Events
No Holds Barred – Irvine
October 17 @ 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Where: Irvine Marriott Hotel, 18000 Von Karman Ave, Irvine, CA 92612
When: October 17, 2025
Earn 6.0 Hours of Legal Specialization in Family Law. Includes 1.0 Hour Civility in the Legal Profession, 2.0 Hours Elimination of Bias, 2.0 Hours Legal Ethics, and 1.0 Hour Technology in the Practice of Law.
A Frank Discussion Between Bench and Bar. Why do many of us hate practicing family law, and how can “we” make it better?
Featured Panelists:
- Honorable Mark A. Juhas
- Honorable Sue Alexander
- Barbara Hammers, CFLS
- Justin O’Connell, CFLS
Guest Panelist: Honorable Eric J. Wersching, Supervising Judge – Family Law Panel
Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Agenda
8:00 AM – 8:45 AM | Registration Open
Stop by the registration booth to check in and grab your name tag!
8:15 AM – 9:15 AM | Continental Breakfast
Please join us for a continental breakfast before the start of the program.
8:45 AM – 9:45 AM | What’s Civility Got to Do With It?
MCLE: 1.0 Hour Civility in the Legal Profession
A discussion of why civility is so important, and its impact on our clients, their children, counsel, the court, and our personal lives. Including an open dialogue of what each of us can do to improve the practice of family law.
10:00 AM -12:00 PM | Everyone’s a little bit biased
MCLE: 2.0 Hours Elimination of Bias
Learn how to identify and become aware of biases as well as strategies and approaches to reduce the impact of bias in our practices today.
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | It’s all about the ethics
MCLE: 2.0 Hours Legal Ethics
Discussion of the ethical constraints in family law today, including the ethics of trust accounts, attorneys as fiduciaries, working with self represented litigants, unbundling, the “snitch” rule, duty to assert only meritorious claims, and the ethical use of experts.
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM | HAL 9000: Sorry Dave, I can’t do that
MCLE: 1.0 Technology in the Practice of Law
Navigating emerging issues and how they can impact your practice. What your duty to protect really entails. Benefits and pitfalls of AI in family law today.
Speakers
Guest Speaker
Judge Eric J. Wersching
Appointed to the bench in 2021, Judge Eric J. Wersching is currently the Supervising Judge of the Family Law Division of the Orange County Superior Court. In this capacity he handles a general family law calendar and oversees 17 judges and 4 court commissioners. In recognition of his work on the bench, the Orange County Bar Association selected Judge Wersching to be its family law judicial officer of the year in 2023.
In addition to his work on the bench, Judge Wersching is actively involved in the legal community outside the courtroom. He has lectured domestically and internationally on topics such as evidence, breach of fiduciary duty, and the United States / Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. Additionally, in 2024, California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero appointed him to serve on the state’s Judicial Council Facilities Advisory Committee, a committee that one year later he was appointed to vice-chair. Judge Wersching is also a member of Orange County Superior Court’s Executive, Finance, and Security Committees.
Judge Wersching graduated Order of the Coif with high honors from UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). He earned his undergraduate degree Phi Beta Kappa with high honors from UCLA.
After law school, Judge Wersching clerked for Judge Melvin T. Brunetti of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He then joined a litigation firm in Irvine, California before co-founding Ross & Wersching LLP. He grew the partnership into a well-respected firm focusing on complex business and employment litigation with clients that included colleges, publicly traded companies, and well-known authors, actors, and entertainment executives.
Thank You To Our Sponsors
Registration Information
| Type | Early Bird Registration Through August 11, 2025 | Regular Registration Fee Starting August 12, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Family Law Section Member | $475 | $600 |
| Non-Family Law Section Member | $550 | $675 |
| Court Staff* | $475 | $475 |
| Government/Non-Profit* | $475 | $475 |
| Non-CLA Member | $550 | $675 |
*Non-CLA Members who are Government & Non-Profit Employees or Court Staff will need to use a code to receive this pricing. Please email ProgramRegistrations@calawyers.org if you have any questions.*
The deadline to register is September 26, 2025.
Cancellations and refunds must be received in writing no later than September 26, 2025 and are subject to a 10% service fee. Refunds will not be provided after September 26, 2025.
For registration information, email ProgramRegistrations@calawyers.org. For program content and/or Section information, email Family@calawyers.org.
This event may be recorded. By attending this event, you consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded, and to any use, by the CLA, of your likeness, voice, and name in any and all media including social media. If you do not want your name or photo to be used, please let us know in advance. We cannot, however, honor requests to opt out of the use of your image or voice if you choose to ask a question during one of the event sessions.
The California Lawyers Association is an approved State Bar of California MCLE provider.
We are committed to accessibility! Virtual events are equipped with closed captioning. To request an in-person accommodation, send us a note at accessibility@calawyers.org or contact us at 916-516-1760 for assistance.