Total Credits: 4.25 CLE, 4.25 Ethics
This course explores professionalism principles and analyzes a series of professionalism hypotheticals pertinent to a lawyer's relationship with clients, judges, and other attorneys. The bulk of the seminar is presented in interactive breakout groups. New admittees to the State Bar of Arizona must complete this course within one year of being admitted to the Bar.Space is limited for each session.
In a profession that was designed to be adversarial in nature, it's only natural that conflicts with our colleagues, the judiciary and our clients may arise. How we resolve these conflicts reflects upon the profession as a whole. This course is designed to help restore civility and elevate the standards by which we treat all those with whom we come in contact.
The mandatory course, for all newly admitted Arizona members, satisfies the requirement under Rule 34(n), Ariz. R. Sup. Ct.
Important: Please make sure the email address we have on file for you is current. You will be emailed information about this course as we get closer to the course date. If you have not received information by July 24, please check your spam folder or contact member services at Registrations@staff.azbar.org or 602-340-7231.
| Course on Professionalism Manual (962.8 KB) | 45 Pages | Available after Purchase |
| A Brief Overview of Implicit Biases and the Impact They Have on Our Decisions and Actions (465.5 KB) | 12 Pages | Available after Purchase |
| Modest Means Brochure (82.7 KB) | 1 Pages | Download |
| Volunteer Flyer (1.1 MB) | 2 Pages | Download |
Honorable Marianne Bayardi became the Presiding Judge of the Scottsdale City Court on March 21, 2022. Prior to Joining Scottsdale, she served for 15 years both as an Associate Judge and, from 2019 – 2022, as the Assistant Presiding Judge of the Phoenix Municipal Court. In both courts, she presides over criminal misdemeanor and civil protective order cases. She is a member of the Arizona Supreme Court Committee on the Impact of Domestic Violence and the Courts and the Committee on Limited Jurisdiction Courts as well as the Judicial Conference Planning Committee.
Marianne was born near Chicago, Illinois and raised in Phoenix. She graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science in 1987. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1991. Among other things, she was a published law review author and served as an Executive Note Editor. Judge Bayardi joined the Robbins & Green law firm after law school where she engaged primarily in plaintiff and defense litigation in wrongful death and personal injury matters. She later worked at Steven J. Wells and Associates as in-house counsel for State Farm practicing insurance defense. Marianne also served as a Deputy Maricopa County Attorney where she prosecuted felonies. She later returned to a civil practice defending the Arizona Department of Transportation in wrongful death and personal injury cases at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. Following that, she served as an Administrative Law Judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings before being appointed to the Phoenix Municipal Court bench. Marianne and her wife Jenni have been married for 27 years and have three children.
David J. Bodney, a litigator with Ballard Spahr focusing on media and constitutional law, is founder of the firm's Media and Entertainment Law Group. For over 40 years, David has defended print, broadcast, and electronic media in defamation, privacy, and related First Amendment litigation. In addition, he has significant experience litigating complex commercial disputes; handling matters involving intellectual property, American Indian law, and governmental affairs issues; and briefing several high-profile cases in the U.S. Supreme Court.
David's practice covers a range of constitutional law issues, including prosecuting actions to secure open government, blocking prior restraints and subpoenas of reporters by government and third parties, and handling advertising, commercial speech, intellectual property law, and voting rights issues. In addition, he is regularly called upon to lobby and testify in legislative proceedings involving proposed legislation on a wide variety of issues.
David has co-authored the Arizona sections of the Media Law Resource Center's 50-State Surveys on privacy and employment privacy law since their inception. He has lectured on media law and litigation at conferences internationally, including presentations on extreme speech, libel, and mass media law in Cambridge, London, and Moscow, respectively.
For over four decades, David has worked to secure open government legislation on behalf of the publishing industry. In 1999, together with The Arizona Republic, he earned the Arizona Newspapers Association's Freedom of Information Award for his work in federal court on behalf of Phoenix Newspapers, Inc. He co-authored a monograph on freedom-of-information laws for the ABA's Central and East European Law Initiative to assist emerging democracies in the former Soviet Union with the enactment of FOI laws. David is a former legislative aide to U.S. Sen. John V. Tunney (D-Cal.).
On the commercial side of his practice, David has litigated numerous complex disputes in the banking, education, publishing, retail and high-tech industries. He has handled securities, trademark, trade secrets, copyright, product liability, and contract actions, including AAA and other arbitrations. In addition, he has argued various appellate cases in both state and federal court.
David's practice of constitutional law extends to Indian law matters, and he advises clients on such issues as tribal governance, membership, sovereignty, taxation, gaming, and water rights. On behalf of one Indian tribe, he worked with U.S. Sen. John McCain to secure passage of a landmark Indian water rights settlement act. His work on Indian law encompasses government relations and litigation in federal, state, and tribal courts, including a voting rights case in the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition, David regularly represents clients on legislative and related public policy matters before governmental bodies, ranging from the U.S. Congress to local municipalities and regional transportation authorities.
Ann Ching is a Clinical Professor of Law at Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Prior to this appointment, Professor Ching served as Ethics Counsel for the State Bar of Arizona (2016-2019) and Assistant Professor of Law at Pepperdine University (2013-2015). Professor Ching began her legal career in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (2001-2012), where she achieved the rank of Major and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for her service in Iraq.
Outside of teaching, Professor Ching serves on the Arizona Supreme Court’s Ethics Advisory Committee, the State Bar of Arizona Ethics Advisory Group, and as a judge pro tempore for the East Valley Regional Veterans Court. Professor Ching is also President of the Arizona Asian American Bar Association.
Professor Ching is a graduate of the University of Arizona (B.A.), the University of North Carolina (J.D.), the Judge Advocate General’s School of the Army (LL.M.), and Pepperdine University (M.B.A.).
Honorable Terri L Clarke was a prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for over 17 years. Ms. Clarke has tried over 85 felony cases to Arizona Superior Court juries and has lectured at national, state, and local seminars to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and community groups about criminal justice topics. She also taught as adjunct faculty at Glendale Community College and taught courses in the "Detective School" program to police officers. Since 2010, she has served as a Commissioner/Judge Pro Tempore with Maricopa County Superior Court.
Alfred “Ray” English attended Wentworth Military Junior College and was recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate, receiving a commission in the U.S. Army Reserve. Ray received his Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University and Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law, where he graduated cum laude. Ray has over 30 years of leadership training and legal experience. He has a longstanding commitment to improving Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the legal profession. He currently serves on the Arizona Judicial Council's Commission on Diversity, Equality and Justice in the Judiciary, and speaks nationwide, conducting training on issues such as implicit bias, anti-racism, and inclusion.
CHIEF JUDGE DAVID BRUCE GASS grew up in central Pennsylvania but spent a year taking classes in Chihuahua, Mexico. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ruth V. McGregor before joining the Phoenix law firm of Lewis and Roca, LLP. He spent seven sessions working as Counsel at the Arizona House of Representatives, before going to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
In 2009, Judge Gass was appointed to the Superior Court in Maricopa County. He served on all four major assignments. He sat on the Arizona Bar Association’s Civil Jury Instruction Committee and served as President of the Arizona Judges’ Association. He and Judge Pamela Svoboda established the STRENGTH Court in Maricopa County. STRENGTH Court works with victims of sex trafficking who are in the juvenile justice system.
In 2019, Judge Gass was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One. He began serving as the Vice Chief Judge effective July 2021 and began his term as Chief Judge effective July 2023. He is a member of the Arizona Judicial Council and the Arizona Supreme Court Commission on Diversity, Equality, and Justice. He chaired the 2022 Child Support Guidelines Review Subcommittee.
Judge Gass was awarded the 2005 Arizona State University College of Law Alumni Association recognition for outstanding service, the 2014 Michael D. Ryan Award for Judicial Excellence from the State Bar of Arizona Public Lawyers Section, the 2018 Pete Dunn Above and Beyond Award as outstanding ambassador of the Judges in Arizona, and the 2018 Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Judicial Officer of the Year. The State Bar of Arizona awarded him its 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award. In 2021, the Arizona Supreme Court’s Committee on Judicial Education and Training awarded him the Excellence in Education Award.
Judge Gass is on the Arizona Town Hall Training Committee and has worked with Arizona Anytown Youth Leadership.
Judge Gass is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. He focuses and speaks on diversity and inclusion issues. He has been active in many related projects. Several are listed here. He developed a training module to unpack and demystify the judicial application process to encourage diversity in Arizona’s courts. He also developed an undergraduate internship program at the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One to give diverse undergraduate students experience working in the courts and to encourage them to go to law school.
Most notable, Judge Gass felt strongly that Arizona should officially recognize the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution so that we never forget the wrongs done to persons of Japanese descent and their families. He spent five years making it a reality so we always remember our constitution and our civil liberties are fragile and require our constant attention.
And he saves stray dogs on the side.
Dee Giles is a partner at Schneider & Onofry, where he has practiced since 2007. He has a broad civil and appellate practice that focuses primarily on defending commercial entities and professionals related to professional liability claims. He also practices in the areas of adoption and family law. Dee is also a member of the Arizona State Bar Professionalism Advisory Council.
Amy Hernandez received her law degree in 2003 from Drake University (with Honors). After law school she served as a law clerk at the Arizona Court of Appeals. Ms. Hernandez has served on the Civil Practice & Procedure Committee for the State Bar of Arizona and as the Chair of the State Bar Trial Practice Section. She is a former member of the Morris K. Udall Inn of Court and a former board member for the Arizona Association of Justice. Ms. Hernandez served in the United States Army from 1996 - 2000 as a military intelligence analyst. Ms. Hernandez owns Amy Hernandez Law, PLLC where she focuses her practice on plaintiff’s medical malpractice, legal malpractice, and general personal injury.
Michelle Hibbert leads the Lawyer Assistance Programs Director. Ms. Hibbert’s group falls under the Member Services Division team, which supports numerous programs and departments, including the Lawyer Assistance Programs; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Legal Specialization; Mandatory CLE and Compliance; the Bar’s Resource Center. Ms. Hibbert practiced commercial litigation and employment advise for 23 years before joining the Bar. She received her LL. M. in Biotechnology and Genomics in December 2022, and her J.D. at the Chicago-Kent College of Law where she graduated Order of the Coif.
Daniel Jurkowitz is the Assistant Chief Civil Deputy in the Pima County Attorney’s Office Civil Division and serves on the State Bar of Arizona's Professionalism Advisory Council. He also currently serves as a Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore, on the faculty of The National Judicial College, and is a past president of the Pima County Bar Association and the Pima County Bar Foundation. Previously, he served as Chair of the State Bar of Arizona's Professionalism Committee, an Administrative Law Judge for the Arizona Department of Transportation, a Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore, a Town Magistrate Pro Tempore, and a Hearing Officer, Settlement Officer, and Attorney Discipline Hearing Panel Member for the Arizona Supreme Court. He began his career as a prosecutor with the Pima County Attorney’s Office Criminal Division and is a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law.
Sara Presler is an attorney and strategic leader in the cannabis industry. Mohave Cannabis Co. is home base where Sara serves as General Counsel for this multi-state operator engaged in cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, and retail operations. Following three public service clerkships and low-income legal clinical experience, Sara’s career launched as a public defender and as an adjunct law instructor at Northern Arizona University and Coconino Community College. Then, Sara was twice elected Mayor of Flagstaff, Arizona and was the youngest person and first woman in that office. She’s since served as General Counsel for a global wind turbine company and CEO of a privately held medical company. Sara was selected as CEO of the Arizona Foundation for Women and guided the nonprofit to earn a landmark grant from the NFL Foundation then strategically partner with the Arizona Community Foundation. Her interests include teaching, raising awareness about autism, and advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights.
Charles S. Price is a civil litigator in the areas of intellectual property, contract, insurance, health care, and antitrust law. He has been a regular speaker and instructor in Continuing Legal Education seminars on civil procedure, trade secrets, antitrust, and life balance/wellness for attorneys. He is the author of Rewiring the White Collar Mind, a book that explains how to balance professional success with personal contentment and joy. He has taught negotiation to graduate business students at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, and to lawyers and nonlawyers across the country through the Latz Negotiation Institute. Mr. Price is listed in the current editions of “Best Lawyers in America” and “Who’s Who in American Law”. Mr. Price has been recognized by AZ Business Leaders magazine as one of the five most influential commercial litigators in Arizona. He was described in Gain the Edge, a book by negotiation authority Martin Latz, as a “master information-gatherer,” a “very effective negotiator,” and “one of the best lawyers I know.”
Cameron Stanley is an Associate in Dickinson Wright’s Commercial and Business Litigation practice group and focuses her practice on civil litigation and municipal law. Her practice includes government contracts, statutory drafting and interpretation, and State constitutional law claims, with an emphasis on compliance with Arizona’s public record and open meeting laws. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Stanley served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable James P. Beene at the Arizona Supreme Court.
Edina Strum is an attorney with the McCarthy Law Firm law Firm, a law firm that is devoted solely to the practice of family law. Ms. Strum has been in practice since 2002, and she is a State Bar of Arizona Certified Specialist in Family Law. Ms. Strum is a trained mediator and Collaborative Divorce Attorney. Ms. Strum focuses a significant portion of her practice on issues related to parenting time matters and serves as a Parenting Coordinator, Child’s and Best Interest Attorney/Court Advisor, and as a volunteer Judge Pro Tempore. Ms. Strum has presented at multiple Continuing Education Seminars for the State and Pima County Bar Associations as well as the Arizona Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.