Trial Preparation for Massachusetts Paralegals
DISCLAIMER
Before undertaking any on-demand effort, you should review the rules of your licensing/certifying entity.
It’s your responsibility to determine whether this on-demand course meets your continuing education requirements.
You must take and pass a quiz to receive credit. You can take the quiz as many times as needed and there is no time limit on the quiz.
Once the quiz is completed, you will be asked to download your certificate.
**Any on-demand programs that qualify for AIA or LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
**AIA credit is not available in USB format.
Streamable MP4/PDF
You will receive an automated email letting you know when your On-Demand package is available approximately 3 business days after the date of the live event or the date of your order, whichever is later.
**Any streamable on-demand programs that qualify for AIA or LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
The automated email letting you know when your On-Demand package is available will contain links to the video recording, materials, and program quiz.
To track your purchase, you will need to create an account on the website using the email address used for your registration.
For AIA requirements only, the on-demand recording will have occasional question prompts that will not allow the video to progress unless they are answered, and you will not be able to skip forward while watching the video.
Please note, if you attempt to resume watching the video on a separate device, your progress will not be saved.
Click the link which appears at the end of the video to be taken to the course quiz.
You will have unlimited access to the on-demand video recording, and it will never expire.
USB MP4/PDF
HalfMoon will mail these materials via USPS.
USB orders ship approximately 3 business days after the program takes place or after the order is placed, whichever date is later. Please allow an additional 7-10 business days for shipping.
**Any USB on-demand programs that qualify for LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
**AIA credit is not available in USB format.
The link to the quiz will be available in a PDF in your USB drive marked QUIZ.
HalfMoon will contact you and issue a full refund if the product you ordered is not available. However, refunds will not be issued if completion certificates are requested.
Please contact HalfMoon Education if you have any questions during the process of taking this course. (715) 835-5900 or qchapman@halfmoonseminars.org
Agenda
Webinar instructions will be emailed 24-48 business hours before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before start time.
Monday, May 19, 2025
9:00 am – 4:00 pm EDT
Agenda:
Overview of a Civil Trial
Presented by Payal Salsburg
- Pre-trial procedure and scheduling orders
- Discovery control plan and discovery overview
- Interviewing clients
- Pre-trial motion practice
- Anatomy of a trial
Assisting with Investigations
Presented by Payal Salsburg
- Summarizing deposition
- Skip tracing
- Coordinating witnesses
- Reviewing pleadings and discovery
Managing Evidence
Presented by Tyson Ence
- Types of evidence
- Rules for admissibility of evidence
- Preserving evidence
Effectively Working with Opposing Counsel and Staff
Presented by Payal Salsburg
- Analyzing methods of communication
- Standards for responding to emails
- Working with the courts
- Maintaining professionalism
Witness Preparation
Presented by Adam Gutbezahl
- Preparing witness lists
- Trial and deposition preparation
- Pre-trial interviews
- Planning for potential witness problems
Litigation Ethics for Assistants and Paralegals
Presented by Tyson Ence
- 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 10 or higher, macOS 11 or higher, Linux, Google Chrome OS
Web Browser:
Google Chrome (most recent 3 versions)
Microsoft Edge (most recent 3 versions)
Internet connection: 1 Mbps or better
Hardware: 2GB of RAM (minimum), 4GB or more of RAM (recommended)
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 Hours (Including 1.0 Ethics Hour)
Continuing Education 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 in Massachusetts. Paralegal certification is not required to participate in this course.
The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) has approved this course 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
Tyson Ence
Partner with Ence & Boehlen, PLLC, in Agawam, MAFor more than a decade Mr. Ence has represented clients throughout Massachusetts in a variety of civil and criminal matters. He is committed to providing personalized counsel that focuses on each client’s goals and obtaining the best possible outcome. He moved to Boston to attend law school after living in the western U.S. After graduation he stayed in Boston and began working with a downtown law firm. Over ten years ago, Mr. Ence opened his own practice and moved to Western Massachusetts.
Adam Gutbezahl
Senior Attorney at KP Law, P.C., in BostonMr. Gutbezahl has a proven track record of success in Massachusetts state and federal court. In addition to handling contentious, high stakes cases, Mr. Gutbezahl counsels his clients on the importance of developing best practices to avoid litigation and mitigate risks. After nearly a decade of representing private sector businesses and individuals, he now represents municipalities in a wide array of litigation matters. Mr. Gutbezahl is a recognized thought leader on the legal implications of generative artificial intelligence (“Gen AI”) on the workplace and is a member of multiple steering committees and task forces concerning the use of Gen AI. He has been a featured speaker for numerous associations and organizations concerning the intersection of Gen AI and employment law and is the author of a monthly newsletter on the topic, “ChatAdamG.” Mr. Gutbezahl was recently recognized by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as an Up & Coming Lawyer as part of its Excellence in the Law series. In 2024, he was also recognized as a Top Lawyer by Boston Magazine, as well as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers and the New England Real Estate Journal. Mr. Gutbezahl is also a 2024 graduate of the Boston’s Future Leaders Program, which is a 10-month leadership initiative conducted by Harvard Business School and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
Payal Salsburg
Partner with Laredo Smith & Kane, LLP, in BostonMs. Salsburg focuses her practice in the areas of business litigation, corporate advice and counsel, and white-collar criminal defense. She represents corporations, small businesses, and individuals in contract and business disputes, False Claims Act matters, State Ethics Commission inquiries, and government and internal investigations. Ms. Salsburg also advises closely-held businesses on corporate and employment matters. Prior to joining Laredo Smith & Kane, she was a litigator at a large international law firm, in its Florida and Boston offices. Her work at the firm focused on litigation at the federal and state levels involving breaches of contract, corporate dissolution, fraudulent transfer claims, commercial foreclosures, and patent infringement. She also handled FINRA arbitrations on behalf of broker-dealers. Ms. Salsburg’s pro bono experience includes several successful CORI-sealing petitions, petitions for asylum, an appeal from an inmate on Florida’s death row, litigation and appeal to assist a not-for-profit foundation, and invoking Hague Convention protection to return a child wrongfully removed to the United States by a parent. She was also a bar advocate for criminal matters at the Boston Municipal Court (Central).

6 Knowledge Points
Purchase this course using Knowledge Points by clicking the button below.
(Account login required. Knowledge Points can only be redeemed by the owner of the points. Cannot be combined with any other forms of payment)