Why Attorneys Strike Out: Professionalism in Baseball and the Legal Profession
In 2011, following a 12-2 loss, the Cubs were irate that Dodgers catcher, A.J. Ellis, attempted to steal when Los Angeles had an 8-1 lead. In 2021, the Twins were incensed when Yermin Mercedes hit a home run on a 3-0 pitch when the White Sox were up 15-4 in the ninth inning. Baseball has many unwritten rules of professionalism – do not bunt during a no-hitter, do not steal bases to run up the score when winning by a large margin, and do not swing at a 3-0 pitch when your team has a big lead. Unfortunately, the same sense of professionalism and civility are oftentimes lacking within the legal community, even though these traits are the mainstays of our profession and the foundation upon which lawyers practice law. Don’t miss this interactive presentation in which our speaker, Philip Bogdanoff, uses the unwritten rules of professionalism in baseball, football, basketball, and other sports to discuss whether these same concepts of professionalism can apply to the legal profession. Attendees will watch film clips of baseball, football, basketball and soccer while we discuss professionalism in sports and the legal profession. Learn how to deal with difficult attorneys and how to improve professionalism in our daily practice of law with this entertaining online discussion.
About the Speaker: Philip Bogdanoff is a nationally recognized continuing legal education speaker. Previously, he served as an assistant prosecutor in Akron, Ohio for nearly thirty years. He worked closely with the police and often made charging decisions on long term investigations. Mr. Bogdanoff also argued cases before the Ohio Ninth District Court of Appeals and the Ohio Supreme Court including cases alleging jury misconduct - before retiring as a senior assistant prosecutor. He still works as a special prosecutor and in 2022 argued three criminal cases before the Ohio Supreme Court. He has done over fifty presentations for prosecutor groups including the National District Attorneys Association. Attendees describe his presentations as informative, engaging, entertaining and dynamic. More information about Mr. Bogdanoff is available on his website at http://www.philipbogdanoff.com/.
Live Webcast
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
2.50 hours MCLE credit, including 2.50 hours Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit (subject to approval)