Course Offerings

Are you considering filing a civil complaint in Sacramento County? This course will introduce you to the basic structure of the civil court system, how you file a lawsuit, and how to track your case through the court system.

Finesse your presentation skills with specific tips on how best to present your administrative case.

Judge Michael G. Virga will discuss Sacramento Superior Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution programs.

Don Vilfer, President of Califorensics, will address legal and practice aspects of preserving digital evidence.

This one-hour presentation will provide insights on eliminating bias in the legal profession.

The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 made sweeping changes to the American bankruptcy laws, affecting both consumer and business bankruptcies.

BAPCPA requires an attorney investigate before filing any bankruptcy chapter.  This course will provide expertise on the changes and requirements.

Listen to a Family Law attorney and an attorney with the Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services discuss the interface between DCSS and private attorneys in the process of child support enforcement.

Roll up your sleeves and dig in, this two-hour presentation will include timelines in civil litigation cases, the new federal time-computation rules, the California Electronic Discovery Act, and electronic discovery in general.

This is the first class in a two-part hands-on computer training on the use of LexisNexis Concordance v10 software for document production.

Listen to Judge Brian R. Van Camp deliver his insights on the art of presenting an effective closing argument.

This course will delineate the governing authorities and the laws pertaining to juvenile dependency cases. Topics to be discussed will include identifying service providers, available resources, and issues overlapping with other practice areas.

Building on the foundation established in Dependency 101 (available in video format at http://www.saclaw.org/videoDetails.aspx?vid=13). This course will delineate governing authorities, jurisdictional matters, disposition issues, and the laws pertaining to juvenile dependency cases. Topics will incorporate case law and other issues relevant to immigrant juvenile status and permanency for youth.

Expert business consultants with the Great Sacramento Business Development Center will guide you with tips and techniques on how to create a strong business plan for your law practice.

This course will focus on the cutting-edge legal and technical aspects of the new Federal Rules on e-discovery.

Topics to be covered will include the legal methods of accessing an opposing party's computer; how computer forensics works; and the capabilities of dealing with large volumes of electronic discovery.

Legal documentation: copy...copy...scan!? This course will cover electronic document imaging, including the importance of Tifs v. Pdfs formats, resolution options, redacting capabilities, and more.

This presentation will summarize a recent case of elder abuse in a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly [RCFE] that included allegations against an Administrator/Registered Nurse. Evidence of record tampering and document fraud, established through the expert testimony of a Legal Nurse Consultant/RCFE Expert and later confirmed by a Document Examiner Expert, was presented during the ensuing trial.

You will listen to the Legal Nurse Consultant/RCFE Expert discuss the methodology used to establish the preponderance of evidence; how to identify variations between an RCFE and a Skilled Nursing Facilities [SNFs]; and how to recognize potential abuse in elder care facilities.

You will learn important estate tax considerations you should address when setting up an IRA or other retirement accounts.

In a complex case, lawyers and mediators often deal with highly charged litigants who may appear emotionally disturbed but are actually high-functioning personalities who under the care of a mental health professional can perform activities of daily living.

This presentation will explore the archetypes in a proceeding, the ethical and practical challenges in mediating a case with an emotionally disturbed litigant, and how to extract an agreement without overreaching, undue-influence, and the potential failure to discharge the duty of informed consent.

This seminar will discuss the practical and ethical ramifications of the Federal e-Discovery Rules and the recent revisions to California's Code of Civil Procedure (AB 926).

This class will instruct you on how to create a strategy utilizing expert witnesses, get your expert's testimony admitted, and prepare your expert for deposition and cross-examination. Learn how to extract medical records information while maintaining patient privilege and how to link your evidence to impact a jury.

Google® enables an Internet user to search the Web, Usenet, and images. Google users will learn how to conducting sophisticated legal searches and apply other online Google resources.

This course will cover recent conflicts cases and the ethical implications in the practice of law. What happens in the event of inadvertent disclosure of client confidential information - duties, risks and risk management.

The California courts take judicial notice of legislative history records. You will learn how to use legislative history to present potent legal arguments and how to recognize potential misuse of legislative history records by opposing counsel.

A pleading is the beginning stage of a lawsuit. It provides a notice to a defendant that a legal claim has been made concerning a specific controversy. Often cases are thrown out of court for technical flaws in a pleading or other court-required forms.

This hands-on computer course will cover preparation of a pleading and other legal forms, and will demonstrate how you can locate these resources in the Sacramento County Public Law Library.

This course will cover Statutes. Learn how to recognize and locate California laws, in print and on-line, and how to use the Annotated Codes. This class will also cover secondary sources, which provide interpretation and context, and are often used as "side doors" into the official statutes.

This course will cover Cases. Case law is a judge-made law that interprets prior case law, statutes, and other legal authority.

You will learn how California case law is developed and organized, and how to locate cases in printed reporters and online at the Sacramento County Public Law Library.

Listen to Judge Jaime R. Roman describe how the bench determines the credible testimony of an expert witness.

This comprehensive three-hour course will cover California sources for case law, statues, regulations, and more!

In this hands-on computer class you will learn how to develop a search request, find cases and other documents by topic, by citation, or by party names using the LexisNexis services. In addition, you will learn how to use the SHEPARD'S Citation Service.

Building on the techniques learned in the LEXIS I class, this hands-on computer class will emphasize time efficient and cost-effective searching tips. Skills include how to bypass menu screens using short cuts, narrow searching with segments, focus on a specific word(s) within an original search and refine searches with advanced connectors.

This class will focus on how a Mechanics' Lien secures payment to contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers of materials for constructing or repairing a building.

Are you confused by the “New” Microsoft® Office Suite 2007!? This is the first course in a three-part computer training series in Microsoft® Word 2007. In this presentation you will learn how to use the “Ribbon,” and Quick Launch Toolbar, and other new features found in Word 2007 that are useful in creating legal documents and forms.

Prior MS Word 2003 knowledge required.

Expanding on the concepts in the Sacramento County Public Law Library's beginning Word 2007 class: Unraveling the "Ribbon" in Microsoft ® Word 2007 for Legal Professionals, instructor Cheri Boyer will cover the more advanced functionalities associated with Word 2007.

This in-depth course will cover how to prepare your client for trial.

In this presentation you will learn tips and techniques from a Greater Sacramento Small Business Development Center consultant on how to reevaluate your business during a downturn economy. Topics will include current business conditions; understanding why quantifying and qualifying a business is important; technology trends; and the necessity of getting out of your comfort zone to survive. 

This sixty-minute interactive session on how to conduct lawful reductions in force during an economic recession is designed for business professionals and attorneys.

Learn from an expert what it takes to file a Small Claims Court case, and when to seek legal advice. Topics to be discussed include jurisdictional issues, improper or no proof of service, subpoena of bank or personal records vs. privacy rights, countersuits, getting a judgment, appealing a judgment, collecting on a judgment, exemption claims, release of statisfaction on a judgment, and more.

This seminar will educate lawyers on substance abuse warning signs, abuse triggers, and treatment options.

Congress and the IRS recently imposed tough new standards for providers of tax advice who become subject to liability and increased penalties. The new standards can readily seize business attorneys working on a deal or estate and trust planners advising clients on their estates. This class will cover the new standards from an expert in taxation.

You will listen to a Sacramento Superior Court Judge, Court Reporter, Court Attendant/Bailiff and Court Clerk describe the inner workings of the courtroom, and its personnel.

Listen to a law and motion judge explain the required time lines for filing and service of a motion; the ins-and-outs of local practice; how to write an effective motion; and the tentative ruling system.

Learn about searching for cases, statutes, and the many other resources available on Westlaw. This class will take you beyond basic searching and teach you specialized techniques to get better search results in less time

This presentation will focus on access lawsuits filed against small, private business owners with existing buildings and structures. The presentation will also include damages typically sought by persons suing under Title III of the ADA against small businesses.

The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities and allows a private right of action for injunctive relief and recovery of attorney's fees and costs. Title III of the ADA generally prohibits private businesses from denying disabled individuals full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations offered by their "places of public accommodation." Places of public accommodation include restaurants, hotels, stores, theaters, schools, gyms, etc. Title III of the ADA provides a private right of action for “access violations,” also referred to as “access barriers,” by disabled individuals who are affected by those barriers.

Learn from a legal writing expert how to elicit the action you want, and avoid the risk of losing your reader with the impact of your demand letter.

The best mindset for preparing a motion is organization. Prepare your procedural device in law with tips and techniques from a legal writing expert.