Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism

CLE Programs

As part of the outreach function of the Mercer Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism, Mercer faculty members speak frequently at CLE seminars. The following is a list of past and upcoming presentations.

Professor Longan

• "Teaching Character,” Macon Rotary Club, Macon, Georgia, July 16, 2007.
• "Ethics and Professionalism," Eleventh Circuit Judicial Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, May 3, 2007.
• "Ethical Representation in Constructing Contracting and Litigation: Avoiding Dilemmas and Pitfalls," Teleconference and Live Audio Web Cast, Forum on the Construction Industry, the ABA Center for CLE, and the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility, April 17, 2007.
• "Professionalism and Secondhand Lions," Macon Bar Association, Macon, Georgia, January 12, 2007.
• "Ethics and Experts," New Mexico Defense Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 19, 2006
• "Ethics and Adverse Experts," Gardere Wynne Sewell CLE, Dallas, Texas, October 10, 2006
• "Update on Legal Ethics," Georgia Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Macon, Georgia, October 6, 2006
• "Update on Legal Ethics," Henry County Bar Association, Jekyll Island, Georgia, September 30, 2006
• "Update on Legal Ethics," Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Law Seminar, Macon, Georgia, September 8, 2006.
• "Ethics and Adverse Experts," John Ford American Inn of Court, Dallas, Texas, February 21, 2006.
• "Teaching Professionalism in a Way that Respects and Honors Law Students," Panelist, Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting, January 4, 2006, Washington, D.C.
• "Professionalism and Legal Education," Mercer Commons Colloquium on Professionalism Across the Professions, Macon, Georgia, November 18, 2005.
• "The Difference Between Teaching Ethics and Teaching Professionalism," National Institute for Teaching Ethics and Professionalism, Atlanta, Georgia, September 23, 2005.
• "Mentors and Professionalism," Savannah Bar Association, September 8, 2005.
• "Ethics and Professionalism Roundtable," Moderator, Institute for Continuing Legal Education Program on Complex Civil Procedure, Atlanta, Georgia, March 25, 2005.
• "The Professional Role of Attorneys in the Tort Reform Debate and the State Bar of Georgia Position on Tort Reform," Moderator, Mercer University and Macon Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Program, March 11, 2005.
• "The Use of Undercover Investigations: Mandated or Prohibited?" Mercer University and Macon Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Program, March 11, 2005.
• "Teaching Professionalism in Law School," Convocation on Developing Professional Values in Law School, New York State Judicial Institute on Professionalism in the Law, Albany, New York, November 10, 2004.
• "Teaching Professionalism,” Plenary Session of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, ABA Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, August 7, 2004.
• "Best Practices in Teaching Professionalism,” Program of the Professionalism Committee of the Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, ABA Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, August 7, 2004.
• "Update on Professionalism Programs in Georgia,” National Consortium of Professionalism Initiatives, Atlanta, Georgia, August 6, 2004.
• "Update on Legal Ethics and Related Matters," U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia Advisory Committee Meeting, Reynolds Plantation, Georgia, February 27, 2004.
• "Speech and Association in Judicial Political Activity in the Contemporary Era," Georgia Institute for Continuing Judicial Education, Atlanta, Georgia, February 19, 2003.
• "What I'd Do Differently Now-Now That I Appreciate the New Judicial Elections Landscape," Panelist, Georgia Institute for Continuing Judicial Education, Atlanta, Georgia, February 19, 2003.
• "Professionalism in the Required Curriculum," Georgia State University Law School Conference on Teaching Professionalism, January 30, 2004.
• "Best Practices in Teaching Professionalism," ABA Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, Professionalism Committee, Atlanta Georgia, January 3, 2004.
• "Attorney Depression: Symptoms, Ethical Implications and Consequences," Macon Bar Association and Mercer Law School CLE, Macon, Georgia, December 5, 2003.
• "Issues in Professionalism: An Opportunity for Inquiry and Discussion," Moderator, Macon Bar Association and Mercer Law School CLE, Macon, Georgia, December 5, 2003.
• "Personal Stress and the Rules of Professional Conduct: Are You "Walking the Line"? State Bar of Georgia Lawyer's Assistance Program CLE, Atlanta, Georgia, October 16, 2003.
• "Generations of Mentors," Law Day Luncheon, Macon Bar Association, May 16, 2003.
• "The Ethics of Using Testers," Employers' Duties and Problems Committee, State Bar of Georgia, March 7, 2003, Macon, Georgia.
• "Recent Changes to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct," Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law and Macon Bar CLE (December, 2002) (by videotape).
• "Professionalism in Discovery," Second Annual Geogia Symposium on Ethics and Professionalism, Panelist, November 15, 2002, Athens, Georgia.
• "Ethical Considerations in Dealing With Expert Witnesses," November 12, 2002, Dallas Bar Association Business Litigation Section, Dallas, Texas.
• "Multijurisdictional Practice," Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Atlanta, Georgia, September 26, 2002.
• "Update on Legal Ethics," Georgia Bar Employers' Duties and Problems Committee CLE, Macon, Georgia, March 1, 2002.
• "Making Your Living Off of Other People's Problems: Lessons From Enron," Mercer University Faculty Christian Fellowship, February 12, 2002.
• "Update and Insights on Legal Ethics," U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia Advisory Committee Meeting, Amelia Island, Florida, February 9, 2002.
• "Multijurisdictional Practice," Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law and Macon Bar Association CLE, December 7, 2001.
• "Ethics in Representing Elderly Clients," Fourth Annual Elder Law Forum, Atlanta Bar Association, Atlanta, Georgia, November 15, 2001.
• "Professionalism in Federal Practice: Expert Witnesses," Federal Bar Association, Macon, Georgia, October 5, 2001.
• "Ethics in Bankruptcy Practice: Recent and Prospective Changes," Middle Georgia Bankruptcy Institute, September 7, 2001.
• "Changes in the Ethical Responsibilities of Tort Lawyers," Middle Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, August 1, 2001.
• "Confidentiality Under the New Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct," Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law and Macon Bar Association CLE, May 1, 2001.
• "Legal Ethics and Related Matters for the Business Client," Mercer University School of Business Speaker Series, Atlanta Georgia, January 2001.
• "The New Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct: An Overview," Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law and Macon Bar Association CLE, December, 2000.
• "Ethics and the Elderly Client," Atlanta Bar Association Elder Law Section, Atlanta, Georgia, September, 2000.
• "Judicial Elections After Republican Party v. White and Weaver v. Bonner," Georgia Institute for Continuing Judicial Education, Atlanta, Georgia, February 19, 2004.
• "Attorney Depression: Symptoms, Ethical Implications and Consequences," Macon Bar Association and Mercer Law School CLE, Macon, Georgia, December 5, 2003.
• "Issues in Professionalism: An Opportunity for Inquiry and Discussion," Moderator, Macon Bar Association and Mercer Law School CLE, Macon, Georgia, December 5, 2003.

Professor Sammons

• "Practice Based Legal Ethics," Cambell University School of Law, 2005.
• "St. Augustine and Lawyers," Baylor University School of Law, 2006.
• "Update on the Formal and Informal Advisory Opinions of the Georgia Supreme Court," Macon Bar Association and Mercer Law School CLE, Macon, Georgia, December 5, 2003.
• "An Update on Legal Ethics in Georgia," Macon Bar Association/Mercer University Law School CLE Program, 2002.
• "A Christian Perspective on the Law as Rhetoric," CLS National Scholars Symposium, 2002.
• "Opening Plenary Session: An Examination of the Justifications for Our Jury System," Georgia Jury Summit Conference, 2002.

Professor Hricik

• Ethical Issues that IT Practitioners Should Know, 2006 Virginia Information Technology Legal Institute (Fairfax, VA, September 29, 2006)
• Patent Subject Matter Conflicts (University of Florida School of Law, Sept. 15, 2006)
• Death, Disaster and Other More Common Ethics Issues (Rhode Island, Aug. & Sept. 2006)
• Ethical Issues in IP Practice (Houston & San Jose CA June 2006)
• "Ethical Issues in the Online Delivery of Legal Services" at the ABA National Conference on Professional Responsibility(Panelist) (Vancouver, Canada on June 1, 2006 at the 32nd Nat'l Conference on Professional Responsibility)
• Blawg Ethics (San Francisco, CA Blog Law & Bloggin for Lawyers Conference (April 21, 2006)
• Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution and Trademark and Copyright Practice, 11th Annual Intellectual Property Institute, Washington State Intellectual Property Law Association (Seattle, WA March 24, 2006)
• Prosecution Bars and Other Issues Associated with Combining Other Forms of Representation with Prosecution, University of Akron School of Law 8th Annual Richard C. Sughrue Symposium on Intellectual Property Law and Policy (Akron, OH March 6, 2006)
• Panelist, Ethical Traps to Avoid When Developing Business: Online and Off, 19th Annual Intellectual Property Law Course, State Bar of Texas (San Antonio, TX March 3, 2006)
• Panelist, Intellectual Property Ethics & Professionalism Issues, Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia (Atlanta, GA Feb. 22, 2006)
• Intellectual Property Ethyx, American Intellectual Property Law Association Spring Meeting (moderator/host for interactive ethical game show on IP issues) (Feb. 4, 2006, Palm Springs, CA)
• Using Technology Solutions to Minimize Legal Malpractice at the National Forum on LPL/Legal Malpractice (Jan. 20, 2006, Miami Beach, FL).
• Ethics and Experts Witnesses in Civil Litigation (Iowa State Bar Association Federal Practice Committee, Dec. 2, 2005, Des Moines, IA).
• Ethical Issues from Combining Litigation with Prosecution (Intellectual Property Owners' Association Annual PTO Day Meeting, Dec. 5, 2005, Washington, D.C.).
• Ethical Issues in Entertainment and Intellectual Property Practices, 17th Annual Entertainment Law & Intellectual Property Law Meeting (San Juan, Puerto Rico Nov. 11 2005) (panel)
• Ethical Issues Arising From Combining Litigation with Prosecution (American Intellectual Property Law Association Annual Meeting, Oct. 29, 2005, Washington D.C.)
• Confidentiality and Conflicts in the Digital Age (Aug. & Sept. 2005, various locations in Rhode Island for the Rhode Island Bar Association)
• Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution and Litigation, (Sci[3] Group, Sunnyvale, CA (telephonic), July 5, 2005).
• Does the Attorney Client Privilege Require Encryption of Attorney-Client Email Communications (Florida Bar Association Annual Meeting, Orlando, FLA, June 23, 2005)
• Ethical Issues in IP Practice and Litigation (Virginia State Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section Meeting, Alexandra, VA May 5, 2005).
• Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution and Litigation (Joint Meeting of the Washington State Patent Law Association & Oregon Patent Law Association, Stevenson, WA, Apr. 22, 2005).
• Conflicts of Interest and Ethics for Intellectual Property Lawyers in the post-Enron Era (ABA's 20th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference, Arlington, VA., April 16, 2005).
• USPTO Ethics (North Carolina Intellectual Property Law Section Annual Meeting (Charlotte, N.C., April 8, 2005)
• Ethical Issues in Patent Practice (telephonic presentation to the Sunnyvale, CA Sci3 Group, March 3, 2005).
• Ethical Issues in Patent Practice (Kilpatrick & Stockton Annual IP Section Retreat, Atlanta, GA, February 4, 2005).
• "Ethical Issues in Trademark Practice," University of Akron School of Law (Akron, Ohio, December 10, 2004).
• "Ethical Issues During Patent Prosecution," World Intellectual Property Owners Association 15th Annual Conference on Patent and Trademark Office Law and Practice (Washington, D.C. December 6, 2004).
• "Ethical and Malpractice Issues in Intellectual Property Practice," American Intellectual Property Law Association web-based presentation, December 3, 2004.
• "The Use of Undercover Investigators: Mandated or Prohibited?," Mercer Law School CLE Program (Macon, GA December 3, 2004).
• "The Expansion of Inequitable Conduct Law," 9th Annual University of Texas School of Law Advanced Patent Law Institute (Austin, TX, October 28, 2004).
• "The Expansion of Inequitable Conduct Law," 4th Annual Dallas-Fort Worth Intellectual Property Law Seminar (Dallas, TX, October 16, 2004).
• "Negligent Misrepresentation and Restatement (Torts) Section 552: The Same Thing Twice?," Southeastern Association of Law Schools Annual Meeting (Kiawah Island, SC, July 30, 2004).
• "Conflicts of Interest Problems for Patent Attorneys," Third Annual George Mason University School of Law Symposium on Hot Topics in Patent Law (Arlington, VA, July 20, 2004).
• "The Duty of Candor in Patent Prosecution," Texas State Bar Association Annual Meeting (San Antonio, TX June 24, 2004) Moderator, Computer & Digital Data Security Issues, Suffolk University School of Law Advanced Legal Studies (Boston, MA, June 11, 2004).
• "Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution & Litigation and Update on the New USPTO Lawyer Conduct Rules," Boston Intellectual Property Law Association (Boston, MA June 11, 2004).
• "Swindling the Bald: Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution and Litigation," Annual Symposium of the University of Texas Journal Of Intellectual Property Law (Austin, TX, January 29, 2004).
• "Avoidance of Choice-of-Law Conflicts," (Panel Member) a section program at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Law Schools (Atlanta, GA Jan. 5, 2004).
• "Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution and Litigation," , Iowa Intellectual Property Law Association (Seattle, WA 2003).
• "A Malpractice Checklist for Advanced Patent Practitioners," University of Texas School of Law Advanced Patent Law Institute (Austin, TX 2003).
• "Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution and Litigation," Iowa Intellectual Property Law Association (Des Moines, IA 2003).
• "Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution and Litigation," Dallas-Fort Worth Intellectual Property Law Association (Dallas, TX 2003).
• "Confidentiality and Privilege in High-Tech Communications," Sixth Annual Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Institute (Macon, GA 2003).
• "A Malpractice Checklist for Advanced Patent Practitioners," The University of Texas School of Law Annual Institute for Advanced Patent Law, Austin, Texas, October 31, 2003.
• "Satisfying the Duty of Candor," American Intellectual Property Association, Washington, D.C., August 14, 2003.
• "The Ethics of Using Testers," Breakfast Program of the Consumer and Personal Rights Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Houston, Texas, April 11, 2003.
• "Ethics and Malpractice Issues in Patent Prosecution," American Intellectual Property Law Association Annual Meeting (Atlanta, 2003).
• "Ethical Issues in High Technology," World Computer Congress (Washington, D.C. 2003).
• "Legal Ethics for Trademark Practitioners," 18th Annual ABA Intellectual Property Law Conference (Washington, D.C. 2003).
• "Should You Do It, Can You Do It: Multi-Representation for Single Client (opinion letters, patent prosecution, litigation)", State Bar of Texas Intellectual Property Association Annual Meeting (Austin 2003).
• "Confidentiality and Privilege in High Tech Communications," Mercer University CLE Meeting (Macon, December 2002).
• "A Malpractice Checklist for Advanced Patent Practitioners," Seventh Annual University of Texas School of Law Advanced Patent Law Institute (Austin 2002).
• "Satisfying the Duty of Candor," 2002 American Intellectual Property Law Association Patent Prosecution Basic Training Seminar (Crystal City, Virginia).
• "A Panel Discussion on Ethical and Malpractice Issues Arising From High Technology," 2002 ABA Annual Meeting (Washington, D.C.).

Professor Floyd

• Speaker, National Conference on Law as a Healing Profession, Touro University School of Law, November 5, 2007. Topic: "Practice, Spirituality, and Religion."
• Invited Participant, National Conference, Legal Education at the Crossroads: Ideas to Action at the University of South Carolina School of Law on November 2-4, 2007. Approximately 50 invited "leaders" in legal education will meet to plan for changes in legal education.
• Speaker, National Conference on The Role of Law Schools in Fostering Commitment to Pro Bono Publico, sponsored by Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C., October 5 and 6. Topic: "Cultivating a Culture of Commitment: The Role of Professional Partnerships."
• Presenter, "The Role of Externships in Values Clarification and the Formation of Professional Identity," Association of American Law Schools Conference on Clinical Legal Education, New Orleans, May 2007.
• Speaker, "Professionalism in Law and Public Service," Mercer University Colloquium on Professionalism Across the Professions, November 2006.
• Speaker, "Vocations and Professionalism," Mercer University Colloquium on Professionalism Across the Professions, November, 2005.
• Speaker, Duke Law School, "Religious Faith and the Death Penalty," October 31, 2005 (sponsored by the Christian Legal Society).
• Presentation, "Legal Ethics, Moral Imagination, and Spaulding v. Zimmerman," to faculty of Georgia State University College of Law, April 2005.
• Speaker, Georgia State University College of Law, "Religious Faith and the Practice of Law" January 2005.
• Conference Leader and Speaker, 43rd Annual Joseph Fletcher Lawyer's Ethics Conference, Columbus, Ohio, February 6-8, 2004; Topic is "Religion and the Death Penalty" (Previous Conference Leaders have included Joseph Fletcher, William Stringfellow, Joseph Pike, Martin Marty, Langdon Gilkey, Jerald Brauer, Mary Jo Weaver, John Shelby Spong, and Loren Mead).
• Speaker, "Issues in Supervision," Rocky Mountain Regional Clinical Conference, Houston, Texas, November 8, 2003.
• Speaker , "Law and Spirituality," Conference on Lawyering and its Discontents: Reclaiming Meaning in the Practice of Law, Touro University Law Center, April 2003.
• Speaker, Texas Tech College of Human Sciences, "More Areas for Cooperation between Law and Marriage and Family Therapy," January 2003.
• Speaker, College of Human Sciences, "A Cooperative Relationship between Law and Marriage and Family Therapy," September 2002.
• Speaker, "Students and Teachers as Reflective Learners," National Conference on Higher Education, sponsored by American Association of Higher Education, Chicago, Illinois, March 2002.
• Speaker, "Religious Faith and the Lawyer's Obligation to Serve the Poor," The Melancthon Institute, Houston, Texas May 2000.
• Guest Speaker, "When the Helping Professional Has a Conflict in Values with the Client," College of Human Sciences, Fall 1999.
• Speaker, "Is Professionalism Consistent with the Lawyer's Religious Identity?" and "The Vocational Identity of the Lawyer," at Conference on "Rediscovering the Role of Religion in the Lives of Lawyers" New York City, December 1998.
• .Speaker and Group Leader, Conference on "The Relevance of Religion to a Lawyer's Work" New York City, June 1997.
• Speaker, "Faith and the Law," program sponsored by Auburn Theological Seminary, Jewish Theological Seminary, and Fordham Law School, New York City, February 1997.
• Speaker, "Lessons Learned from a Client on Death Row," Faithful Lawyers Quarterly Breakfast, Atlanta, Georgia, October 19, 2007.
• Program Planner and Presenter, "Making 'Justice for All' a Reality," State Bar of Georgia Annual Meeting, June 2007. Along with Gerry Weber, Director of the Georgia ACLU, planned and presented a "Moot Court" on "Civil Gideon," or the right to appointed counsel in civil cases. Wrote briefs on each side of the case and orally argued the case to a bench consisting of five Justices of the Georgia Supreme Court.
• Speaker, "Professionalism and the Criminal Defense Lawyer," GACDL Spring Seminar, Destin, Florida, April 2007.
• Speaker, "Restorative Justice," Atlanta Bar Association March Madness CLE, March 2007.
• Speaker, "Transforming Practices and Legal Education" National Conference of Law Reviews, San Antonio March 2004.
• Speaker, "Ethical Challenges in the Death Penalty," Criminal Justice Act Continuing Legal Education Program, New Orleans, Louisiana, November 2003.
• Speaker, "How to Be a Happy and Healthy Member of an Unhappy and Unhealthy Profession," West Texas Bankruptcy Bar Association, January 2002.
• Speaker, "Recent Developments in Access to Justice," Texas Tech University School of Law CLE Ethics Program November 2001.
• Speaker, "Judicial Ethics," Texas Association of Counties Spring Judicial Institute (March 2001).
• Speaker, "Religious Faith and the Practice of Law," Lubbock County Bar Association January 2000.
• Regular Speaker on Legal Ethics, State Bar of Texas Professional Development Program and Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism (over 15 presentations 1992-2002).
• Annual speaker on "Prosecutorial Ethics" to United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas 1990-94.
• Speaker, "Ethics of Corporate Counsel," Enron Corp. Law Conference, New Orleans May 1996, San Antonio May 1997.
• Speaker on Legal Ethics for Lubbock County Bar Association (5 presentations between 1993 and 2001).