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Could a President of the United States order a nationwide lockdown in response to a future pandemic? The answer lies in part on the meaning of the Tenth Amendment’s reservation of non-delegated powers to the states. In the latest installment of “The Curious Lawyer” series, Peter Afrasiabi takes a deep dive into each of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights, reminding us what each amendment protects and illustrating its impact on the other constitutional protections we enjoy. Whether you are a budding constitutional scholar or simply looking for interesting facts to share at a cocktail party, the Bill of Rights series is for you.

In the next installment of this popular series, Peter Afrasiabi asks a simple question: Are you ready for some football? For more than 150 years, the game of football has occupied a unique position in the United States in terms of the legal regime that governs teams and the leagues in which they play. Peter discusses the antitrust decisions and other key developments that have allowed American football to become the global powerhouse it is today.

Did you know that the U.S. Supreme Court had decided only two cases interpreting the Second Amendment prior to 2008? Since then, and starting with the Supreme Court’s Heller decision, the Second Amendment has become a hotbed of activity at the High Court and in the lower federal with important decisions coming down nearly every year. In the latest installment of “The Curious Lawyer” series, Peter Afrasiabi takes a deep dive into each of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights, reminding us what each amendment protects and illustrating its impact on the other constitutional protections we enjoy. Whether you are a budding constitutional scholar or simply looking for interesting facts to share at a cocktail party, the Bill of Rights series is for you.

What is storytelling and why is it so important for all lawyers – litigators, transactional and in-house lawyers – to do it well in service of their clients? Experienced appellate lawyer and advocacy teacher at the UC Irvine School of Law Peter Afrasiabi shares the secrets of storytelling that you can help make you an even more compelling and credible advocate for your clients in any fora and when it matters most.

They say that love is blind, but it is also unethical? Recently, many states have enacted legal ethics rules that expressly prohibit dating a client, while in others, lawyers remain free to date a client unless the romantic relationship adversely affects the lawyer’s representation of the client. In this topical and engaging program, Andrew Struve examines the legal, ethical and practical implications when lawyers choose to date clients and other lawyers.

We all know that CLE programs are boring and a chore to watch. But we’re breaking the rules – a CLE program that’s intentionally funny and (gasp) entertaining, yet somehow still informative. In the latest installment of this popular series, actor, writer, producer and recovering lawyer, Mark Wooster, jumps back into the DeLorean he turned into a time machine and sets the dial back 30 years to expose even more “totally unethical” conduct by lawyers in classic 80’s TV series. Reserve your seat today and we’ll waive the two-drink minimum!

As an in-house lawyer, you may be expected to manage litigation involving your company, but if you lack experience in this area, what can you do to ensure that you manage your litigation matters and outside counsel most effectively and efficiently? In this program, experienced law firm litigator Andrew Struve gives you the advice you need to identify the key issues, ask the right questions and make the best decisions when managing your next litigation.

Experienced First Amendment litigator Peter Afrasiabi uses the facts of the notorious Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial to provide an expert overview of the tort of defamation, including the elements, defenses and damages. This program includes several critical pieces of advice for practitioners who may be considering filing a defamation claim on behalf of a client to avoid the many traps for the unwary that lie in wait in cases where allegedly defamatory statements are placed in issue.

Did you know that the Eighth Amendment – which prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishments – has been used to challenge not only the death penalty, but also the imposition of solitary confinement and the even requirement of cash bail? In the latest installment of “The Curious Lawyer” series, Peter Afrasiabi takes a deep dive into each of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights, reminding us what each amendment protects and illustrating its impact on the other constitutional protections we enjoy. Whether you are a budding constitutional scholar or simply looking for interesting facts to share at a cocktail party, the Bill of Rights series is for you.