State Bar Ethics Update

Stay informed and compliant with the latest developments in legal ethics with our NC State Bar Ethics Update course. Designed for legal professionals seeking to maintain their ethical standards and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving legal landscape, this course offers a comprehensive review of recent changes, key case law updates, and practical insights into ethical dilemmas faced in legal practice today.

Download Materials

Learning Objectives

• Understand and analyze recent ethical rule changes.
• Apply Ethical Principles to Real-World Scenarios
• Describe and analyze new proposed state bar rules on artificial intelligence (AI)

HON. J. CARLTON COLE

Hon. Carlton “J.C.” Cole retired after more than 26 combined years of service on the North Carolina Superior Court and District Court, and he now serves as a Certified Mediator. On the Superior Court, his jurisdiction spanned the entire State of North Carolina, and his District Court jurisdiction spanned northeastern North Carolina.

Judge Cole served as President of the Conference of North Carolina Superior Court Judges and the First Judicial District Bar. He has also served on the Chief Justice’s Professionalism Committee and the Governor’s Crime Commission. Prior to joining the Court, he was a sole practitioner operating a general practice.

Judge Cole is the recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine (the State of North Carolina’s highest civilian recognition) and the Friend of the Court Award (the N.C. Judicial Branch’s highest recognition).  The North Carolina Parent-Teacher Association recognized his community service to local schools by granting him the Dorothy M. Crowell Citizenship Award. For the same appreciation of service, the North Carolina Association of Community Educators gave him the Robert L. Mason Distinguished Service Award.

The North Carolina Board of Commissioners in Perquimans County named its historic courtroom the “J. Carlton Cole Courtroom” in his honor.

Judge Cole earned his law degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law, master’s degree from Long Island University, and bachelor’s degree from Livingstone College. Before law school, he worked for ten years as a federal agent in New York City.

Brian Oten

Brian Oten is the Director for Ethics and Special Programs at North Carolina State Bar, where he serves as the Executive Director for the NC State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, which administers 13 legal certification programs. Mr. Oten obtained his JD from the University of North Carolina School of Law and has experience litigating disciplinary hearings and managing complex grievance matters as Deputy Counsel for the NC State Bar. He has served as an adjunct law professor at Campbell University and the University of North Carolina School of Law, and is a frequent guest lecturer at North Carolina State University.