Speaker: Heather Holmes, Education & Engagement Law Librarian, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library 

Program Description: Speaker will cover legal technology requirements for practicing Texas attorneys and will also explore in general why and how proficiency in legal tech -- especially for solo or small firm practitioners -- is an essential part of improving one's practice. The presentation will focus on the changing nature of legal practice due to advances in technology and the wide variety of practice management solutions that exist to help automate routine tasks and streamline overall workflow. Cautionary tales about the pitfalls of misusing technology will round out the session.

Cost: Free

Where: This course will be offered both in person at the Law Library and online via GoToWebinar. When registering, there is no need to specify your attendance choice. The link below allows registration for both in person and virtual attendance.

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 (0 Ethics)
Accredited by the State Bar of Texas (accreditation valid through 7/31/2024)

Please Note: This course was originally offered on August 10, 2023. The State Bar of Texas CLE course number will be the same for this repeat presentation and can be submitted only once for credit.

Click here to register.

Speaker: Elizabeth Rendon, Assistant Law Librarian, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library

Program Description: This presentation is open to self-represented litigants and is designed for those wanting to develop basic Internet research skills. Speaker will provide an overview of freely available websites for accessing online sources of forms and legal information. The course will explore resources available for free from the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library, the Texas Legislative Reference Library, the Texas State law Library, and various government websites.

This CLE course was previously offered June 29th and August 24th.

Cost: Free

Where: Virtual via GoToWebinar

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 (0 Ethics)
Accredited by the State Bar of Texas (accreditation valid through 5/31/2024)

Click here to register.

Speaker: Heather Holmes, Education & Engagement Law Librarian, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library

Program Description: Presenter will identify legal research hacks using Boolean logic tools. Learning objectives include improved search outcomes in popular legal research databases, increased efficiency in locating the best results for specific research needs, and better proficiency in building structured search queries with terms, connectors, and operators. 

Cost: Free

Where: Virtual via GoToWebinar

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 (0 Ethics)
Accredited by the State Bar of Texas (accreditation valid through 9/30/2024)

Click here to register.

Speaker: Sophie Pham, Digital Outreach Law Librarian, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library

Program Description: Speaker will discuss the importance of using social media for brand awareness. Included will be tips for engaging audiences, expanding reach, and growing one’s presence online using a variety of social media platforms and tools designed for law firms and lawyers. The session will conclude with tips on maintaining a professional and trustworthy image via social media. 

Cost: Free

Where: Virtual via GoToWebinar

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 (0 Ethics)
Accredited by the State Bar of Texas (accreditation valid through 9/30/2024)

Click here to register.

Speaker: Heather Holmes, Education & Engagement Law Librarian, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library

Program Description: In the practice of law, access to reliable information is essential. Legal authority must be valid, vetted, and verifiable. This presentation will identify the hallmarks of misinformation and provide strategies for evaluating legal resources in print and online. Presented by MLS-degreed library staff, this session will offer a perspective based on the values of access and accountability, as well as openness and privacy. Presenter will emphasize accurate legal information as a public good and as a tool for increasing access to justice. 

Cost: Free

Where: Virtual via GoToWebinar

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 (0 Ethics)
Accredited by the State Bar of Texas (accreditation valid through 9/30/2024)

Click here to register.

Speaker: Kayla Smith, Assistant Law Librarian, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library

Program Description: Speaker will cover common cybersecurity and digital privacy threats that attorneys should be aware of and keep in mind, especially when handling sensitive client information. Speaker will also explore ways in which attorneys can keep their law practice safe and protected from these threats. The session will end with a brief overview of upcoming technology that attorneys should stay aware of. 

Cost: Free

Where: Virtual via GoToWebinar

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 (0 Ethics)
Accredited by the State Bar of Texas (accreditation valid through 8/31/2024)

Click here to register.

Speaker: Elizabeth Martinez, Assistant Law Librarian, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library

Program Description: Designed for those wanting to develop basic internet research skills. Speaker will provide an overview of freely available websites for accessing online sources of forms and legal information. The course will explore resources available for free from the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library, the Texas Legislative Reference Library, the Texas State Law Library, and various government websites. This presentation is open to self-represented litigants.

Cost: Free

Where: Virtual via GoToWebinar

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 (0 Ethics)
Accredited by the State Bar of Texas (accreditation valid through 5/31/2024)

Click here to register.

Speaker: Heather Holmes, Education & Engagement Law Librarian, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library 

Program Description: Speaker will cover legal technology requirements for practicing Texas attorneys and will also explore in general why and how proficiency in legal tech -- especially for solo or small firm practitioners -- is an essential part of improving one's practice. The presentation will focus on the changing nature of legal practice due to advances in technology and the wide variety of practice management solutions that exist to help automate routine tasks and streamline overall workflow. Cautionary tales about the pitfalls of misusing technology will round out the session.

Cost: Free

Where: Virtual via GoToWebinar

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 (0 Ethics)
Accredited by the State Bar of Texas (accreditation valid through 7/31/2024)

Click here to register.

Title: LexisNexis | Eliminating Bias in the Legal Profession

Presented By: Jeffrey Peters, Solutions Consultant

Event Type/Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Duration: 60 minutes

Date/Time: Thursday, December 15, 2022, at 1:30 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Earn: Texas - 1.0 hour MCLE & 1.0 hour Ethics

Program Description: The goal of this CLE presentation is to discuss bias and where it comes from; why it is harmful; how to detect it and how to eliminate it from our behavior as legal professionals. Practicing law is a bias landmine. From whether we believe a witness or opposing counsel; to how we counsel those in our organization we readily apply judgments to others—coloring our perceptions and thoughts. There is no cure for bias, but you can be more mindful, conscious and monitor your thoughts better. These are the four main questions we will answer in our discussion today: What is bias? What are unconscious and confirmation biases? What are the effects and costs of bias? And, finally how can we avoid bias through thinking about our thinking and implementing best practices

Click here to register.

Title: Westlaw Research Basics

Presented By: Dayne Tracy, Customer Trainer - Government

Event Type/Location: Virtual (Teams)

Duration: 60 minutes

Date/Time: Thursday, November 10, 2022, at 1:30 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Earn: Texas - 1 hour of CLE

Program Description: Learn basic strategies for research on Westlaw.

Click here to register.

Title: Diving Deeper Into Legal Research Potential: Advanced Online Legal Research Concepts

Presented By: Marlene "Molly" Guth, Esq., Telephonic Solutions Consultant, State & Local Gov't. @LexisNexis

Event Type/Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Duration: 60 minutes

Date/Time: Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 2 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Earn: Texas - 1 hour of MCLE

Program Description: Hosted by the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library in collaboration with LexisNexis.  The goal of this course today is to harness the potential as attorneys to learn things about online legal research you didn’t think you could learn before. This course is going to be a deeper dive into online legal research. According to the model rules of professional conduct, attorneys need to maintain competency, and a component of maintaining competency is to keep abreast of the benefits and risks of relevant technology. By the end of this course you all will be made aware of advanced online legal research methods to harness your potential as a researcher and to maintain a standard of competency in the legal profession.

Click here to register.

Title: Intermediate Legal Research on Westlaw

Presented By: Dayne Tracy, Customer Trainer - Government

Event Type/Location: Virtual (Teams)

Duration: 60 minutes

Date/Time: Thursday, March 17, 2022, at 2 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Earn: Texas - 1 hour of CLE

Program Description: Go beyond the basics of legal research using Westlaw.

Click here to register.

Title: (Lexis CLE) Breached! An Inside Look at Cybersecurity for Law Firms

Presented By: Christina A. Rodriguez, Esq. (Field Solutions Consultant at LexisNexis)

Event Type/Location: Online via Zoom

Duration: 60 minutes

Date/Time: Thursday, February 24, 2022, at 2 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Earn: Texas - 1 hour Ethics CLE

Program Description: Hosted by the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library in collaboration with LexisNexis. With data security incidents and data breaches happening daily, it’s important for the legal world to turn its judges, attorneys, support staff and interns toward one reality—it’s not IF a breach or incident will occur—it’s WHEN. During this CLE session, we will cover: (1) the latest security threats in the news and what’s being done to address/remedy them; (2) explore current data breach laws; (3) how a lawyer’s professional duty may extend into new areas of technology and cyberspace; and (4) how to prepare a data incident response plan.

Click here to register.

Title: Westlaw Basic Legal Research

Presented By: Dayne Tracy, Customer Trainer - Government

Event Type/Location: Virtual (Teams)

Duration: 60 minutes

Date/Time: Thursday, January 13, 2022, at 2 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Earn: Texas - 1 hour of CLE

Program Description: Learn the basics of legal research using Westlaw.

Click here to register.

Program Title: Diving Deeper into Legal Research Potential: Advanced Online Legal Research Concepts

Program Description: This course is going to be a deeper dive into online legal research. By the end of this course, you will be made aware of advanced online legal research methods to harness your potential as a researcher and to maintain a standard of competency in the legal profession.

Date: Friday, November 12, 2021

Time: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Cost: Free

Where: Online (Zoom)

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 hour General CLE credit, accredited by the State Bar of Texas. Credit generously provided by LexisNexis.

Program Title: Microsoft Excel for Legal Work

Speaker: Joseph D. Lawson, Deputy Director, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library

Program Description: This program introduces Excel as a data management tool used for organizing, calculating, graphing, and sharing tabular information. Speakers lay the groundwork for developing proficiency in manipulating spreadsheets & managing data for legal work. The class covers the most important features of Microsoft Excel, using concrete examples and realistic data to demonstrate how spreadsheets can be used for legal work. Students will explore professional applications for using Excel to manage large document reviews, analyze accounting data, and evaluate litigation materials.

Date: Thursday, October 28, 2021

Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (CST)

Cost: Free

Where: Online (GoToMeeting)

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 (accredited by the State Bar of Texas) This program will be recorded, and accreditation is valid though April 2022.

Program Title: Microsoft Word for Legal Work

Speaker: Heather Holmes, Assistant Law Librarian, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library

Program Description: This program covers legal drafting techniques using tools available in the most widely-available word processing software, Microsoft Word. Key topics include e-file formatting, legal citations, tables of authorities, tables of contents, and indexes, along with fonts, styles, headers and footers, and page and paragraph numbering. References to relevant courts and ethical rules are included to provide context.

Date: Thursday, October 14, 2021

Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (CST)

Cost: Free

Where: Online (GoToMeeting)

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 (accredited by the State Bar of Texas) This program will be recorded, and accreditation is valid though April 2022.

Program Title: Free Legal Tech for Everyone

Speaker: Sabrina A. Davis, Digital Outreach Law Librarian, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library

Program Description: This program provides an overview of freely available legal apps as well as tools for accessing online sources of forms and other legal information. The course will explore legal research technology that is available for free at the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library in addition to free legal research resources online, including government websites, the Texas Legislative Reference Library, and the Texas State Law Library. Licensed Texas attorneys will also learn about tools such as Fastcase available to State Bar members via the My Bar portal page. Finally, the course will offer guidance on strategies for finding obscure resources through online portals such as the Hathi Trust and the Law Library of Congress.

Date: Thursday, September 30, 2021

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (CST)

Cost: Free

Where: Online (GoToMeeting)

Total CLE Hours: 1.0 (accredited by the State Bar of Texas) This program will be recorded, and accreditation is valid though April 2022.