Day two was social media day at the Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA) 46th Mid-Year conference in Orlando.

It began with a panel discussion at the magnificent conference center (pictured), led by keynote speaker,  Kevin O’Keefe, a leading voice on the use of blogs and social media for law firm marketing. Moderated by Nathaniel T. Trelease, the vibrant panel  also included Peter Berge, Amy Danziger Shapiro and Alli Gerkman (picture below snapped by Kevin)

Taking the social media lessons to heart, ACLEA members live tweeted information from the conference.  Highlights from social media sessions:

uMCLE: Social media accelerates peer review – @kevinokeefe at #ACLEA

matthomann: Social media is relationship engine. #ACLEA

rocketmatter: Leaders need to understand the reality. They need to LEAD their orgs on social media. Not just let the young one run wild. #ACLEA

uMCLE: Don’t wait for Bar Assoc and Supreme Cts to lead on social media. They’re not -@kevinokeefe #ACLEA

rocketmatter: Some of the demand of quality blog content is driven by the decrease in news production from traditional media. #ACLEA

rocketmatter: Definition of success is moving forward. For Social Media, don’t just focus on # of followers and activity. #ACLEA

rocketmatter: Social Media ROI: Am I expanding my reach? Am I engaging target audience? Am I building influence? Audience requesting action? #ACLEA

kevinokeefe: My ACLEA Orlando Social Media Presentation available to download at RLHB http://bit.ly/cVZ58Y

Highlighting day three of the conference  was a panel presentation and break-out sessions about the Critical Issues Summit, a joint effort from the American Law Institute-American Bar Association Continuing Professional Education (ALI-ABA) and ACLEA held October 15-17, 2009 on issues facing continuing legal education providers, law schools, and the legal profession in equipping today’s legal practitioners:

SmallFirm: “Skills training” = practice management – Critical Issues Summit review at #ACLEA – lawyers/law students need more

matthomann: How do we address changing needs of lawyers when model for in-person delivery of CLE hasn’t changed for over two decades?

rocketmatter: At #aclea summit, dominant convo at law school breakout sessions is difference between law school academia and what happens in real world.

matthomann: Aren’t getting good clients and serving them well inextricably intertwined? Why do we think the former is less worthy of CLE credit?

rocketmatter: Discussion at summit: law firms and cle providers want 2 know why soft skills are not MCLE since they’re crucial 2 a lawyer’s success

SmallFirm: Critical Issues Summit – distance learning – regulators need better standards for evaluating

SmallFirm: #1 wish of lawyers for CLE course topics was “rainmaking” and “networking” – from Critical Issues Summit

matthomann: How does one measure attention and engagement of CLE attendees, whether in person or online?

matthomann: Does the fact that many state supreme court justices (who set CLE req’s) never practiced as solos explain disdain for soft skills?

rocketmatter: Competing with the Walmarts of CLE is an issue for local CLE providers. Contraction of programming and law firm $$ real

SmallFirm: CLE survey – overwhelmingly lawyers want CLE provided as lectures – including skills courses — I’m shocked!

SmallFirm: Purpose of CLE regulators is not to enforce rules but to make lawyers more competent

More in-depth coverage to follow as the  intersection of social media with continuing legal education (CLE) and advocating for MCLE rule changes are two of  the primary issues covered here on uMCLE.

As always, your comments and suggestions and welcome.

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ACLEA Mid Year Conference in Orlando: The Agenda

by Tim Baran on January 30, 2010

in ACLEA

The Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA) 46th Mid-Year conference in Orlando really gets going on Sunday, January 31, 2010, but highly recommended for all first-timers is the Saturday Boot Camp. Even the most seasoned will benefit.  With a dozen years under my belt as a law firm director of continuing legal education (CLE), I went though it last year and came out a happy camper.  I gained a better understanding of the broader CLE spectrum including law schools and state regulators.

The Boot Camp agenda includes:

  • Introductions and What You Hope to Gain as an ACLEA Member
  • Program Planning from A to Z
  • The Basics of Marketing CLE Products
  • Technology and CLE
  • The MCLE Application and Reporting Process
  • Finances and Negotiation Techniques

I just registered and picked up my package of materials and goody (notice the singular) which for the not inexpensive price was sadly lacking.

Registration fees, like the conference hotel rates exceed my entire flight and one week hotel suite down-the-block package.  I’m not sure of the logistics, but would love to see tiered registration, from one-day to the entire four-day options.

Legal blogger, technology early adopter, and social media trailblazer,  Kevin O’Keefe is the keynote speaker:

Social Media Strategy: A Conversation with Keynoter Kevin O’Keefe” – You’ve just heard Kevin O’Keefe of LexBlog discuss how social media is affecting the way lawyers and law fi rms work, network, communicate with each other and access information. Now join the Technology and Marketing SIG luncheons for a more in-depth roundtable discussion of how CLE organizations can more effectively market to lawyers and law fi rms. What makes your programs and publications attractive to them? What is fundamentally different about social media marketing than traditional forms of marketing? This practical conversation with Kevin O’Keefe will address these and many other questions.

Select agenda highlights include the following:

SessionDateSpeaker
A Whole New World: Social Media1/31/2010Nathaniel T. Trelease, Kevin O’Keefe, Peter Berge, Amy Danziger Shapiro, Alli Gerkman
7 Habits: The Foundations of Effectiveness, How to be a Proactive CLE Professional, Creating a Person Mission Statement (Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3)1/31/2010Lawrence J. Center
Facebook Workshop: Facebook in CLE – How to Set Up and Use in Marketing;1/31/2010Donita Bourns Douglas, Jennifer L C Flynn, Amy Danzinger Shapiro
MCLE for Law Firms1/31/2010Roger B. Curlin III, Gina Roers
Twitter & LinkedIn in CLE: Practical Marketing & Networking Applications1/31/2010Peter H. Berge, Mark Rosch
Legal Research in Law Firms Today1/31/2010Carole Levitt, Terry Psarras, Benjamin Toby
Career Development in CLE: How to Refresh, Refocus and Grow Your Future1/31/2010G. Ginsburg, Terry Burnett, Julene Franki, Gary L. Wilbert
ALI-ABA/ACLEA Critical Issues Summit Debriefing: A Panel Discussion of the Issues and Takeaways from the CLE Summit2/1/2010Patrick A. Nester, Leslie Belasco, Charles C. Bingaman, Mark T. Carroll, Jessica A. Justice
Going Green: Environmental Initiatives in Publishing and CLE2/1/2010Kathryn Bellman, Karen D. Lee, Roger Siebert
Creating & Marketing Advanced and Hands on Courses - Two Valuable Sessions in One... 22 Where Have All the Lawyers Gone?: Creating 21st Century CLE Skills Programs for 21st Century Lawyers2/1/2010Charles H. Rose III
Seminars on Steroids: How to Approach, Develop, and Present the Large/Complex Program2/1/2010John M. Redenbaugh
Preparing a Business Plan - MBA-style Business Plans for CLE Organizations2/1/2010James D. Thaler, Jr.
Breaking the Mold and Turning Obstacles into Opportunities: How to Further Develop Your Lawyers Despite the Economy2/1/2010Diane Costigan, Danielle Fredricks, Kristen Ireland
ALI-ABA/ACLEA Critical Issues Summit Workshop: Where Do We Go From Here?2/1/2010Charles C. Bingaman, Patrick A. Nester
How Law Firms and Legal Employers Make CLE Buying Decisions2/1/2010Jan F. Majewski, Nick Cox, Richard R. Goldberg
You Can't Spell "Clients" Without C-L-E2/2/2010Karen Keene, Jan F. Majewski
Membership Programs: Flat Fees and Unlimited Access, What Do They Mean for CLE?2/2/2010Frank V. Harris, Ryan Bailey. William E. Connors, Karen D. Lee
Viral Marketing & Video: Permeating Your Target Market Overnight (or in a Fortnight)2/2/2010Alli Gerkman, David Schnurman, Graham Thatcher
Websites That Work: Creating Websites that Drive Your Brand2/2/2010Gayatri Bhalla
Navigating the New Media: Legal Issues for CLE and Legal Publishers in the Landscape of Facebook, Twitter, the Kindle and YouTube2/2/2010Terence F. Brennan

For additional updates, information and insight, check out

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ACLEA Mid Year Conference in Orlando: Pre-Conference

by Tim Baran 01.29.2010
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The Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA) sure knows how to throw a party.
No, that’s not Venice, it’s the Loews [...]

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Becoming A CLE Presenter: Do Bar Associations Pay?

by Tim Baran 01.23.2010
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The benefits of becoming a continuing legal education (CLE) presenter range from marketing and business development opportunities, to earning mandatory [...]

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My Interview with Faith Pincus That Turned Into a Primer for CLE Presenters and Entrepreneurs

by Tim Baran 01.15.2010
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What started out as an interview with the truly amazing Faith Pincus turned into a handbook for continuing legal education [...]

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New Jersey MCLE Transition Period. What a Mess!

by Tim Baran 01.11.2010
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The New Jersey Supreme court issued a press release on December 18, 2009 heralding the adoption of Court Rule 1:42 which sets [...]

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Creating a Continuing Legal Education LinkedIn Group

by Tim Baran 12.24.2009
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Moving forward with the exploration of continuing legal education’s (CLE) intersection with Social Media, I turned my attention to LinkedIn.  [...]

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Facebook Fan Pages Help Define Us

by Tim Baran 12.20.2009
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As uMCLE’s Facebook Fan Page continues to develop at a glacial pace, I’ve noticed a sharp increase in the number [...]

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West LegalEdCenter Raises the Bar With CLE Mobile

by Tim Baran 12.17.2009
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Earn those pesky continuing legal education (CLE) credit hours on your iPhone during the commute to work.  Hone your skills [...]

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Critical issues Facing Continuing Legal Education (CLE)

by Tim Baran 12.14.2009
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The American Law Institute-American Bar Association Continuing Professional Education (ALI-ABA) and the Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA) convened the [...]

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Why I Voted for 22 Tweets In The Third Annual ABA Journal Blawg 100

by Tim Baran 12.02.2009
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The American Bar Association (ABA) issued their 2009 top 100 law blogs also known as blawgs. I’m unclear as to [...]

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Twitter Journey to 1000 Followers

by Tim Baran 11.28.2009
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Getting to 1000 Twitter followers amidst liberal blocking and unfollowing took seven months. Loosely chronicled, my Twitter journey began on [...]

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How I Created uMCLE Facebook Fan Page….Twice

by Tim Baran 11.20.2009
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After concluding in Why Should uMCLE.com Have a Facebook Fan Page that uMCLE should, came the task of whittling down [...]

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Lawline.com Honors Their CLE Faculty With a Reception and Awards Ceremony

by Tim Baran 11.18.2009
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Recognized for their innovative and relentless attention to customer service, Lawline.com focused on their distinguished faculty for one special night, [...]

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Why Should uMCLE.com Have a Facebook Fan Page?

by Tim Baran 11.17.2009
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The uMCLE Facebook Fan Page has just been created with the purpose of aggregating information from uMCLE.com and other continuing [...]

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Results of the 2009 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Course Registration Survey

by Tim Baran 11.11.2009
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Are continuing legal education (CLE) course registrations up or down in 2009?
A lively conversation on the Association for Continuing Legal [...]

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Preliminary Results of CLE Course Registration Survey

by Tim Baran 11.09.2009
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Results are in from the 2009 CLE Course Registrations: Up or Down? Survey.  We will synthesize and chart/graph information  submitted [...]

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2009 CLE Course Registrations: Up or Down?

by Tim Baran 11.05.2009

In response to inquires and concerns about 2009 continuing legal education (CLE) registrations, we’ve compiled this short survey which will [...]

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