A highlight for me each year is the national Community Association Law Seminar, sponsored by the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL), which I serve as 2014 President. Hands down the Law Seminar has the best speakers and programs of all the events I attend. While there is an emphasis on law at the “Law” Seminar, the program is not just for attorneys. Attendees include community association managers, bankers, other industry professionals and even homeowners. An entire concurrent CE program is for insurance professionals who work with homeowner and condominium associations.
Law Seminar Details
The 2015 Community Association Law Seminar will be held in San Francisco, CA, and begins at noon on Thursday, January 29 and ends at 11 am on Saturday, January 31. All session will be held at the Westin – St. Francis on Union Square. An optional half-day seminar on Wednesday, January 28, is geared towards associate attorneys in community association firms and will deal with the administrative aspects of running a community association law practice, including billing, business development, and balancing career and personal life.
This year’s program will include the popular case law update and “Panel of Pundits” as well as 20 separate sessions dealing with community association law, including:
- Construction defect litigation
- D&O (directors and officers) liability insurance claims
- Strategies for avoiding fair housing complaints
- Technology for managing projects and delivering services
- Issues and liability with aging communities/senior citizens
- The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act
- Malpractice risks for association attorneys
- The unauthorized practice of law and community associations
I’ll be presenting “Running a Darn Good Meeting: What Community Association Attorneys Need to Know About Parliamentary Procedure” on Friday, January 30 at 11:30. The session will focus on running effective meetings and include tips on which rules to use and when to use them, community association procedural statutes, advice on frequently used motions, voting methods, absentee and proxy votes, the order of business and agendas, and many parliamentary resources.
This year’s Wayne Hyatt Lecture Series keynote will be given by Gerry Riskin, an attorney and author of “The Successful Lawyer: Powerful Strategies for Transforming Your Practice,” and “Herding Cats,” who will speak on “Thriving in Spite of Extreme Changes in the Legal Profession.”
CIRMS and Insurance Agents
The Law Seminar includes the Community Insurance and Risk Management Specialist (CIRMS) Insurance Masters Program for insurance professionals. Several sessions will be taught at a master’s level by community association insurance experts, including:
- D&O Claims for Community Association Lawyers
- The Inside Scoop for Mediators and Attorneys: Mediating Effectively with Insurance Companies
- A Defense Counsel’s Perspective: Defending Claims Against Associations, Boards and Managers
To Register
More information, including the full schedule, registration information, and continuing education details for attorneys for this and future Community Association Law Seminars, visit the CAI Events page.
The College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL)
Established in 1993 by the CAI Board of Trustees, CCAL promotes high standards of professional and ethical responsibility, improves and advances community association law and practice, and facilitates the development of educational materials and programming pertaining to legal issues. CCAL members are also actively involved in state and federal legislative activities and prepare amicus briefs on critical judicial cases that affect common-interest communities. More information on the College, a list of CCAL members by state, and many community association resources can be found at the CCAL Web Site).