Online legal trainings
Sign up for legal resources and trainings designed for lawyers protecting the interests of the 99%
The Impact Fund offers a wide variety of training opportunities each year, including online trainings via zoom, in-person presentations, and webinars. We offer customized onsite trainings for California State Bar-funded qualified legal services projects and other public interest organizations and law firms.
2024 Summer Online Trainings
Wednesday, June 12, 2024 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Presenters:
Abigail Khodayari, Senior Staff Attorney, Bay Area Legal Aid
Fawn Rajbhandari-Korr, Training Director & Senior Counsel, Impact Fund
A strong declaration is a critical litigation tool. A declaration is one of the most direct and impactful ways to tell your client’s story, interrupt implicit bias, and set out the theory of your case – all before you set foot in the courtroom. We will discuss strategies for effective client interviews, tips for drafting your client’s story, and steps to authenticate supporting documents as exhibits.
Qualifies for one hour of participatory California MCLE general credit.
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Presenters:
Toby Rothschild, One Justice
Fawn Rajbhandari-Korr, Training Director & Senior Counsel, Impact Fund
Join us for an overview of your ethical responsibilities as a legal services attorney. You will learn the basics of legal ethics, including how to draft clear retainer agreements within the scope of representation, recognize when you must advise your client to seek counsel on matters outside the scope of your representation, and understand the responsibilities of a supervising attorney to ensure that other lawyers are complying with the Professional Rules and the State Bar Act.
Qualifies for one hour of participatory California MCLE ethics credit.
Thursday, August 8, 2024 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Presenters:
Lori Rifkin, Litigation Director, Impact Fund
Fawn Rajbhandari-Korr, Training Director & Senior Counsel, Impact Fund
While civil litigation is often contentious, opposing counsel demonstrating a lack of respect for attorneys coming from underrepresented groups in the law is a particular challenge. We will discuss common issues that attorneys experience with opposing counsel particularly based on sex, gender, and intersecting identities, provide strategies to combat discrimination at every stage of civil litigation, and review the guidelines that prohibit this conduct in the legal profession. (Email Fawn with situations that you have encountered and would like us to discuss! Scenarios will be offered anonymously during the webinar.)
Qualifies for one hour of participatory California MCLE civility credit.
Register for all three webinars for a 20% discount!
2023 Summer Online Trainings
Wednesday, July 12, 2023, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM PST
Presenters:
Fawn Rajbhandari-Korr, Senior Counsel, Impact Fund
Lindsay Nako, Director of Litigation & Training, Impact Fund
When you reach the end of the litigation marathon and emerge victorious, another round of legal briefs can feel overwhelming. But with advance planning, the motion for attorneys’ fees will be the cherry on top of your litigation success, providing no-strings-attached income for your law firm or legal nonprofit. We will discuss how to structure legal billing throughout litigation to efficiently prepare your evidentiary record, how to identify resources to support your motion, and how to make a strong case for fees.
*MCLE credit is not provided for viewings of recorded trainings
Wednesday, July 26, 2023, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM PST**
Presenters:
Toby Rothschild, OneJustice
Lindsay Nako, Director of Litigation & Training, Impact Fund
Following on last summer’s wildly successful ethics training for public interest attorneys, we are back with Part II. Ethics expert Toby Rothschild will answer your questions about the unique ethical issues that arise when representing low-income workers, undocumented residents, unhoused community members, organizational plaintiffs, and others that may be unfamiliar with the legal process. We will also discuss the rise of artificial intelligence-based products for lawyers and the ethical questions they present.
Email Lindsay directly with ethics questions or situations that you would like us to discuss! Scenarios will be offered anonymously during the webinar.
**MCLE credit is not provided for viewings of recorded trainings
Wednesday, August 9, 2023, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM PST***
Presenters:
Jocelyn D. Larkin, Executive Director, Impact Fund
Fawn Jade Rajbhandari-Korr, Senior Counsel, Impact Fund
Alex Lara, Product Manager, Impact Fund
Talking to clients, community members, or class members about their cases and legal rights is a critical part of public interest practice. But how well are we doing? If you’ve ever labored over a community bulletin or class notice and suspected you could do better, this webinar is for you. We will discuss plain language principles and multiple facets of language and disability access to effectively and equitably communicate with diverse communities.
***MCLE credit is not provided for viewings of recorded trainings
2022 Summer Online Trainings
This webinar took place on July 6, but you can still register to access the recording.
Co-hosted with the Equal Justice Society
Presenters:
Mona Tawatao, Legal Director, Equal Justice Society
Lindsay Nako, Director of Litigation & Training, Impact Fund
Implicit bias is a universal phenomenon but its ill effects are not inevitable. Recognizing our own biases and learning to mitigate them in ourselves, our organizations, and our industry is critical to challenging the systemic biases embedded in our society. Come learn more about the current understanding of implicit bias and specific decision-making procedures that can help us each live more in alignment with our conscious values and beliefs as lawyers, colleagues, and community members.
LIVE PRESENTATION ONLY: *Qualifies for one hour of California MCLE elimination of bias credit, including the new implicit bias hour required starting in January 2023.
This training is also suitable for non-lawyers who have a deep commitment to mitigating implicit bias.
This webinar took place on July 19, but you can still register to access the recording.
Co-hosted with Bay Area Legal Aid
Presenters:
Novella Coleman, Director of Litigation, Bay Area Legal Aid
Lindsay Nako, Director of Litigation & Training, Impact Fund
In 1996, Congress prohibited Legal Services Corporation (“LSC”) grant recipients from initiating or participating in class actions. Class actions also can be resource-intensive, expensive, and prolonged. As a result, many direct services providers are turning to impact or systemic litigation, cases brought on behalf of one or a few plaintiffs with the potential to bring significant change to others. Join Novella and Lindsay for tips on identifying impact cases, selecting plaintiffs, framing claims, and maximizing litigation for its greatest benefit.
This webinar took place on August 3, 2022, but you can still register to access the recording.
Co-hosted with Berkeley Law’s Civil Justice Research Initiative
Presenters:
John Steele, Principal, John Steele Law
Lindsay Nako, Director of Litigation & Training, Impact Fund
Public interest attorneys face unique ethical issues representing low-income workers, undocumented residents, unhoused community members, organizational plaintiffs, and others that may be unfamiliar with the legal process. This is your chance to hear an ethics expert’s advice on how to handle the sticky situations that sometimes arise. A collection of hot-button hypotheticals will provide guidance for your next ethical quandary.