Gina's CLE Blog

Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Social Media Presence

This has been a topic of great interest to all of us who have moved into the social media maelstrom - how do you measure how effective you are in this arena?

I personally don't take much stock in scores such as Klout, especially since a recent change in their algorithm has received much negative feedback from users with scores adversely effected.

Instead, I look to the connections and communications I've had with readers of my blog, followers on Twitter or Facebook, or with conversations I've had at conferences or events. I love hearing: "YOU'RE CLEGina? I read your blog!"

How are you measuring the reach and effectiveness of your social media strategy? I'd love to hear from you.

The 60(+) Apps You Didn't Know You Couldn't Live Without!

 
At ACLEA's most recent meeting - the Annual Meeting in Boston, MA a few weeks back - I had the pleasure of presenting at one of the most fun sessions with which I've been involved. Entitled "60 Apps You Didn't Know You Needed," Peter Berge (Minnesota CLE, Small Firm Success), Larry Port (Rocket Matter LLC), and I talked to the audience about some of our favorite apps.

Whether we liked them for setting the mood, helping us work on the road, finding the best bargain, or making sure we don't miss a thing - these apps were varied, unusual and often technologically amazing.

And the best part was the conversations with and recommendations from our audience. With so many new apps on the market each day, this might have to be an annual event for ACLEA!

Our recommendations:

• AAA Discounts - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aaa-discounts/id310730297?mt=8 – (Lifestyle) – Free app. Surprisingly hip functionality for an old-school institution.  Find AAA deals in the area around you.
• Adult Swim - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adult-swim/id417871100?mt=8 (Entertainment) – Free app. Steam clips and episodes of favorite Adult Swim shows like Robot Chicken, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Family Guy, etc. Schedule, music player, clock, weather info, and calculator.
• Air Display - http://avatron.com/apps/air-display- (Utility) - really slick little utility that allows you to use your iPad as a second monitor to your laptop or desktop.  You do need to have both the iPad and the computer on the same network.
• Amazon - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/amazon-mobile/id297606951?mt=8 (Lifestyle) - Online shopping at the click of a button. Search, find, and purchase. Set up default payment and shipping information.
• Bump - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bump/id305479724?mt=8 https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bumptech.bumpga&feature=search_result (Social Networking) – Free app. Easily share from device to device photos, contact info, apps, music, calendar appointments by bumping fists.
• Chipotle Ordering - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chipotle-ordering/id327228455?mt=8– (LifeStyle) – Free app. Find the closest restaurant and pre-order and pay so your food is ready to pick up when you arrive. Avoid lines. Save your favorite order.
• Converter - http://architechies.com/apps/converter/ - Convert length, weight, heat, currency, speed, area, volume time, or data – super handy.
• Dragon Dictation – http://www.nuance.com/for-business/by-solution/mobile-application/index.htm- (Productivity) Free iPhone, Blackberry, Android app – easy-to-use voice recognition application powered by Dragon® NaturallySpeaking® that allows you to easily speak and instantly see your text or email messages. In fact, it’s up to five (5) times faster than typing on the keyboard.
• Drop 7 - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/drop7/id299940763?mt=8 https://market.android.com/details?id=com.areacode.drop7.rev1&feature=search_result  (Games) - $4.99 Highly addictive game where you drop and eliminate rows by matching numbered ball with spots in the row.
• Dropbox - http://www.dropbox.com/- (Productivity) – invaluable tool for sharing documents between computers.  Just save a file into your Dropbox folder (typically in your “My Documents” folder) and it will be replicated on all of your computers.  Invaluable for making sure you are always working on the latest version of your document control.  Works on Smartphones & computers.  There are version control tools.  Can share folders with others for collaboration.  Basic service (2GB) free; 5GB $9.99/mo; 100GB 19.99/mo.
• The Economist - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-economist-on-ipad/id400660644?mt=8 – (News) – Free app. Free access to the editor’s highlights – a weekly section of six must-read articles from each week’s Economist. Digital and print subscribers receive unrestricted access to each week’s full print edition.
• Endomondo - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/endomondo-sports-tracker/id333210180?mt=8 – (Healthcare & Fitness) – Free app. Track your speed and distance for walking, running, cycling.
• Evernote - http://www.evernote.com/- (Productivity) - works on iPhone, iPad, Android, and anywhere you can get web access.  Organize information, clip interesting web content, you can even take a picture of a handwritten note and it will be OCRed and searchable.  Organize into folders.  Fully searchable.  Basic service free; Premium $5/mo or $45/yr.
• Find My iPhone - http://www.apple.com/mobileme/features/find-my-iphone.html- (Utility) Free though it requires a MobileMe account ($99/yr) to work - Sometimes it’s your keys. Other times it’s your glasses. Misplacing things happens all the time. The good news is, if you misplace your iPhone or iPad, Find My iPhone can help you find it.  Find My iPhone will map will map it and will make it beep so you can find it.
• Flipboard - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flipboard/id358801284?mt=8– (News) – Free app. iPad App of the Year in 2010. Flip through news, photos, updates, info. Create your own dashboard.
• Flixster - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/movies-by-flixster-rotten/id284235722?mt=8 https://market.android.com/details?id=net.flixster.android&feature=search_result  (Entertainment) – Free app. Watch trailers, find showtimes, get critics’ reviews from Rotten Tomatoes.
• Foodspotting - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foodspotting/id350727118?mt=8 - (Travel) – Free app. Find restaurants based on what dishes look like.
• Foursqure - https://foursquare.com/ (Social Networking) – popular social networking site/app when people check in to places.  Whether you want to check in or not, you might want to know what people are saying about you and your facilities since Foursquare allows users to leave tips and comments about venues.
• Gate Guru - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bump/id305479724?mt=8– (Travel) – Free app. Discover eating options at airports.  As seen in the NY Times with the Rosches.
• GoodReader - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/goodreader-for-ipad/id363448914?mt=8– (Productivity) - $4.99 Amazing PDF reader, annotater, can read MS Office, iWork, Audio, Video, synchs with Dropbox.
• Google Earth - http://www.google.com/earth/explore/products/mobile.html- (Mapping) - See the world from a whole new (and user choosable) viewpoint.
• Google Goggles - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-search/id284815942?mt=8 – (Reference) – Free app. Take a picture and Google tells you what it is.
• Google Translate - http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1075927 – type in or even speak into your iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, or just about any other phone and Google Translate will translate between any of 57 languages.  It’s kind of scary, actually.
• GroupMe - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/groupme/id392796698?mt=8– (Social Networking) – Free app.  Assemble contacts into groups and do group texting.
• IMDb Movies and TV - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imdb-movies-tv/id342792525?mt=8 https://market.android.com/details?id=com.imdb.mobile&feature=search_result  (Entertainment) – Free app. Largest collection of movies, TV, and celebrity information.
• Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_iphone_mkt_lnd?docId=1000301301– I pretty much stopped using my Kindle – the books look beautiful on the iPad.  You just might be producing course materials for download to the Kindle app in the near future.
• LocalScope - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/localscope/id409869453?mt=8 – (Navigation) - $1.99 Search and find places around you. Browse via list view with real time directional pointers and distance meters. Augmented reality view spots results in real world with your camera.
• LogMeIn Ignition - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/logmein-ignition/id299616801?mt=8– (Productivity) – $29.99. View and control your computers from your iPhone.
• LoseIt! - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lose-it/id297368629?mt=8 - (Healthcare & Fitness)  – Free app. Log food intake, track nutrition.
• MindMeister - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mindmeister-mind-mapping/id291226775?mt=8 - (Productivity) – Free app. Create, read, and collaborate on mind maps.
• Moodagent - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moodagent/id376178721?mt=8 https://market.android.com/details?id=com.moodagent.android&feature=search_result(Music) – $4.99 Give Moodagent a starting track or define your mood and get a tailor made playlist from your own music library.
• Night Stand - http://www.spoonjuice.com/nightstand/hd/- (Utility) – turns your iPhone or iPad into a great digital alarm clock.  Love waking up to the little birdie chirps!
• On the Fly - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/onthefly/id382818039?mt=8 https://market.android.com/details?id=com.itasoftware.android.airshop&feature=search_result  (Travel)  – Free app. Comprehensive search for airfares for any iterinerary in the world. Cannot purchase through app, must go out to airlines to purchase.
• The Onion - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-onion/id363618575?mt=8– (News) – Free app. Satirical news reports, entertainment reviews. Includes video podcasts.
• Open Table - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/opentable/id296581815?mt=8 – (Travel) – Free app. Survey restaurants options and make reservations easily
• Pandora Radio - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pandora-radio/id284035177?mt=8 https://market.android.com/details?id=com.pandora.android&feature=search_result  (Music) – Free app. Own personalized radio stream. Use seed songs, artists, or genres to create station that plays their music or other songs like it.
• Pomodoro Pro - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pomodoropro/id340156917?mt=8-(Productivity) – $2.99 Eliminate interruptions and stay focused with this Pomodoro technique utility.
• QRReader - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qr-reader-for-iphone/id368494609?mt=8– (Reader) – Wonder what those square black & white codes mean?  There are a bunch of readers out there for just about any platform that use the built in camera to see and read QR Codes, I happen to use QRReader on the iPhone.
• Red Laser - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/redlaser/id312720263?mt=8 https://market.android.com/details?id=com.ebay.redlaser&feature=search_result  (Utility) – Free app. Use camera on smart phone to scan any barcode. App will give you best prices for stores around current location as well as online.
• ResponseWare - http://www.turningtechnologies.com/audienceresponseproducts/responseoptions/responseware/- (Audience Response) – If you are using Turning Technology’s audience response system, ResponseWare allows your audience to turn their iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Laptop computer into a responder devise.  Very slick because it gives you a lot more flexibility when creating the ARS presentation to customize what the viewer sees to respond to.
• Run Pee - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/runpee/id320589326?mt=8 – (Entertainment) – Free app. Lets you know at what point in the movie you can safely run to the bathroom without missing an important plot point.  Alert option to cue you when your pee time begins.
• Shazam - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shazam/id284993459?mt=8 https://market.android.com/details?id=com.shazam.android&feature=search_result(Music) – Free app. Identifies any song playing on radio, tv, etc. Links to purchase on iTunes, gives info about artists such as local concerts.
• Skype - http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home- (Communication) - talk for free using the web.  Available for Blackberry, Android, iPhone.
• Square - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/square/id335393788?mt=8 https://market.android.com/details?id=com.squareup&feature=search_result  (Finance) – Free app. Individuals or businesses can accept credit card payments with your smart phone, iPad, or iPod touch. Receive free Square card reader in the mail.
• Stitcher - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stitcher-radio/id288087905?mt=8  - (News) – Free app. Listen to radio and podcasts on-demand – no synching required!
• Taxi Magic - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/taxi-magic/id299226386?mt=8- (Games) – Free app. Free electronic taxi booking.  Also as seen in the NY Times with the Rosches.
• TeuxDeux - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/teuxdeux/id384291782?mt=8 – (Productivity) - $2.99 Create easy to use To Do lists.
• Textfree - http://www.pinger.com/textfree/- (Communication) – just like it sounds, text for free using the web rather than your mobile carrier.  You get a phone number assigned that can be used  like any other text messaging system.  Textfree has also included phone service now.
• Tripit - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tripit-travel-organizer/id311035142?mt=8 – (Travel) – Free app. Organize travel by forwarding confirmations.
• Truphone - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/truphone/id319994618?mt=8 https://market.android.com/details?id=com.truphone.andrd&feature=search_result(Social Networking) – Free app. Free WiFi to WiFi calls to Truphone, Skype, and Gtalk users. Low cost calls to any local or international numbers. Turns your iPad into a phone.
• Tweetdeck - http://www.tweetdeck.com/- (Social Media) – view and respond to your Twitter, Facebook accounts from your iPhone, iPad, Android, or desktop computer. 
• Walgreens-http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/walgreens/id335364882?mt=8 – (Lifestyle) – Free app. Not sexy, but huge aggravation saver.  Refill prescriptions by taking a picture of your bar codes.
• Waze - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/waze-gps-traffic-social-fun/id323229106?mt=8  – (Navigation) – Free app. A social traffic and navigation app using real-time road reports.
• WhiteNoise - http://www.simplynoise.com/appstore/index.html- (Personal Comfort) - need something in the background to go to sleep when you’re on the road?  WhiteNoise gives you a variety of background noises to choose from:  Amazon jungle, gentle waves on the beach, camp fire, ocean waves, blowing wind, rain on car roof, rain and birds, and many more.  Will run in the background.  Available for iPhone, iPad and coming soon to Android.
• Wikihod - http://www.wikihood.com/Start.html- (Wiki/Travel) - want to know what there is to see around you?  Wikihood uses the GPS feature of an iPhone or iPad and then searches Wikipedia for anything worthy of an entry in the area.  Really slick and helpful when traveling.
• Woopra - http://www.woopra.com/- (Utility) - you can always be in touch with your live website statistics with the Woopra app.  If you are using Woopra for website analytics, you can track them live on your iPhone or iPad.
• Word Lens - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/word-lens/id383463868?mt=8 – (Travel) – Free app. Purchase dictionary through app (English to Spanish or Spanish to English) for $9.99. Instantly translates printed words in real time with your built in camera.
• Yearbook Yourself - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yearbook-yourself/id386963472?mt=8 – (Lifestyle) – Free app. One of many make-yourself-look ridiculous apps.  Put your face on a yearbook photo from the ‘50s!
• Yelp - http://www.yelp.com– (Food/Travel) – looking for a place to eat, drink, or sleep?  Get the lowdown from Yelp.  Has a really cool “Monocle” feature that uses your phone, compass, and GPS to visually point you to whatever you are looking for nearby.

While this app didn't make our presentation - I can't forget about West LegalEdcenter's CLE Mobile - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cle-mobile/id342571285?mt=8– (Education) – Free app. Listen to CLEs for full online credit – not just self-study credit. Search, purchase, listen. View program materials.

What is the one app that you can't live without? Please add your suggestions to the comments section!

 

 

Completions Up - Customer Service Issues Down: It's a Win-Win!

 
While the number of completions in June, particularly the last few days of the month (see Spike in Program Completions as Compliance Period End Nears), was up, the number of customer service issues with which my team and I had to deal was down. I hesitate to even say anything (bring on the godsmack?) but am pleased that this is the case. I believe - based on my years of experience and just plain guesswork - that this is due to:

• Attorneys completing more online courses throughout the year gives them comfort and familiarity with the systems.
• Improved technology - we are continually updating and improving the user experience to make it more customer-centric and intuitive.
• The long holiday weekend delaying attorney requests.

I fear that the last is the real culprit, but we'll see as the week plays out.

Spike in Program Completions as Compliance Period End Nears

The acceptance of online completions of programs for MCLE credit has grown throughout my tenure in the industry. When I began here at West LegalEdcenter in 2001 (has it really been 10 years?!):

• 40 states had mandatory requirements - now there are 45
• 27 states allowed attorneys to take online courses - now all 45 allow
• 15 states allowed attorneys to take all of their credits online - this has grown to 27

Big changes in acceptance mean a significant growth in the number of credits taken. Dan Levering, director of the Pennsylvania MCLEprogram, stated at the last provider conference that about 8% of the total credits taken by Pennsylvania-licensed attorneys are done though distance learning. This is up significantly from the first pilot years when attorneys could only take three credits online. West LegalEdcenter has also seen this considerable growth since those first years, with continued double-digit growth in completions year over year.

We also continue to see a spike as the end of the compliance period draws near. Despite the wealth of content now available continually throughout the year, there will always be some attorneys who complete the last credits online in the days before the credits are required to be finished.

Yesterday we had about four times our regular daily average of completions. Today by 10:00 am we'd already had about half again as many. And it always amazes me how many folks will complete their last credit between 11:00pm and midnight tonight.

Review of State Regulators - Sites with Program Listings Available to Attorneys (Western US)

 
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about the new New Jersey website and its functionality for attorneys searching for accredited CLE programs. Since that time, I have audited the other states to see what they offer attorneys to assist with locating CLE programs.

This post will summarize the Western US states, with post two (later this week) summarizing the Eastern US.

Alaska: No public listing available.

Arkansas: No public listing available.

Arizona: No public listing available.

California: No public listing available.

Colorado: There are several PDF documents, which are not comprehensive or searchable.

Hawaii: No public listing available.

Iowa: Searchable by provider, dates, ID, keyword, title, location, credit type, field of practice, format.

Idaho: Searchable by provider only, then given choice of subcategories for on demand; by date range only for live.

Illinois: Searchable by provider, date, title, keyword, cost, delivery method, location, credit hours and types, skill level, area of law.

Kansas: Searchable by date range for basic search. Advanced search allows provider drop down and date range. Must always use date range in combination with other search criteria.

Louisiana: Separate searches for live and technologically assisted. Searchable by date range, location, type of law. There is no search option for provider.

Minnesota: Searchable by event code, title, date range, location, and credit type.

Missouri: No public listing available.

Montana: PDF document of live courses, not searchable.

North Dakota: No public listing available.

Nebraska: Searchable by provider, dates, ID, keyword, title, location, credit type, field of practice, format.

New Mexico: List of courses available, no search criteria. Defaults to live courses. Use Browse by Subject to get a list of self-study courses.

Nevada: No public listing available.

Oklahoma: No public listing available.

Oregon: Searchable by title, location, sponsor, date, credit type.

Texas: Searchable by course number, title, sponsor, date, ethics hours, type of law, course format.

Utah: Master calendar of events for live courses.

Washington: Searchable by date, activity number, sponsor, title, location.

Wisconsin: Searchable by date range, location, format.

Wyoming: Searchable by date or keyword only.

Learning With Avatars: Applicable to the World of CLE?

 
I recently attended a conference in San Diego presented by NASBA, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, entitled “Capitalizing on Momentum to Create Change”. One of the most intriguing speakers at a very engaging and information-packed event was Bill Sheridan, CAE. Bill is the E-Communications Manager and Editor at the Maryland Association of CPAs.

Bill’s talk – “Learning with Avatars: How Virtual Worlds are Redefining the Classroom” – discussed the use of the virtual world in the educational environment. Bill’s organization, The Maryland Association of CPAs, has already built two “islands” in Second Life. These are destinations in cyberspace – a place for users, through the form of an avatar, to gather much as they would in a real-life location. Initially focused on a place for accountants to network without requiring the travel, time, and expense generally associated, MACPA found that they could offer alternative, CPE-qualifying learning events. [NOTE: Bill's slide presentation, linked here, features some great clips and list of resources!]

Bill pointed out several benefits of virtual education that MACPA has already realized:
• Death of distance: ability of users to learn anytime, from anywhere.
• Exposure to world-class thought leaders: typically impractical in a physical classroom.
• Prepare for the worst: create and solve problems without real-world consequences.
• Engagement: shy students open up in a virtual setting.
• Collaboration: Students in many locations, internationally, can work and learn together.

With millions of users already comfortable with virtual environments – think Farmville (54 million), Cityville (100 million), or World of Warcraft (12 million) – attorneys, especially those who have grown up with this technology readily available, could log into a virtual world to get their CLE. A speaker or panel of attorneys located in offices around the world deliver interactive and up-to-the-minute presentations. These are top level thought leaders. Bringing this group together would be prohibitively expensive, but in a virtual world the costs are low. Your audience gathers from locations as diverse as internet access will allow.

The question becomes – is this something that the CLE regulators will accredit? Generally, CLE rules require the following:
• Significant intellectual or practical content
• Primary objective to increase professional legal competency
• Organized program of learning
• Taught by instructors with expertise in the subject matter through academic or practical experience
• Specifically tailored to the legal audience
• Thourough high-quality written materials
• Physical setting conducive to learning or suitable to the educational course

It is the last point that would probably require the most vetting from state regulators. I think that, depending on the technology employed, these programs would qualify for credit in most jurisdictions that allow for online learning. The same types of interactions between speaker and audience are possible. The events are happening in real time. Tracking and verifying attendance is possible.

This is an area that I will continue to explore now that Bill’s talk has peaked my interest. There are a lot of possibilities to build an engaging and entertaining yet educational experience in a virtual environment. Despite the fact that I hated “Avatar”.

Now Easier for Attorneys To Find Your New Jersey-Accredited Programs!

 
Last month, the Supreme Court of New Jersey Board on Continuing Legal Educationlaunched a new website for providers and attorneys. This search-able database lists programs approved for New Jersey credit in an easy-to-use format.

Allowing attorneys to find programs, they may search based on many criteria, including:

• Key word or topic
• Course dates
• Location
• Number of credits offered
• Format
• Provider
• Law category

 
Once a course of interest in found, additional information, such as ethics or specialization credit available, is also listed.

As an approved provider with more than 8,000 courses listed, I certainly appreciate the state making this resource available. When attorneys begin utilizing the site to find courses and providers who are offering CLE credit approved in New Jersey, this is free, but effective, advertising.

New Jersey MCLE Announces Online System

 
From the Supreme Court of NJ Board on Continuing Legal Edcuation Website:

As of January 28, 2011, the Board on Continuing Legal Education is moving to its new on-line computer tracking system.  Providers should be able to access this new system on or before February 18, 2011.  Please note that the pdf applications will no longer be available in the future.  Any provider applications or course announcements submitted by mail will be returned.

Existing approved service or per-course providers
Those providers who have already submitted courses to New Jersey will receive a letter with information on how to access the system with a user ID and temporary password.  PLEASE DO NOT CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT.  Once you activate your account, you will have the ability to submit all applications on-line.

New providers
For providers who have not previously submitted an application for course or provider accreditation in New Jersey, please go to the appropriate link to begin the provider registration process.

Unplugged - Despite All Best Intentions - Time to Plug Back In

 
As many of my readers know, 2011 didn't quite start out the way I would have hoped, even though it began (for me) with a bang. I had a fairly serious car accident, followed up with a terrible cold, and then all of the craziness that the beginning of a new year means for me in my job - travel, back-to-back meetings, planning, employee reviews - the list goes on.

What it also meant for me, unintentionally I assure you, is that this blog has been seriously neglected thus far in 2011. Thanks to those who keep checking back - I will get back to plan and begin (as of today) to post again on a regular basis.

Social media in all of its forms has been basically ignored for me this last month or so. I haven't read my "regular" blogs, almost no tweets coming or going, LinkedIn group discussions ignored. I have continued my Facebook usage, but almost exclusively from a personal perspective. I've unplugged myself from the social media world from a business perspective.

I'd done this (partially) in the hopes of gaining back some of the time to which I'd previously devoted to the task of monitoring and contributing to these functions. I've come to the realization that time, for me, is not something that you can "store up" or re-purpose - as much time as I have I manage to fill up...whether it is in working on social media or working on other things.

I know that overcommitment is an issue for me - one of my goals for 2011 (as it has been for the past several years) is to learn to say "no"! What a powerful word! But self-awareness without change or action is worth very little. Anyone have any tips for making this happen?

Today is the first day of my new life - organized, balanced, structured. Or, I could start tomorrow...

I Wonder if I Could Get Katy Perry?

A friend sent me a great YouTube link today, and it makes me wonder who I'd want to "sing" my Tweets - if anyone! 

     

If the above doesn't work - try this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Axzxe1a78E

ACLEA Mid-Year Meeting Fast Approaching!

 
ACLEA - The Association of Continuing Legal Education is holding their 47th Mid-Year Meeting in San Francisco from January 22nd to the 25th. With a fantastic agenda and several interesting events planned, I'm excited to be attending and presenting.

There are many reasons to attend, especially to take advantage of the collegiality and knowledge-sharing with which this industries experts are so generous, but I wanted to highlight a few reasons - most featuring me!

If you're able to come out "early" for the Saturday programs, there are two options that cover the bases for anyone in the CLE world, from a newbie to a veteran.

"New Member Orientation and CLE Boot Camp": Running from 8:15am to 4:15pm, the sessions within the Camp are basic level, and the overall curriculum is designed to help you in all areas of CLE programming and publications. Taught by “old-timers”, you will walk away with lots of information to help you in your own organization. Sessions include:

• Program Planning from A to Z (Vincent O'Brien - Minnesota CLE)
• The Basics of Marketing CLE Products: From Ideas to Follow-up (Karen D. Lee - Oregon State Bar)
• Technology and CLE (Paul F. Wood - Legal Education Society of Alberta)
• In-House/Professional Development (Jan F. Majewski - Holland & Knight LLP)
• Publications (Dawn M. McKnight - Colorado Bar Association CLE)
• Round Table Discussion (Karen D. Lee - Oregon State Bar)
• The MCLE Application and Reporting Process (Gina Roers - West Professional Development)
• Finances and Negotiation Techniques (Donna J. Passons - Texas Institute of CLE)
• Panel of Experts

Also on Saturday is the workshop "Hands-On Social Media: The Basics". In this interactive session, you will cover the practical “how-to” basics of social media. Set up a Facebook profi le, connect with friends, and ensure your privacy settings are set to your comfort level. Get a Twitter account and learn who to follow in the CLE realm. Register for LinkedIn and add connections. Discover how easy it is to set up a blog. In a single day, you can get connected. Bring your laptops – this course is totally hands-on! Presented by:

• Peter H. Berge – Minnesota CLE
• Alli Gerkman – Colorado Bar Association CLE
• Matthew Homann – LexThink LLC
• Gina Roers – West Professional Development
• Christopher A. Sharpe – State Bar of Texas

The conference begins on Sunday morning and is full of too many interesting and timely sessions to list. The full agenda is available here.

With engaging speakers, networking luncheons and events, and opportunities to learn (both formally and informally) from a wide variety of the CLE industry's best - ACLEA's meetings are not to be missed! The fact that the program is being held in San Francisco in January (they wisely decided not to choose my home state of Minnesota for the meeting - it is 40 degrees colder here than there today!) doesn't hurt either!

There is still time to register for the conference and the pre-conference boot camps. Go to ACLEA's site for more information. 

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Awards Season!

 
As the end of 2010 approaches and 2011 draws near, the host of Hollywood awards ceremonies begins for me with today's announcements of the 68th Annual Golden Globes' nominee announcements. I must admit to being far too involved with the awards season - hosting several contests, including what will be my 14th Annual Oscar Contest (brief hiatus in 2010) - yes, friends, it is back!

The nominations for the Golden Globes take into account both movies and television, so give me and my friends much more about which to speculate. I was very happy with several of the nominations, and will no doubt comment more on my picks - not just for the winner but my thoughts on who should win.

For now, here are the nominations and a few comments from me:

Best Motion Picture - Drama

• Black Swan
• The Fighter
• Inception
• The King's Speech
• The Social Network

 
*I haven't seen enough of these films to knowledgeablycomment - so let me unknowledgeably say - I thought Inception was brilliant and it will take much to push another film into the front spot for me.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

• Halle Berry – Frankie and Alice
• Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole
• Jennifer Lawrence – Winter's Bone
• Natalie Portman – Black Swan
• Michelle Williams – Blue Valentine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

• Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network
• Colin Firth – The King's Speech
• James Franco – 127 Hours
• Ryan Gosling – Blue Valentine
• Mark Wahlberg – The Fighter

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

• Alice in Wonderland
• Burlesque
• The Kids Are All Right
• Red
• The Tourist

 
*Based on the trailer I am surprised to see The Tourist under Comedy or Musical category. Does Angelina sing or are they calling it a comedy? The trailer is cut like it is an action-packed thriller/drama.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

• Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right
• Anne Hathaway – Love And Other Drugs
• Angelina Jolie – The Tourist
• Julianne Moore – The Kids Are All Right
• Emma Stone – Easy A

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

• Johnny Depp – Alice in Wonderland
• Johnny Depp – The Tourist
• Paul Giamatti – Barney's Version
• Jake Gyllenhaal – Love And Other Drugs
• Kevin Spacey – Casino Jack

 
*Although I haven't seen the movie, Kevin Spacey gets my vote every (and I mean EVERY) time!

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Amy Adams – The Fighter
• Helena Bonham Carter – The King's Speech
• Mila Kunis – Black Swan
• Melissa Leo – The Fighter
• Jacki Weaver – Animal Kingdom

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Christian Bale – The Fighter
• Michael Douglas – Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
• Andrew Garfield – The Social Network
• Jeremy Renner – The Town
• Geoffrey Rush – The King's Speech

Best Animated Feature Film

• Despicable Me
• How To Train Your Dragon
• The Illusionist
• Tangled
• Toy Story 3

 
*Like the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi, Despicable Me's Minions were made for merchandising! So cute!

Best Director - Motion Picture

• Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan
• David Fincher – The Social Network
• Tom Hooper – The King's Speech
• Christopher Nolan – Inception
• David O. Russell – The Fighter

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

• Simon Beaufoy, Danny Boyle - 127 Hours
• Christopher Nolan - Inception
• Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko - The Kids Are All Right
• David Seidler - The King's Speech
• Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network

Best Television Series - Drama

• Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
• Leverage (TNT)
• Dexter (SHOWTIME)
• The Good Wife (CBS)
• Mad Men (AMC)
• The Walking Dead (AMC)

 
*So, so THRILLED to see The Walking Dead here - I don't know that it was the "best" television series I saw this year (Dexter, as always, was phenomenal!) but it deserves some recognition. When was the last time a zombie series was nominated? Never!

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama

• Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife (CBS)
• Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men (AMC)
• Piper Perabo – Covert Affairs
• Katey Sagal – Sons Of Anarchy
• Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer (TNT)

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama

• Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
• Bryan Cranston – Breaking Bad
• Michael C. Hall – Dexter (SHOWTIME)
• Jon Hamm – Mad Men (AMC)
• Hugh Laurie – House (FOX)

 
*This season, even more than last when he did win, Michael C. Hall should take home the statue. Huge range of emotion and we saw Dexter change. MCH makes you root for the serial killer!

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

• 30 Rock (NBC)
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• The Big C (Showtime)
• Glee (FOX)
• Modern Family (ABC)
• Nurse Jackie (SHOWTIME)

*For me, this is a toss-up between The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family - both have some of the best writing and acting on television today. I think that Glee shouldn't be here - this season has been so up and down as far as quality!

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

• Toni Collette – United States Of Tara (SHOWTIME)
• Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie (SHOWTIME)
• Tina Fey – 30 Rock (NBC)
• Laura Linney – The Big C (Showtime)
• Lea Michele – Glee (FOX)

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

• Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock (NBC)
• Steve Carell – The Office (NBC)
• Thomas Jane – Hung (HBO)
• Matthew Morrison – Glee (FOX)
• Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Carlos (Sundance C)
• The Pacific (HBO)
• Pillars Of The Earth (STARZ)
• Temple Grandin (HBO)
• You Don't Know Jack (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Hayley Atwell – Pillars Of The Earth (STARZ)
• Claire Danes – Temple Grandin (HBO)
• Judi Dench – Return To Cranford
• Romola Garai – Emma
• Jennifer Love Hewitt – The Client List

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Idris Elba – Luther
• Ian McShane – Pillars Of The Earth (STARZ)
• Al Pacino – You Don't Know Jack (HBO)
• Dennis Quaid – The Special Relationship
• Edgar Ramirez – Carlos (Sundance C)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Hope Davis – The Special Relationship
• Jane Lynch – Glee (FOX)
• Kelly MacDonald – Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
• Julia Stiles – Dexter (SHOWTIME)
• Sofia Vergara – Modern Family (ABC)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Scott Caan – Hawaii Five-O
• Chris Colfer – Glee (FOX)
• Chris Noth – The Good Wife (CBS)
• Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family (ABC)

The Freedom to Write Like Woot

For all of my friends out there who write - blogs, marketing copy, program descriptions, supplemental materials for events, and the like - I salute you! As the end of the year nears and the stress, workload, and sheer chaos of 26 States' compliance periods ending grows - I find it harder and harder to keep up with the blog posts here. For that, I apologize. Despite all good intentions and a plethora of ideas swimming in my head, getting those thoughts out on paper (well, on my electronic notepad) is a challenge for me.

Instead, I often turn to my favorite blogs - the ones that I consider especially well-written or fun - as I try to find inspiration. I thought I'd use this post to share a few and, at the same time, provide a new blog post as well.

 

First, a site I read every day, or attempt to, is Woot (www.woot.com). For those who don't know of it, it is an overstock site that sells items at significant discounts. Each day, a new item is offered. The item may sell out, but only one item is available per day. The best part of the site, however, is the "description" of the item. Writing for this site must be one of the most fun jobs out there! These writers will say anything and a sense of humor is clearly evident in almost every post. Often even more fun is www.kids.woot.com, the sister-site which offers discounted items for children (just don't let your kids read it!)

 
Another guilty pleasure (i.e. reading non-CLE related blogs) is Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half (www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com). Hilarious and her cartoons are a stitch. I think my favorite post has to be "The Alot is Better Than You at Everything" (http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html). For English-majored friends and punctuation and grammar nazis like myself it struck a note! Allie also writes for The Gloss and has some fun posts there as well.

 
I've been having a lot of fun with the Harlan Institute's FantasySCOTUS site (www.fantasyscotus.net), which has created a Supreme Court Fantasy League. Players get to predict the outcome of votes (by each Justice) on the cases before the Court. I'm doing horribly as far as my predictions go, but having fun "losing".

 
One more fun site that can draw you in, especially if you are a movie buff, is Filmwise's Invisible Quizes (www.filmwise.com/invisibles/). Here, the people (or characters) are removed from photos taken from the movie. You then have to identify the movie based on location, costume, and props remaining. While I once considered myself fairly knowledgeable in film lore, this is much more difficult than it may first seem.

I'd love to hear from you the fun sites, internet time drains, and must-read blogs you visit!

Meet Your CLE Colleague - An Interview with Jennifer Flynn

As the United States' Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I wanted to take a break from the more traditional blog post to introduce readers to Jennifer Flynn who, along with her organization The Legal Education Society of Alberta, is doing some very innovative and exciting things in CLE -- or CPD (continuing professional development) as our Canadian friends call it!

 
Jennifer, please tell me a little about your background. Education, family, work?

I am currently the Managing Director of the Legal Education Society of Alberta. I have been with LESA for two and half years. Prior to joining LESA, I was a Business Law instructor at the JR Shaw School of Business.  It was there that I developed an interest in instructional technology as a means of promoting student engagement. Before becoming a full-time educator, I practiced Corporate/Commercial law with a large firm, with an emphasis on information technology law issues.

In addition to degrees in Commerce and Law, I also have a Master of Arts in Communications and Technology. In the course of this degree, I covered such topics as online collaboration, and using and managing communications technologies. Over the course of this degree, I studied everything from print and telegraph, through to wikis, blogs, and Twitter. My graduate research specifically examined lawyers' use and acceptance of technology.

I am married to my high school sweetheart. Aaryn and I have two young sons, Kyle and Declan, who keep us exceptionally busy.

What did you think you would be when you grew up?

I have always been drawn towards business, and wound up in law school almost by accident. Over the years, I have developed diverse interests in law, education, and technology. In my current role, I get to focus on business, but in the context of these varied areas of interest. It really is the perfect job for me.

When someone asks you what you do, how do you respond?

I am part of a fantastic team that supports the continuing professional development of articling students, lawyers, and their staff.

When did you first become involved with CLE?

I became involved in CLE in 2008, when I joined LESA as Associate Director, Print and New Media. The job description was the perfect blend of law, education, and technology.

What drives/motivates you most with what you’re doing now?

It is hard to narrow it down!

I work with a diverse group of incredibly bright, talented, and dedicated individuals-- from my organization, the local legal community, and the broader CLE community. These people keep me going.

With evolving technology and a deeper understanding of how people learn, I just see so much potential for our industry. I believe that the work we do really makes a difference in the lives of lawyers, students, and their staff—as well as benefiting the public they serve.

You’re kind of a techie – what’s your favorite gadget?

At the moment, I am quite enamored with my iPad – when I can wrestle it away from my 4 year old!

What do you see as the biggest difference between CLE in Canada vs the United States?

When it comes to CLE (referred to as CPD or “continuing professional development” here), I think there is far more that unites us than divides us.

That said, one major difference is that approximately half of our resources are devoted to pre-call admission training. The specifics vary depending on the province, but generally extensive practical training, plus an apprenticeship known as “articling”, is a prerequisite to bar admission in Canada. This practical training is a major focus for many of us in Canada.

Thank you Jennifer for taking time out of your busy schedule to share a little about who you are and what you do! Be sure to check out the LESA website for a taste of what the organization is doing now as well.

Confused About Social Media for Your CLE Organization or Firm? Join In!

 
As the co-chair of the Marketing SIG within the ACLEA organization, I've had a lot of conversations with members and others in the CLE industry about social media and its growning place in the way in which we do business. At the New York Annual Meeting's lunch, our topic, Twitter, grew into a wider discussion of social media, with many wondering how to begin, how much to do, and what type of commitment was required.

Out of this luncheon topic and through many conversations among ACLEA members, ACLEA staff, and the Executive Committee, the San Francisco ACLEA Mid-Year meeting will be trying something new - a one-day, hands-on social media boot camp!

The session will cover the practical “how-to” basics of social media.

• Set up a Facebook profile, connect with friends, and ensure your privacy settings are set to your comfort level.
• Get a Twitter account and learn who to follow in the CLE realm.
• Register for LinkedIn and add connections.
• Discover how easy it is to set up a blog.

Attendees are encouraged to bring laptops as this course is totally hands-on!

Presenters include:

• Peter H. Berge – Minnesota CLE and Small Firm Success
• Alli Gerkman – Colorado Bar Association CLE and Beyond Credits
• Matthew Homann – LexThink LLC and The [Non]Billable Hour
• Gina Roers – West Professional Development and Gina's CLE Blog
• Christopher A. Sharpe – State Bar of Texas and Christopher Sharpe - Digital Content Strategist

For more information, or to register, visit www.aclea.org or click here!

New Resource for MCLE Rules - The Official CLEReg MCLE Guide

 
In late October CLEReg, the Continuing Legal Education Regulator's Association, launched "The Official CLEReg MCLE Guide," a subscription service which provides online access to a comparison of features of the MCLE rules currently in effect. The contents of the guide are provided by MCLE regulatory agencies directly.

The guide is meant to replace the longstanding "Comparison of the Features of Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Rules in Effect" produced by Terry Brooks and the staff of the New York State Bar Association, which was discontinued after Mr. Brooks's retirement.

Perhaps the most helpful feature of the new guide is the commentary provided directly by the regulators.

"The MCLE Guide also contains comments from MCLE regulators to help explain rules and expound on regulations, policy and procedure."

Annual subscriptions to the guide are $49.99 and provide information in many categories.

 

I find the new online format very handy, especially for searching. My only issue to date is that several states, most notably Nebraska and New Jersey (also the two newest MCLE jurisdictions), have not submitted information to the guide. As these are the states with which most providers have the least familiarity, their absence is a significant drawback. Commentary from these regulators would also be particularly welcome as so many questions have arisen from the rules and regulations as posted on the state regulator's own sites.

While I have submitted a question to the email provided for feedback on the absence of states (CA, NE, NJ, WI) I have yet to receive a response. I'll update all when I hear from CLEReg as to when or if the information for these states will become available.

Also a concern, based on past information provided on the CLEReg site, is the currency of the guide and its information. Much of the documentation previously provided by the association was not updated regularly, thus making it much less helpful and reliable. As the guide is a subscription service, however, I would expect that regular updates would have to be incorporated into the process to ensure that it remains a valuable resource.

The Dream of the Paperless Office

 
West Professional Development recently packed up our offices and moved into a new space within the Thomson Reuters complex. Having outgrown our previous location's capacity, it is wonderful to have our entire team together providing for increased access, better communication, and more camaraderie. The actual move, however, I could have done without!

There is little I like less than packing as it always reminds me how much "stuff" and paper I deal with on a daily basis. MCLE rules vary, but most states require that records be retained for a minimum of four years. With several hundred live courses and several thousand online courses presented each year - we have a LOT of paper! And as I've been with West Professional Development for more than nine years, I've generated and retained plenty of my own.

As technology has improved, so too has the ability to create a paperless office. With our recent move, I have looked into what that would look like for my office, and for the accreditation team as a whole.

Why go paperless? In a recent study, office workers from various industries, including legal, estimated that they spend an average of two minutes per output waiting for documents to print. With an average of 15 print jobs per day, this adds up to 30 minutes of wasted time each day - a huge cost to employers.

And in addition to saving on the physical strain of moving dozens of boxes of paper files, there are many benefits to maintaining a paperless office. These include:

• Viewing documents from anywhere in the world. As business becomes more global, it allows offices to become more mobile.
• More easily finding and retrieving of documents and searching within them.
• Easier and faster filing of saved documents.
• Saves expense and space considerations of paper storage.
• Lessens the adverse environmental effects of paper - it is green.
• Electronic backup available so there is no need to worry about destruction of paper documents related to fire, flood, theft, etc.
• Additional security by controlling the electronic access to information.

Previous concerns regarding the legality of retaining only electronic copies of documents are lessening. Courts and legislatures are now creating exceptions to the common law rule requiring the production of the original writing or document into evidence, and instead allowing for the routine admission of electronic copies of the original document.

That is not to say, however, that there are no risks associated with becoming entirely paperless. The real risk of losing an electronic document due to a technology glitch or human error is very real, and may be a case of information lost permanently with no paper backup retained. Additionally in the law firm context, a client file is the client's property unless he or she authorizes its destruction, so there is a risk of liability if documents are lost or corrupted, even if accidentally.

Do I think that West Professional Development, or the Accreditation Team within the business, or even I will be paperless anytime soon? Probably not. But as I finish unpacking the dozens of boxes of paper files into many, many file cabinets - a girl can dream!

Missed the ACLEA Annual Meeting in NYC? Recordings Now Available!

If you did not have an opportunity to attend the ACLEA Annual Meeting in New York City in July, or if you didn't have an opportunity to attend one of these sessions, recordings from the event are now available. With site-based pricing, for one low price you can gather all of your colleagues and learn from CLE industry experts and legal thought leaders.

Programs include:

20 Programming Tips - Coming up with course ideas, developing great programs, juggling multiple projects, and managing faculty are just some of the issues that those with CLE programming responsibilities face. Are there ways that you can maximize your effectiveness as a programmer with minimal time and effort? Join us for this interactive session where we will share some of our tricks of the trade on becoming a more skilled programmer. But if you attend this session, we also want to hear from you! What are your top programming tips? Let’s see how many ideas that we can come up with together!

30 New Websites Important to CLE Professionals (FREE) - 30 websites and blogs you ignore at your peril, as selected by the presenters.
 

7 Myths of Effective Email Marketing: Do Best Practices Always Apply? - Email marketing is a dialog. Email marketing is a broadcast channel. Email marketing is about response. It’s also about branding. Tuesday is the best day to send – no, wait! Wednesday! Don’t use “free” in the subject line. Feel free to sell, sell sell in your subject lines. Social media will kill email. Email marketing is here to stay and stronger than ever. Yikes! What do you believe? How can you optimize your program so that it speaks to your customers, when the “best practices” seem to contradict each other? Well regarded email pro Stephanie Miller will shatter the myths about what works and what doesn’t in email marketing. You’ll leave with checklists on how to re-energize your program, and nurture your subscribers for higher response and revenue.
 

Changes in the Legal Profession with Q&A (Opening Plenary) - Law practice has been presented over the last few years with some of the most profound challenges that lawyers have ever confronted. The deep recession has led to unprecedented layoffs; adjustments in compensation systems; changes in recruiting, hiring, and training practices; and reconsideration of some of the basic elements of the conventional law firm business model. Even more challenging is the fact that the fundamental trends that have prompted these responses predate the recession and will continue after it ends. This panel will discuss some of these trends and the ways in which lawyer training and education can respond to their potentially profound implications.
 

Electronic Course Materials - Excellent written materials are a staple of all quality CLE programs. For many years, written materials meant a hard-bound book. The tough questions CLE providers faced were: Should we print course books in-house or use an outside vendor? Do we do GBC binding, perfect binding, velo binding, tape binding or spiral binding? Do we print one-sided or two-sided? Do we use three-ring binders so late course materials can be inserted and copies easily made? Do we have the books delivered to the office or directly to the hotel? How much time do we need to get the course materials printed and delivered on registration morning? Now, as we move from the information age to the digital age, we are grappling with a new set of questions surrounding course materials. How can we satisfy all our customers, our speakers, and our course material purchasers, while reducing costs, going green, saving time, minimizing inventory space, eliminating unauthorized copying, and promoting good will? Do we offer attendees a myriad of choices and try to be all things to all people? Do we do our course materials in book form and on CD? Do we put them on a USB key? Do we provide kiosks at the program for printing materials? Do we e-mail all materials to attendees in advance and let them print out what they wish to bring to the program? Each of these approaches have advantages and disadvantages. In the age of electronic course materials, we need to know what our customers want. Do you know? Join us for a lively discussion of the new era of course materials for CLE programs.
 

How Technology is Changing the Practice of Law… and CLE (Plenary Session) - Technology and the Internet have dramatically changed both the practice and business of law. Little wonder it is also changing what our customers expect in the marketing and delivery of CLE. In an age of social media, markets are conversations, and consumers demand to be heard. Noted legal technology expert Bob Ambrogi will discuss how advances in technology are driving changes in the legal profession -- and how CLE providers can stay ahead of the curve. 
 

How to Do it All - You are responsible for: designing the program, inviting the faculty, getting them to hand in their materials on time, reproducing the materials, booking the space, writing the brochure copy, marketing the program, registering the attendees, applying for CLE accreditation, making sure that the coffee’s hot and doing a hundred other tasks all on a limited budget. Attend this session and you will learn strategies for prioritizing your work, creative ways to supplement your staff; grow your department, make the most of your volunteers and tips for maintaining your cool under demanding and often stressful conditions.

Marketing on a Shoestring - Limited personnel, time and budgets make marketing a challenge for small shops. At this session we will provide tips that help you maximize your time, resources and dollars. We will explore: how to evaluate your resources, contacts and options; developing a plan to maximize marketing budget/resources; email versus direct mail; the use of brochures, flyers and e-newsletters; multiple communications versus single communications; reaching out to your customers in multiple mediums; attracting new customers; making the most of your lists and developing new ones, leveraging the networks of your speakers; designing and printing your own pieces; how to attract attention to your programs; and much, much more. You’ll leave this session with takeaways that you will be able to implement when you return home.
 

Revenue Generating Program Ideas – Creative Programming that Really Works - Generating revenue is a challenge in the current economic environment. This session helps you explore techniques that you can employ to keep the dollars rolling in. Among the items to be discussed are: when to raise prices, strategies for using discounts, reaching out to related professionals, financial sponsorships and exhibitors, co-sponsorships, creative email marketing, and cutting-edge program topics and features.
 

The Innovative CLE: Ten Bold Proposals for Change (Plenary Session) - The practice of law has changed more in the past ten years than in the previous fifty. Clients are forcing lawyers to change the ways legal services are marketed, priced and delivered. And as lawyers make sweeping changes in the ways they practice, they’re demanding the same innovative changes from their CLE providers. Are you ready for them? In this fast-paced session, “Innovational Speaker” (and ACLEA member) Matthew Homann will share ten bold, out-of-the-box ways to remain relevant by delivering innovative CLEs to an ever-demanding audience. 

Webcasting on a Budget - So you don’t have infinite resources for webcasting? Find out what you can do in-house and maximize your organization’s revenue. Topics covered will include: webcasting 101, technology bare essentials, webcasting best practices, and basics of technical support and administration.

Also available: If you are new to CLE and want to get some basic tips for getting started, look to the ACLEA Boot Camp for the best guidance! The CLE Boot Camp was created to assist those new to the profession and those who just need a refresher. The Camp has met with rave reviews, and ACLEA is committed to continuing this service. The sessions within the Camp are basic level, and the overall curriculum is designed to help you in all areas of CLE programming and publications.

Guest Post - Technology and CLE: It’s Changing and You Should Too

By Amy Danziger Shapiro*

It’s no surprise that technology has dramatically changed the legal industry, and CLE in particular. As a marketing director for a national CLE provider, I’ve realized that lawyers and CLE professionals alike must learn to adapt to new technologies and use them to their benefit before they miss out on valuable education and sales opportunities.

I couldn’t agree more with Gina’s commentary on a recent presentation about this subject at the ACLEAAnnual Meeting. Robert Ambrogi’s “How Technology is Rewiring Lawyers’ Brains… and What it Means for CLE”was compelling and relevant, and is a must-watch for anyone in the CLE field. (I had the opportunity to watch Robert present live at ACLEA and ordered the webcast to share with some of my colleagues.) [NOTE from Gina: The presentationis now available to view on demand at ACLEA.]

Robert is completely right when he says that technology is a double-edged sword. There are both positive and negative repercussions that go along with any new technology, and legal technology is no exception.

I’ve worked in the CLE industry for almost 20 years and I’ve seen a lot of changes in how lawyers fulfill their CLE. It’s not all about print resources and trips to Hawaii anymore. People are taking advantage of webcasts, online materials and mp3 downloads. Entire firms and legal departments are offering subscription-based, online solutions to their lawyers. You can even access CLE on your cell phone or through YouTube.

All of this has been a game changer, and many of the changes have been positive.

New technologies have made CLE more affordable. Sole practitioners can access materials they never would have afforded before and benefit from new knowledge gained. Technology also means more flexibility. Now, firms can provide CLE in house and tailor it to accommodate their lawyers’ schedules. Overall, the availability and accessibility of resources has increased overwhelmingly, and sharing knowledge is positive for everyone involved.

But it’s not all a bed of roses. With increased availability and accessibility comes the issue of quality control. There is so much material out there that it’s becoming harder and harder to police, and in some cases results in lower quality CLE. Face-to-face networking has been a major casualty of the technology boom. Lawyers aren’t going to as many live courses as they did before, and have less opportunities to network with lawyers from other firms. Free legal resources are also available to layman, which means that more unqualified individuals are doing their own legal work.

Despite these drawbacks, new technologies have changed the legal industry for the better. We’ve made it a point at ALI-ABAto embrace technology and have transformed ourselves to meet the needs of an ever-evolving legal profession. We’re working hard to help lawyers balance the demands of their professional and personal lives by making CLE easier to fulfill. And we won’t stop anytime soon.

I know there’s still a lot of change on the horizon for legal technology and look forward to seeing what happens next. Until then, I encourage all CLE professionals to make technology a priority in their organizations and take advantage of all of the benefits it has to offer.

*Amy Danziger Shapiro is the Director of Strategic Marketing for the Philadelphia-based American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), the first national provider of continuing legal education. She has 19 years of experience in the legal education industry. She holds a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and a J.D. from Widener University School of Law. Reach her at adshapiro@ali-aba.org.

ALI-ABA recently debuted the ALI-ABA Knowledge Portal, an online, subscription-based legal content and education resource that provides attorneys with the tools to access and complete CLE requirements and conduct secondary research.

Social Media - Dealing with the Distraction?

With all of the talk about the importance of social media - Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the like - I doubt that few in the CLE industry don't have a social media presence in some way - or at least a plan to implement one soon. As a blogger, I use social media to spread the word when I put up a new post, to share interesting links to other blogs or stories about which I feel my audience may care, and to stay in touch with others - both  personally and now professionally. My networks have grown to include many more colleagues in the CLE industry, and I love that keeping in touch with questions and comments is easier than ever.

That being said, how do you deal with the distraction of social media? As much as I enjoy staying in touch with colleagues and friends with whom I've reconnected on these platforms, I still have a "regular" job. Even when discussing topics related to CLE and accreditation (arguably within my job description) - the amount of time that I often spend can be large. I read a post on Facebook linking to an interesting article, which leads to a comment regarding the post, which leads to other comments and articles and posts and...

How do you deal with what sometimes becomes the distraction of social media?

One of the Highlights of ACLEA's Annual Meeting - Plenary by Robert Ambrogi

The legendary Robert Ambrogi, who has been talking about lawyers and technology in a meaningful way since the 90's, presented a thought-provoking look at how evolving technology continues to change the way lawyers think in his plenary session: "How Technology is Rewiring Lawyers' Brains...and What it Means for CLE." He then put these insights into application, discussing what this "new" audience means for CLE providers.

Without giving too much away since the program was recorded and will be available at the ACLEA website soon for review (I plan to make everyone in my office watch!), several of the changes that technology has inspired really struck home with me:

• With each new technological tool, the pace of work, and therefore the pace of our lives, has increased.
• Technology is engaging more lawyers in social media. In 2008 only 15% of lawyers had joined a social network. In 2010, that number had grown to 56%.
• Lawyers are becoming more and more mobile with tools like smartphones. In 2007 38% of lawyers were using smartphones. By 2010, that number had doubled to 76%.
• Lawyers are relying more on ratings - trusting "real friends and virtual strangers" and becoming more selective.
• I doubt anyone would disagree that lawyers (like everyone else) are less patient - the average audience attention span continues to decline significantly.

So why should we care? What do these changes mean for CLE? Mr. Ambrogi details 10 Tips for CLE Providers and discusses them in detail. The tips are:

• Engage in social media.
• Market through multiple platforms.
• Deliver through multiple media.
• Be transparent.
• Deliver service simply.
• Deliver value.
• Embrace ratings.
• Share knowledge generously.
• Be available on demand.
• Nurture your networks.

Practical and implementable - not sure that this is something I can say about all of the educational programs I attend! I look forward to re-watching the session with my colleagues and staff and to discussing the next steps for our organization.

Back from ACLEA - Tired, but INSPIRED! Part II

And the summary continues! More about the professional development I received at the recent ACLEA Annual Meeting in New York.

MCLE Committee Meeting: On Monday, I began the morning bright and early with the MCLE Committee Meeting. Always well attended despite the crack-of-dawn start (thanks for the extra 15 minutes of sleep for this conference, however!), we began with H. Lalla Shishkevish (Director of CLE, DC Bar), providing an update on ACLEA's annual regulator consumer reports style survey and a description of the results of the Tennessee Commission on CLE's provider survey. I then had the opportunity, with my colleague Kevin McCormack (Manager of Content and Partner Relations, West LegalEdcenter), to show off CLE Mobile, winner of an ACLEA Outstanding Achievement Awardin Technology. Kevin and I also discussed the challenges of developing new technology within the MCLE regulatory framework. As always, one of the most valuable portions of the meeting surrounded our discussion of changes in the regulations (notably Virginia), potential new rules (Maryland), and issues we each continue to face in certain jurisdictions.

Plenary - The Innovative CLE: Ten Bold Proposals for Change: Matt Homann (Founder, LexThink LLC and the [non]billable hour) gave an amazing presentation - one of the most inspiring sessions at an overall very invigorating conference. Looking at why CLE providers feel the need to keep doing things the way they've always been done: "The practice of law depends upon precedents. The education of lawyers does not." Brilliant point! This session was recorded and will be available on the ACLEA website for purchase as an on demand program. I would highly recommend viewing it if you missed the presentation or were unable to attend the conference. The slides for the presentation are currently available as well.

Nationals SIG Luncheon: Networking with colleagues from other organizations who provide CLE across the United States. Interesting discussions and always great catching up with these friends. Wendy Velez (Director of Programs, NITA) and David Schnurman (President, Lawline) then facilitated a discussion centered around distance learning: what we as providers are doing, what is coming, what are the regulators accepting or rejecting, new technology and what it may mean for CLE.

Plenary - Summit Sounding Board:Featured an update on implementation and next steps from the Summit's final recommendations. Included a discussion on ways for more ACLEA members to become further involved, member updates on other initiatives that touch on the Summit's recommendations and the unveiling of the new website, which will facilitate discussion, sharing information, and other options. The new site is found at www.equippingourlawyers.org.

Wow! One of the most informative and personally educational ACLEA meetings I've had the pleasure of attending can't be summed up in two posts? I'm going to need a part III!

Back from ACLEA - Tired, but INSPIRED! Part I

I began writing this post and realized that to summarize my most recent experience at ACLEA- the 46th Annual Meeting held in New York City on July 24-27, 2010 - I would have to split the conversation. I was writing and writing - and that was just a "summary" of the experience. Too much to discuss!

Another challenge for me with this post - convey my enthusiasm and energy gained from attending some very high-quality educational sessions without sounding overly sycophantic. I'm afraid I've failed.

An overview of some of the sessions I attended:

SIG and Committee Chair Leadership Workshop: As I've become more involved with the ACLEA organization, I continue to realize that I get more from the group than I contribute! Those within the leadership of ACLEA, from the Officers and Executive Committee to my fellow SIG and Committee chairs, are generous with their time, their ideas, their friendship. ACLEA President Vince O'Brien (Assistant Director, Minnesota CLE) stated that we need to focus not on what divides us (differences) but focus instead on what unites us (similarities). So many of the issues we face in providing high-quality educational experiences for attorneys are the same, regardless of size of organization, geographic locale, or staff.

Marketing SIG Luncheon: As Co-Chair of the SIG, I got to lead the group through a lively discussion of social media, in particular Twitter. Why should we care about Twitter? How do we mix the personal and professional on Twitter - and should we do so? I will be writing an additional post later this week on the discussion points we covered and asking you for your ideas and thoughts on this topic.

Lawyers and Their Acceptance of Technology: Jennifer Flynn's (Managing Director, Legal Education Society of Alberta) overview of her graduate research project on this study. Gave very practical tips on how CLE organizations should develop and market new technology to lawyers.

Succession Planning: As this is a personal goal of mine this year, I'm well on my way to completing after this session in which Jennifer Flynn, Gary Wilbert (Executive Director, Virginia CLE), and Paul Wood (Executive Director, Legal Education Society of Alberta) gave tips applicable not only to creating a plan for transferring knowledge from a succession planning perspective, but also for identifying training and knowledge gaps within your organization and with your staff and for use in your recruiting and development planning strategy. Paul also recommended a book (already downloaded to my Kindle) called "Greater than Yourself" by Steve Farber.

The above sessions were only some of the education experiences I had on Saturday and Sunday of the conference. Coming soon - Monday and Tuesday's overview!

Newest Version of CLE Mobile App Now Available!

User input is the most valuable research tool we have at West LegalEdcenter to continue developing our technology, particulaly with our CLE Mobile app. We are dedicated to ensuring that it fits our users' unique learning needs.

You spoke out; we listened.  The results are in and your suggestions have helped us develop the next release of CLE Mobile, available today at the App Store!

Back in February, we surveyed attorneys who have used the iPhone app and were pleased to learn that:

• 93% of respondents said that it was easy or very easy to download the app
• 81% of survey respondents reported positive/neutral reactions to the program downloading process
• 73% of those who played a program were satisfied or very satisfied overall

While these results were music to our ears here at West LegalEdcenter, survey responses also provided us with important information on how we could improve the CLE Mobile experience. The new release includes the ability to search, purchase, and delete programs from the app itself – the enhancements most requested by survey respondents.

With the release of version 2.0 of the app, users can do much more directly through the app itself. Now users can:

• Search more than 3,000 mobile-compatible programs by practice area, speaker, accreditation, or keyword
• Purchase programs or enroll with a West LegalEdcenter subscription
• Delete programs whenever they choose

We continue to look to our users for feedback about what they like and what isn't working for them. If you haven't had a chance to share your thoughts through the survey or through other feedback tools, I encourage you to send an e-mail to CLEmobile@westlegaledcenter.com. You can also comment here and let me know what you think about the latest version's additional functionality.

 

West LegalEdcenter’s CLE Mobile App Wins ACLEA Award For Outstanding Achievement in Technology

Now is the time where I get to gush a bit - I'm so proud! West LegalEdcenter has received the “Association for Continuing Legal Education’s (ACLEA) Best” Award for Outstanding Achievement in Technology for its groundbreaking CLE Mobile app. Eligible products included any electronic media or technology applied to the delivery of CLE, or to the development of the resource materials.

The adoption of mobile technology by attorneys is growing nearly as fast as the iPhone’s popularity. At West LegalEdcenter, we view it as our obligation to enhance the availability of, and access to, legal educational products and services within platforms that are convenient and easy to use. CLE Mobile signifies West LegalEdcenter’s strategic commitment to shortening the development for technology-driven tools that our customers demand.

CLE Mobile (described in my earlier post)  is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, and offers attorneys continuing legal education (CLE) courses and the ability to earn state-mandated CLE credits from the palm of their hands, anytime, anywhere. With more than 3,000 courses now available for download, CLE Mobile offers a comprehensive and up-to-date source for online legal training, taught by some of the most prestigious names in the legal industry. CLE Mobile also allows law firms to make their own CLE and training content mobile with West LegalEdcenter’s in-house training. This option allows law firms to better meet their attorneys’ needs by making their own programming even more flexible and accessible. The app is available as a free download on the App Store.

The ACLEA’s Best Awards, started in 1992, recognize the contributions of its professional member organizations in the fields of programs, publications, public interest, technology and marketing. The Award will be presented at ACLEA’s 46th Annual Meeting, held July 24-27 in New York.

More Free Resources Available on Reqwired: Editable Forms!

Reqwired, Thomson Reuters' legal tracking and LMS software, also contains a bank of information about each state's rules and requirements for CLE. Updated frequently, the CLE Rule Summaries contain a standardized overview of the MCLE rules for each jurisdiction. This includes a link to the state's own website.

For each state, Reqwired lists the rules in the same format, so that requirements are more easily compared. This standardization also allows users to quickly find the section of the rules in which they may have a question.

Now, we have added the application forms for each state, in a downloadable, printable, and editable format! Individual program applications, approved provider applications, and attorney self-applications have all been included. Each form from each MCLE jurisdiction available on the state's own website has been included in an editable format.

As always, these CLE Summaries are free and open to all users. An attorney or firm does not need to be a Reqwired subscriber in order to utilize the resources.

For Social Media - How Much is Enough?

When I first began writing my blog, in January of 2009(!), I had aspirations - goals - metrics for myself. I would post at least twice a week, but probably more likely three times per week. After all, I had things to say, and was sure to gain an audience who wanted to listen. I would also Tweet about my blog posts and all of the other minutia of my life. I know I'm not Ashton or Demi, but didn't those in the CLE community want to know what I, too, had for breakfast?

But I have to admit that making the time for social media is more difficult than I imagined when I began the process. I want to be thoughtful and speak to topics and issues that are important to the CLE community. I joke about updates on my eating habits (cottage cheese and diet Dr. Pepper for breakfast) - but would anyone really care? Even I'm not particularly interested in the subject!

Creating a social media strategy requires a commitment - in resources, in ideas, and most significantly, in time. Once you've gained an audience, you must keep up with new posts in order to sustain it. While I would love to write more often and will work toward increasing the frequency of my postings, my new (and probably more realistic goal) for the blog is to post at least once a week. This ensures that I'll give at least some of the thoughts floating 'round my head an opportunity to be voiced and that my readers will have something to which to come back on a regular basis.

For those of you out in the real world, how often do you check out the blogs you follow? If you blog yourself, how often do you post? What does a media-savvy, but likely over-saturated, blog audience expect?

Your feedback is always welcome!

I Caved! Loving My New iPad and More Mobile CLE

While I'm not a member of the "Cult of Jobs", I would have to admit to being very suceptable to anything bright and shiny - and the new iPad fits that bill to a tee! I bought an iPad yesterday, and am already hooked, planning all of the ways that this slim devise will make my life easier and more fun.

Videos loaded for the long drive to central Minnesota to visit my parents? Check. I can relive the confusion and intrigue that is Lost - Seasons 1 to 5.

Song library and Moodagent app synced and set list created? Check. Now I can let the iPad do the work when I want to set the mood with music and the sweep of a finger.

New app loaded that lets me turn my iPad into an accordian? Check! Who doesn't want to be able to play the accordian at their whim without lugging around the traditional instrument? This app is brilliant, combining the real-life sounds of an accordian with the fun of annoying almost everyone who surrounds you when you begin to play.

Another favorite app is RunPee, which provides the best times and durations in which to run to the bathroom during first-run hit movies. The app also lets you set a vibrating timer so you won't miss the opportune moment or annoy other attendees, and gives you a brief sysnopsis of what you missed while out of the theatre.

And I have to admit to being thrilled with how our West LegalEdcenter CLE Mobile app, usable immediately with the same app as the iPhone or iPod Touch, looks on the iPad! As my team and I continue to work on development for the next version of the app, due out this Spring, I'm also excited about how this new technology will enhance the viewing experience for attorneys. Future functionality includes searching for and enrolling in or purchasing programs, the ability to delete completed programs, video CLE, and live webcast streaming. Watch my blog for more details as we work through the challenges and rewards of development for the Mobile app - whether for viewing on the iPod Touch, iPhone, or now the new iPad.

ACLEA “AHA!” Moments – Part II

I'm not surprised, with the focus on social media at the Orlando conference, how many of the attendees' "AHA" moments dealt with Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and the like. I'll keep posting if I keep getting responses from you!

Actually, my aha moment was meeting Kevin O'Keefe in the flesh.  After seeing his posts and and conversing with him via Twitter, it was great to meet him in person.  He's actually a cooler guy in person than online, and I thought he was pretty cool on online!  Moral of the story - there's no substitute for meeting someone in person but I never would have even known about him, let alone met him, without the social networking.  It all works apiece.

My AHA moment was more of a reminder than a revelation. Not a reminder of what to do, but how to do it. The reminder came from David Shearon, executive director of  the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization.  It was his gracious and gentlemanly manner in raising, addressing and expertly responding to all issues related to CLE rules and regulations during the conference. And consistently so. We are all passionate about what we do in the CLE profession but our roles differ, and we are just as passionate about advocating for issues unique to those roles. David's calm, reasoned voice never faltered, and I'm paraphrasing his words -- our purpose is not to enforce rules but to make lawyers more competent -- echoing my sentiments on the role of CLE regulators and the entire profession. An AHA reminder of our purpose and the kindness and grace that should govern our advocacy and actions around it. Thanks, David.

My "aha" moment concerned the power of Twitter.  Not just in what I learned in the sessions, which was great, but after I returned hone, when one of my staff told me how much she had learned through Twitter while attending the conference, and a colleague told me that she actually felt like she was there in person learning and networking, even though she was back in DC, through the hundreds of tweets and re-tweets throughout the meeting.  That really hit home for me!

My "aha" moment - I can't tell you how many times I said to people, "Oh my goodness, Hi! I know you on Twitter!!" I'd become colleagues with people I'd never met in person through social media, and it was great to put a face to a Twitter profile name!

ACLEA “AHA!” Moments – Part I

It was wonderful to see everyone at ACLEA, and I always leave the meeting energized and excited to get back to my own organization and implement some of the great ideas and best practices learned at the conference. To that end, I decided to write a series of blog posts about the many “Aha!” moments experienced during the plenary and breakout sessions, and in talking with fellow attendees.

I wanted to begin by gathering examples of these moments from my ACLEA colleagues. One of the best aspects of membership in ACLEA, in my mind, is the willingness of the membership to share with each other. My request for thoughts was met with enthusiasm from participants for which I am extremely greatful.

Gathering these thoughts has also given me a chance to see the conference from many perspectives, and realize that while every attendee adds something different to my experience, they also each take away something different based on their own filters, backgrounds, and positions in the CLE community.

I will be posting several of these “Aha!” moments from the ACLEA attendees over the next several days, and then will wrap up with my own – although I have to say I’ll probably share more than one as I found the Orlando conference a trove of good ideas.

My aha moment was when I realized a sizeable chunk of ACLEA and the CLE community were carrying on serious industry conversations and I wasn't part of it because I hadn't spend enough time using my social media accounts, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter.  You can't be a serious member of any industry or community which is moving toward social media, if you're not on social media, too.

My AHA moment was during the plenary session “A Whole New World: Social Media & CLE”. I think it was Amy Shapiro from ALI-ABA who was talking about getting other people outside of marketing involved in the organizations social media efforts.  She talked about having the program owner be responsible for the Facebook event. In our case, the program coordinator would be responsible for the FB event including things like where to eat, place to go, etc. I thought it was a great idea on how to get others in the organization involved.

My big "AHA" came when I realized that lawyers -- who've always been deadline-driven and worked on a "just-in-time" basis -- are now able to default to knowledge acquisition (and not just knowledge application) in that same way.  Ubiquitous information, easily accessed, will force CLE providers to focus on building skills, instead of increasing knowledge. 

One of my AHA moments occurred in the first plenary when I realized that through the magic of Twitter there could be a group of people who are not even at the conference discussing (texting?) comments just made by the speaker. In fact, since live audience members do not normally hold conversations with each other while a presentation is being made, the number of persons communicating about what was just said is likely greater on line than in the room.

2009 Ends Well for CLE Mobile

As we reach the end of the year, I’m going to take a few minutes out of my hectic day to toot my own horn – or toot the horn of my company’s product, CLE Mobile.

As discussed in my earlier post “CLE on Your iPhone or iPod touch – Now More Than Just a Podcast!", West LegalEdcenter has launched a fully interactive app, CLE Mobile, for listening to audio on demand programs on the iPhone or iPod touch. And what a ride this project has been!

We began development several months ago – a herculean task when looking toward all we needed to do to get the app launched before year end. But with a commitment to the vision of creating West LegalEdcenter in a mobile environment and an absolutely terrific team of developers and business colleagues, I felt the experience one of the most rewarding in my career in CLE.

Intensely collaborative, the project gave me the opportunity to look at online CLE in new ways in order to ensure that we were providing the same high-quality customer educational experience our users receive at West LegalEdcenter, while also guaranteeing that the regulatory safeguards required by the state MCLE authorities were being met. I truly believe we have accomplished that goal.

Since our launch approximately two weeks ago, I’ve also enjoyed speaking with those attorneys who are now trying CLE Mobile. From attorneys new to West LegalEdcenter to those who have been taking online programs with us for years, the response has been overwhelming! Hundreds of programs have now been completed through the app. 25% of our users have completed more than one program. We’ve even had one attorney complete all of the 45 MCLE credits his state requires with CLE Mobile!

The latest news that I found very exciting comes from App Store. CLE Mobile has been listed as a “Staff Favorite”! With hundreds of thousands of apps on the Store and the number released growing by the day – I am thrilled by the acknowledgment.

 

As we move into 2010 in mere hours – watch for more news about additional mobile applications and enhancements to CLE Mobile. And as attorneys continue to evolve their practices, the technology for which they are looking and the ways in which they perform their jobs will change with them. It is exciting and interesting to be a part of that journey. 

Happy New Year!

CLE on Your iPhone or iPod touch – Now More Than Just a Podcast!

As the Accreditation Manager for West LegalEdcenter, I'm excited to announce that we have launched the legal industry’s first CLE app for the iPhone and iPod touch – CLE Mobile – now available free through the app store.

With all of the same regulatory safeguards as the West LegalEdcenter site, the CLE Mobile app allows users to complete a program and receive MCLE credit in all states which allow for on demand credit. And because CLE Mobile tracks attendance, attorneys receive online credit for their program completions!

Traditionally, the only way for attorneys to earn credit on the go was with a downloadable podcast or audio or video tapes. While these methods were certainly handy, the MCLE credit available was limited to self-study in some states, with other states ruling out credit altogether.

CLE Mobile combines all of the same interactivity as listening to a program on the West LegalEdcenter website with the convenience of a mobile environment. The app tracks and ensures the program is listened to, and randomly verifies interaction with the program in states which require this feature. Attorneys also have access to a discussion forum – a way of interacting with the other attendees at each program. Whether the attendee listens through the app or online, discussion posts are synced between both systems. Attendees also have access to all program materials in the iPhone or iPod touch’s easy-to-view screen.  

Several state regulators got an early look at the app as we worked through the development process. Feedback was very positive with all agreeing that the app was a recreation of the West LegalEdcenter site from an accreditation perspective. Because all of the same functionality exists on both, credit for completion on CLE Mobile will mirror credit for completion of on demand programming on West LegalEdcenter.

There is no charge for the app, and no additional charge for content delivery to the CLE Mobile app. Once a user has purchased with a credit card or enrolled in a program through a subscription on westlegaledcenter.com, they will have access to the program on the app as well. Users will also have access to a free ethics CLE program entitled “Ethics in Client Development: Gaining Business the Right Way”, available for credit in most states.

For more information, go to westlegaledcenter.com or view a brief video about CLE Mobile.

 

Content Spotlight on FCPA Due Diligence

During the last several years, there has been an explosion of enforcement activity surrounding the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) as regulators work to combat corruption. Statements by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) indicate that this trend is expected to continue. Of particular concern to the DOJ and the SEC is whether companies are conducting robust and comprehensive FCPA due diligence of their vendors and other third-party business partners, including merger and acquisition targets and joint venture parties.

West LegalEdcenter is featuring the program "Conducting Effective FCPA Due Diligence" on November 3, 2009 at 1:00 Eastern. This webcast includes the Acting Chief of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section at the U.S. Department of Justice and professionals from Patton Boggs LLP and Daylight Forensic & Advisory LLC.

The program will address the concept of leveraging technology to develop a risk-based approach to conducting effective FCPA due diligence consistent with the DOJ Opinion Procedures Release 08-02.

For more information, go to westlegaledcenter.com.

Getting to Know Tim Baran, uMCLE: A Few Questions (and Answers)

I recently had the opportunity to get to know more about Tim Baran, founder of uMCLE, an incredibly useful resource for staying up-to-date and keeping a pulse on the trends and discussions happening in the CLE industry. Tim has been a great source for answering questions and exchanging ideas! While our schedules did not recently mesh well – Tim did all the heavy lifting as he answered my questions via email exchange.

Tim, please tell me a little about your background. Education, family, work?

I was born in South America of South Asian heritage. I migrated to the US with family as an adolescent, and have called New York City my home for over 15 years – I still love it! I wandered through six non-consecutive and lamentably uneventful years of higher education. Then I fell into librarianship, earning my chops along the way at the Third Circuit court of Appeals, Cardozo Law School, and for the decade prior to jumping into the crazy, wonderful world of entrepreneurship, Director of Library Services and Continuing Legal Education at the New York City law firm of Anderson Kill & Olick (AKO).

What did you think you would be when you grew up?

Well, my dad is a minister, evangelist, and former president of a Bible college (Guyana). As a kid, I thought it would be huge but pretty cool footsteps to follow. But as I chose my own path, including spiritually, reality dictated otherwise. Then I wanted to be a teacher, band member, therapist (physical and psychological)....the list is pretty long!

When someone asks you what you do, how do you respond?

I'm an entrepreneur, currently providing MCLE accreditation services, and an advocate – for change in the rules and regulations, the very concept of MCLE – how it's created, delivered, and tracked. Part pragmatic, part idealistic.

When did you first become involved with CLE?

While serving at AKO, New York became a mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) state. The library director at the time, Alina Alvarez, whom I greatly admire, entrusted me with the challenge of getting the firm accredited as a provider. Then, together we expanded and ran the program.

What inspired you to go out on your own?

Needing new challenges. Burdened to make a difference. And, not insignificantly, not wanting the tech revolution to pass me by. Working as a director in a New York City law firm simply did not allow time for the exploration of these new mediums and platforms like Twitter and the social media spectrum.

What drives/motivates you most with what you’re doing now?

That in some small way, I can be a part of a movement to help challenge convention, embracing change and progress, exploring and finding more effective and efficient practices in the legal profession as it relates to MCLE.

You’re kind of a techie – what’s your favorite gadget?

The iPhone. Nothing comes close. It's my nerve center. I blog, Twitter, Facebook, email, check weather, get directions, read the NY Times, take and store photos, listen to music...it's my news aggregator, timepiece, and alarm clock (when I choose to set it). The only thing is doesn't do is make my coffee. Don't care much for Apple and their secretive practices and the cult-like following, but the iPhone truly, is life-changing.

MCLE rules across all states are riddled with inconsistencies. If you could standardize ONE thing across all CLE jurisdictions, what would it be?

Reciprocal accreditation for attorneys and providers. It would significantly diminish my primary revenue source, but it's something that simply has to happen! In fact, I recently wrote a post about this very subject.

Welcome to My CLE Blog – No Translation Needed!

I was recently on a conference call with the accreditation administrator for a large government agency and several of my West Professional Development colleagues. The conversation turned to concerns about a particular state’s application process and getting programs approved…and the agency accreditation administrator and I were off! Once we’d begun, we were swapping stories, sharing anecdotes, discussing best practices, and gathering opinions… We did finally manage to get back to the point of the call (which was not initially intended to be about the application process) and finish the business at hand.

At the call’s conclusion, one of my colleagues, who does not deal with the accreditation of programs, commented that it was as if the government accreditation administrator and I had been speaking a foreign language. While I had to laugh, I began thinking about the work I do and the relatively small group of people who understand what is involved. We really do speak a different language, and while it is admittedly a small group who want to speak it, I always enjoy the conversations I have and the people with whom I have them.

As I begin this blog, I want the posts to initiate more of these conversations – with my accreditation colleagues, with CLE professionals, with interested attorneys, with those involved in the regulation of CLE, with anyone crazy enough to want to talk about CLE. Post a comment. Ask a question. Submit a topic suggestion. Let’s start talking, in English or in “Accreditation-ese” – I’m even willing to translate as necessary!