Key takeaways
-
The CAOC 65th Annual Convention runs November 12 to 15, 2026 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. CAOC expects more than 800 attorneys, and the State Bar of California has approved MCLE credit.
-
Attorneys pay $350 to $850 depending on membership and years at the Bar, and legal staff pay $410 ($165 for Friday only). The hotel block closes October 28. Membership covers plaintiff and criminal defense lawyers plus legal staff and law students.
-
Bring five trial-tech questions: who runs the laptop, how exhibits are numbered and changed, how you cut and cue video, how you mark up an exhibit live and what the backup plan is. A three-step checklist turns the answers into changes.
-
If your answers show a gap, ExhibitView is trial presentation software that lets one lawyer or paralegal run exhibits, live markup and video clips from a single laptop, with no technician.
The CAOC Annual Convention is November 12 to 15 in San Francisco, and the hotel block closes October 28. Here’s what’s confirmed so far: what’s on the program, what it costs, who can go and what you earn in credits. We also add five trial-tech questions to bring, so the weekend changes how your next trial runs.
What is the CAOC Annual Convention?
CAOC, Consumer Attorneys of California, holds its 65th Annual Convention November 12 to 15, 2026 at the Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, at 2 New Montgomery Street in San Francisco. CAOC describes it as a chance to meet, learn from and network with leading attorneys and legal professionals from across California. The organizer expects more than 800 attorneys and promotes “trial tips” from leading attorneys in their fields.
For credit, the State Bar of California has approved 15.50 general credits, 3.50 legal ethics credits and 1.25 Technology in the Practice of Law credits. CAOC says it can substitute speakers and topics, and it claims approval in California only.
Who should attend?
CAOC’s registration terms say members are lawyers who represent plaintiffs in civil litigation or defendants in criminal litigation, which means criminal defense lawyers are eligible alongside plaintiff lawyers. The audience skews toward California plaintiff civil litigators, so it isn’t a dedicated criminal defense conference. Legal staff and law students can also register, and legal staff members need a CAOC attorney sponsor.
One rule is worth knowing. CAOC’s event policies say members, including legal staff and law students, may not attend to promote a business unless they are sponsoring or exhibiting. Go to learn. If you sell something, exhibit.
CAOC’s registration page lists these event rates:
|
Registration type |
Rate |
|---|---|
|
Attorney member |
$695 |
|
Attorney member, admitted to the Bar less than 4 years |
$450 |
|
Attorney member, admitted to the Bar less than 2 years |
$350 |
|
Attorney, non-member |
$850 |
|
Legal staff member |
$410 |
|
Legal staff member, Friday only |
$165 |
|
Law student member |
$105 |
|
Sustaining member |
$75 |
Rates can change, so confirm on CAOC’s registration page before you book. A Friday-only legal staff rate of $165 is the lowest-cost way to send the person who builds your exhibits. The hotel block is $329 a night with a cut-off of October 28, 2026 or until the block sells out, according to CAOC.
What is on the program?
CAOC’s full schedule and speaker list run through its event app, which we couldn’t read, so this covers what CAOC has published elsewhere, mainly in its September/October Forum magazine and on its event pages. Check CAOC’s schedule page for the rest.
-
Thursday, November 12: the fifth annual Women’s Trial Skills Seminar, with lunch, networking and three panels. Trial by Fire is a live trial demonstration moderated by Sarah Havens, with Teresa Johnson, Allyson Ostrowski, Amy Martel and Tanya Gomerman. A business-of-law panel and a candid Q&A with experienced women trial lawyers, including former CAOC presidents Micha Star Liberty and Kathryn Stebner, round it out. CAOC doesn’t say whether the seminar is open to every attendee, so confirm before you plan around it.
-
Friday, November 13: a joint mock trial from the New Lawyers Division and the Legal Staff Support Group, 1:30 to 3:30 PM, covering voir dire, openings and closings. It’s the clearest fit for legal staff, so confirm that the $165 Friday-only ticket covers it. CAOC also advertises a student reception and a New Lawyers Division party at the Tonga Room, with times not yet confirmed.
-
Saturday, November 14: the Installation and Awards Dinner, with the leadership handover, award finalists and addresses from outgoing president Douglas Saeltzer and incoming president Casey Johnson.
-
Sunday, November 15: the last day. We found no published Sunday program.
We couldn’t verify any session on trial technology, video evidence or AI. CAOC does advertise 1.25 Technology in the Practice of Law credits, so look for those on the schedule. When you watch the live demonstration and the mock trial, note how exhibits and video are handled, then bring the checklist below.
Who else will be there?
CAOC’s site lists nearly 40 exhibitors, mostly legal AI and case management providers such as Clio, Filevine and EvenUp, along with expert and forensic firms and mediation and settlement services. Named sponsors include Dolan Law Firm, Nelson & Fraenkel, Stebner Gertler & Guadagni and Knapp Moss. We checked these lists on October 19, and they may grow before November.
What is the trial-tech checklist?
Two parts: five questions to ask other lawyers, then a three-step checklist that turns their answers into changes at your next trial.
Five questions to ask
Use them in sessions and in the hallway. For each, note what other lawyers actually do and why.
|
Question |
Why it matters |
|---|---|
|
Who runs the laptop at trial? |
A lawyer, a paralegal or a hired technician. If the one person who knows the setup is out, the presentation stops. This decides how much learning curve you can afford |
|
How are exhibits numbered and who changes them? |
Two versions of Exhibit 14 in the room is how the wrong document reaches the jury. One master list and a change log prevent it |
|
How do you cut and cue video? |
A clip that starts in the wrong place wastes the moment you built. Clips need timestamps and a rehearsal |
|
How do you mark up an exhibit live? |
A printed blow-up can’t change when testimony does. Callouts and zoom can |
|
What is the backup plan? |
Laptops fail and courtroom Wi-Fi isn’t a plan |
The checklist
Before you go
-
List your last three trial-tech failures, such as a late exhibit, a clip that failed or a laptop that didn’t connect.
-
Name who will run the laptop at your next trial.
-
Count the exhibits and video clips in your next case.
At the convention
-
Ask three lawyers each of the five questions and note what they actually do.
-
In the live demonstration and the mock trial, watch how exhibits and video are handled and how long it takes to find a document.
-
At the exhibit hall, ask any vendor for a demo on your own exhibit, not a slide deck.
Within two weeks of getting back
-
Pick three changes, an owner and a date for each.
-
Rehearse a 10-minute direct with exhibits and one video clip, with the person who will run the laptop.
-
Build the backup: a second computer, a copy of the case and paper for the exhibits you can’t lose.
Where can legal staff go next?
Legal staff are the ones who live with these answers. Our paralegal’s first-trial guide puts a two-week countdown on a calendar, and our guide to organizing exhibits shows a numbering pattern and a change log. For solos and small firms, software for small firms and solo lawyers covers budget and rollout.
FAQ
When and where is the CAOC Annual Convention 2026?
November 12 to 15, 2026 at the Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, according to CAOC.
How much does the CAOC Annual Convention cost?
Per CAOC’s registration page, attorney members pay $695 (less for newer attorneys: $450 under four years at the Bar, $350 under two), non-member attorneys pay $850, legal staff members pay $410 ($165 for Friday only), and law student members pay $105. A $75 sustaining member rate is also listed. Confirm current rates with CAOC.
Who can attend?
CAOC members, which includes lawyers who represent plaintiffs in civil litigation or defendants in criminal litigation, plus legal staff and law students. The audience skews toward plaintiff civil litigators. Legal staff need a CAOC attorney sponsor to register. Confirm eligibility with CAOC.
Is there MCLE credit?
Yes. The State Bar of California has approved 15.50 general, 3.50 ethics and 1.25 technology credits for the program, per CAOC. No other jurisdiction is claimed.
How do I book the hotel, and what is the deadline?
CAOC’s room block at the Palace Hotel is $329 a night and closes October 28, 2026, or earlier if it sells out. Registrants get booking information in their confirmation email. CAOC says official emails come from @caoc.org addresses and that it doesn’t use an outside housing bureau.
What is on the program?
CAOC has published a Thursday Women’s Trial Skills Seminar that includes a live trial demonstration, a Friday mock trial and a Saturday awards dinner. The full schedule is on CAOC’s convention website. We couldn’t verify any session on trial technology.
Is there anything for legal staff?
Yes. Legal staff can register for the full convention ($410) or Friday only ($165), with a CAOC attorney sponsor. Friday includes a joint mock trial from the New Lawyers Division and the Legal Staff Support Group, 1:30 to 3:30 PM. Confirm that the Friday-only ticket covers it.
Can I promote my business at the convention?
Only if you sponsor or exhibit. CAOC’s policies say attendees may not attend mainly to promote a business.
About ExhibitView
ExhibitView is trial presentation software for lawyers and legal staff who run their own courtroom presentations. It organizes exhibits, marks them up live and plays synced video depositions, with no technician needed. It runs on Windows, with an iPad app for the case.
If your checklist turns up gaps, a 15-minute call with Bill is a quick way to see whether it would work on your own cases, so you aren’t guessing from a feature list. Paralegals are welcome too.
Recent Comments