction. He has been named both a Connecticut Super Lawyer and New England Super Lawyer) since 2010. In 2023, Mr. Tomasiewicz was designated as a Top 50 Super Lawyer in the state of Connecticut. He has also received distinctions as a National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys Top Ten Attorneys for 2016, 2017 and 2023 Top 100 High Stakes Litigators for 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Mr. Tomasiewicz has the highest possible AV rating for legal ability and ethical standards from Martindale Hubbell peer review rating service, a national organization.