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Overview AI Webinar Summary

Attorney Soft Skills

The presentation addresses the essential soft skills every attorney should prioritize to succeed in their profession. It emphasizes ethical legal practice, reputation management, civility, and the importance of clear communication, time management, technology (including AI), and ongoing professional development. Real disciplinary case studies and practical examples are used throughout to ground concepts in real-world legal practice.

Topics covered include:

Legal Ethics Artificial Intelligence (AI) Law Practice Legal Tech Legal Writing Professional Development

Agenda:

Introduction / Establishing Good Practices Early

Welcome, introduce the presenter, and explain purpose and objectives. Define the importance of soft skills and ethical awareness early in legal practice.

Building and Protecting Your Professional Reputation

Discuss reputation management with real disciplinary examples; importance of long-term professionalism.

Civility, Bias, & Model Rules (8.4d / 8.4g)

Explore misconduct rules, bias, harassment, and inclusivity in the practice of law.

Communication Skills (Rule 1.4)

Review client communication obligations and internal collaboration standards.

Interactive Activity: Professional Email Exercise

Rewrite an unprofessional email example and discuss tone, clarity, and impact.

Writing, Critical Thinking & Persuasion

Strengthen written advocacy and problem-solving approaches using case examples.

Time Efficiency & Diligence (Rule 1.3)

Cover time management models (Eisenhower Matrix, ABCDE method) and professional diligence.

Timekeeping & Billing Ethics (Rule 1.5)

Illustrate proper time entry practices using “Fun Examples” from slides.

Technology & GenAI in Legal Practice

Review current technologies, AI tools, and issues relating to client data protection.

Ethics & AI: Fake Cases, Real Consequences

Analyze real-world incidents of fabricated AI cases and legal ethics implications.

Teamwork, Leadership, and Negotiation Skills

Explore leadership dynamics, collaboration, and mentorship in professional settings.

Work-Life Balance Discussion

Facilitate discussion on defining and achieving personal balance in legal careers.

Conclusion & Key Takeaways

Recap lessons learned and essential principles for long-term professional growth.

Duration of this webinar: 90 minutes

Originally broadcast: January 29, 2026 10:00 AM PT

Webinar Highlights

This webinar is divided into section summaries, which you can scan for key points and then dive into the sections that interest you the most.

00:00 Introduction

The speaker, Cari Sheehan, discusses the importance of attorney soft skills, which are not typically taught in law school but are crucial for legal practice. Cari emphasizes that soft skills can help lawyers avoid ethical violations and improve their interactions with clients and colleagues.

06:27 Building a Positive Reputation

Cari emphasizes the importance of building a positive reputation as a lawyer, noting that demeanor and conduct significantly affect how others perceive you. She warns against behaviors that can harm one's reputation, such as being overly aggressive or disrespectful. Cari discusses Rule 8.4(d), which addresses conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice, and Rule 8.4(g), which deals with discrimination and bias. She highlights the need for lawyers to balance zealous advocacy with maintaining a good reputation and ethical standards. Cari provides examples of unprofessional conduct that can damage a lawyer's reputation and stresses the importance of professionalism.

25:20 Effective Communication Skills

Cari discusses the importance of effective communication skills, particularly in maintaining client relationships and avoiding ethical issues. She highlights the need for lawyers to communicate clearly and promptly with clients, emphasizing that the client is the boss in the attorney-client relationship. Cari advises lawyers to deliver bad news with solutions and to engage in face-to-face communication when possible. She warns against relying solely on emails and encourages lawyers to develop oral advocacy skills. Cari provides examples of poor communication practices that have led to disciplinary actions and stresses the importance of professionalism in all forms of communication.

47:56 Time Management and Billing Practices

Cari discusses the importance of time management and billing practices, emphasizing the need for lawyers to avoid procrastination and manage their workloads effectively. She introduces methods like the Eisenhower matrix and the ABCDE method to prioritize tasks and improve efficiency. Cari advises against micromanaging and highlights the importance of delegation. She also discusses ethical billing practices, warning against overbilling and double billing. Cari provides examples of inappropriate billing practices and stresses the importance of accurate timekeeping and billing descriptions.

56:05 Embracing Technology and Work-Life Balance

Cari encourages lawyers to embrace technology, particularly generative AI, while ensuring compliance with professional conduct rules. She advises against dismissing new technologies and emphasizes the importance of continuous learning. Cari discusses the concept of work-life balance, noting that it varies for each individual and evolves over time. She stresses the importance of emotional intelligence, stress management, and resilience in maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Please note this AI-generated summary provides a general overview of the webinar but may not capture all details, nuances, or the exact words of the speaker. For complete accuracy, please refer to the original webinar recording.

Speaker

Cari Sheehan Assistant General Counsel
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

Cari serves as the firm’s Assistant General Counsel of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. In this role, she advises firm attorneys with respect to ethics compliance, risk prevention, and conflicts of interest. In addition, she assists in the review and negotiation of outside counsel guidelines, conflict waivers and engagement letters, and other items with ethical implications. In addition, she assists in providing ethical training and education within the firm to its attorneys and staff. Read More ›

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits

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Alabama CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.50 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

California CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.50 Legal Ethics

Earn Credit Until: June 30, 2026

Hawaii CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.50 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: January 28, 2028

Illinois CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.50 Professional Responsibility

Earn Credit Until: January 28, 2028

Indiana CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.50 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2027

Nebraska CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.50 Professional Responsibility

Earn Credit Until: January 29, 2028

New Jersey CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.80 Ethics/Professionalism

Earn Credit Until: October 23, 2026

Ohio CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.50 Attorney Professional Conduct

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

Oklahoma CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 2.00 Legal Ethics and Professionalism

Earn Credit Until: January 29, 2027

Pennsylvania CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.50 Ethics, Professionalism, or Substance Abuse

Earn Credit Until: January 28, 2028

South Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.50 Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Difficulty: All Levels

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

Texas CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

This presentation is approved for one and a half hours of Ethics CLE credit in Alabama, one and a half hours of Legal Ethics CLE credit in California, one and a half hours of Ethics CLE credit in Hawaii, one and a half hours of Professional Responsibility CLE credit in Illinois, one and a half hours of Ethics CLE credit in Indiana, one and a half hours of Professional Responsibility CLE credit in Nebraska, one and a half hours of Attorney Professional Conduct CLE credit in Ohio, two hours of Legal Ethics and Professionalism CLE credit in Oklahoma, one and a half hours of Ethics, Professionalism, or Substance Abuse CLE credit in Pennsylvania, and one and a half hours of Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility CLE credit in South Carolina (all levels). This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 1.80 hours of total CLE credit. Of these, 1.80 qualify as total hours of credit for Ethics/Professionalism. This course has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE in the amount of 1.00 credit hours, of which 1.00 credit hours will apply to Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility credit.

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Note that CLE credit, including partial credit, cannot be earned outside of the relevant accreditation period. To earn credit for a course, a lawyer must watch the entire course within the relevant accreditation period. Lawyers who have viewed a presentation multiple times may not be able to claim credit in their jurisdiction more than once. Justia reserves the right, at its discretion, to grant an attendee partial or no credit, in accordance with viewing duration and other methods of verifying course completion.

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