The New York State Bar Association's Commercial and Federal Litigation Section and the Committee on Continuing Legal Education will present "Introductory Lessons on Ethics and Civility 2011." The latest CLE offering is scheduled 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., April 29 at the Holiday Inn, 1881 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst.

Designed for practicing attorneys regardless of their level of expertise, the seminar will feature a combination of lectures and a colloquium on ethics and civility. Ethical issues faced by attorneys will be examined in a discussion of real-world hypothetical scenarios. Panelists include judges, ethics experts and experienced practitioners. The program will include a review of the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, disciplinary rules, recent developments and cases of interest. Conflicts of interest and law firm civility will also be discussed

Attendees can earn 4.0 MCLE credits in ethics. Cost to register thrpugh April 19 is $125 members and $205 nonmembers. After April 19, the cost is $140 and $220 respectively. For more information, visit www.nysba.org/cle

The New York State Bar Association will receive a 2011 American Bar Association Grassroots Advocacy Award for its successful efforts to rally more than 50 state and local bar associations in opposition to recent federal measures that would have imposed what it called "unnecessary" regulations on law practices.

The NYSBA was credited with playing a critical role last year in the legislative victory, which exempted lawyers from the Federal Trade Commission's Red Flags Rule. The rule requires creditors to develop programs that identify, detect and respond to the warning signs of identity theft. It would have imposed costly, burdensome measures on lawyers, doctors and other professionals who do not serve as creditors, the association said.

The NYSBA authored an amicus curiae brief last year that supported the ABA's filing in American Bar Association v. Federal Trade Commission, a suit opposing the application of the Red Flags Rule to lawyers. As a result, 54 state and local bar associations endorsed the brief. The awards are given as part of the ABA's annual effort to connect policymakers with constituents in the legal profession.

Dan Kohane, a member of Hurwitz & Fine P.C., recently discussed "Complex Liability Coverage Resolution" at the Property Loss  Research Bureau/Liability Insurance Research Bureau 2011 Claims Conference in Nashville. He has been a frequent faculty member for the annual program, which is billed as the industry's largest property and liability claims educational event. Kohane is a nationally recognized insurance coverage counselor who conducts training, consultation and in-house seminars on the specialized practice. He also authors Coverage Pointers, a biweekly newsletter that summarizes significant insurance coverage decisions in New York state courts, with overviews of other jurisdictions.

The New York State Bar Association released a report addressing the "sea change" taking place in the legal profession. It addressed what it described as sweeping changes and offers some recommendations:

• Restructuring law firm operations and implementing new billing practices;

• Improving training of new lawyers;

• Enhancing work-life balance for attorneys dealing with the 24/7 work environment;

• Using technology to deal with changes in the profession.

State Bar President Stephen Younger said the report was necessary to address the future of the legal field.

"After weathering some of the worst years in recent memory due to the economic downturn, bar leaders across New York and around the world are cognizant of the need to change fundamentally the way we as attorneys do business," he said. "Last June, we began exploring the future of the practice of law by bringing together some of the foremost thought leaders in our profession. I am confident this report will be of broad interest throughout the legal profession as attorneys grapple with new challenges in the practice of law that are brought on by a rapidly changing environment."