New Supreme Court-mandated professionalism CLE is just one of many free educational programs offered by the Bar
LegalFuel currently offers 184 complimentary programs online that provide 203 hours of general CLE credit
With the new Supreme Court-mandated professionalism CLE featuring a varied group of experts now available for free on The Florida Bar website, it’s a good time to remind Bar members that LegalFuel: The Practice Resource Center of The Florida Bar also offers a host of other free on-demand education programs.
Available at www.legalfuel.com/free-cle, LegalFuel currently offers 184 complimentary programs online that provide 203 hours of general CLE credit, including:
- 101 tech credits
- 39.5 ethic credits
- 29.5 mental health and wellness credits
- 3.5 professionalism credits
- 29 board certification credits
The new mandatory professionalism course coincides with a reduction in the hours Florida lawyers must earn every three-year reporting cycle, from 33 to 30, that the court recently ordered, restoring the initial requirement when the Supreme Court first imposed mandatory CLE in 1987 and aligning lawyers with a continuing education requirement for judges.
“Professionalism Expectations: A Mandatory CLE for Members of The Florida Bar,” produced by the Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism, may be accessed through The Bar’s InReach platform.
Course No. 8262 has been approved for 2 CLE credits: both of which may be applied toward Professionalism. The nearly two-hour presentation was recorded January 22.
The program begins with welcoming remarks by former Bar President Michael Tanner, a Jacksonville attorney who made professionalism a priority during his year-long term beginning in June 2021.
“We know that when we practice with civility and professionalism and integrity and honesty that we fulfill our duties to the public and to our clients to the greatest extent, and we know that when we practice that way, we will enjoy the practice of law to greatest extent,” Tanner says.
The CLE is divided into nine segments that include Tanner’s welcoming remarks. Those are followed by:
Professionalism Expectations
Chardean Hill, 2023-34 Chair of The Standing Committee on Professionalism
CMH Law & Dispute Resolution, LLC, Brandon
Professionalism Tips for Young Lawyers
Anisha Patel, President, Young Lawyers Division
Hill Ward Henderson, Tampa
Maintaining Professionalism
Brian Tannebaum
Brian L. Tannebaum, P.A., Miami
Professionalism Updates, SC2023-0884
Second Judicial Circuit Judge Anthony Miller, Tallahassee
Regulating Professionalism
John Schifino, Member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors
Gunster Law Firm, Tampa
Professionalism Resources
Kara Rockenbach Link, Former Chair of the Standing
Committee on Professionalism and Member of the Special Committee on Professionalism
Link & Rockenbach, P.A., West Palm Beach
Professionalism Advice from a Seasoned Attorney
Paul Lipton, 50-Year Member of The Florida Bar
Rumberger Kirk, Miami
The CLE concludes with closing remarks from Tallahassee attorney Magdalena Ozarowski, vice chair of the Standing Committee on Professionalism.
As for LegalFuel’s other free CLE offerings, some of the titles include:
- Trust Accounting Management Principles & Record Keeping Procedures
- A Guide to Law Firm Succession Planning: From Emergency Plans to Exit Strategies
- The Importance of Using PDF/A When Electronically Filing Court Documents in Florida
- Introduction to Cybersecurity: Awareness & Prevention
- Cybersecurity for Smaller Law Firms: Practical Advice for Protecting Your Firm (and Your Own Finances) from Online Threats
- How to Stop Hackers with Honey & Sand
- How to Run a Paperless Office: Process, Organization, and Adoption
- Protecting the Public’s Confidential Information in Civil Records
- How to Run a Lean Law Firm: Business Tips from the World’s Most Profitable Businesses
- Cybersecurity for Lawyers: How to Keep Your Firm’s Information Safe
- Ransomware – Protect Your Data or Pay the Price
- Microsoft Outlook for Lawyers – Beyond Emails and Calendars
- How to Boost Revenues and Client Satisfaction with Online Payments
- How to grow your law firm through ethical legal marketing
- The Ethics of Communicating with Clients Via Text Messages
- Starting a New Law Practice
The Florida Bar Podcasts also provide a way to earn free CLE credits, with titles including:
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- Empowering Change: Cultivating a Resilient Law Firm Culture
- Is Your Law Firm Ready for a 4-Day Workweek?
- The Value of Client Intake: Practical Tips to Streamline Your Firm’s Workflow
- Sharon Nelson and John Simek of Sensei Enterprises, Share Cybersecurity and Technology Advice for Small Firms
- Tech Expert, Bob Ambrogi, Shares Practice Management and Legal Technology Guidance
- Pro Tips for Flying Solo
- Florida Lawyers Assistance: Saving Lives and Livelihoods
- Understanding Neurodiversity in the Practice of Law
- Grow Your Practice with The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service
- Managing Remote and Hybrid Law Firms: Lawyaw Edition
- You Can Strengthen Your Brain, Improve Your Memory, and Elevate Your Mood in 12 Minutes a Day
- Protecting Your Files: Understanding How to Securely Store & Share Files in the Cloud
- Is It Time to Outsource Your HR and Get Back to Practicing Law?
- All Those Tech Questions You’ve Been Afraid to Ask
- The Impact of Secondary Trauma in the Legal Profession
- A Pocket Guide to Social Media
- A Practical Guide to Parental Leave for Your Firm
The LegalFuel Speaker Series consists of nine programs which account for 8.5 hours of general CLE credit; 2 hours of ethics; 1 hours of mental-health awareness; 1 hours of professionalism; and 2.5 hours of technology, with titles including:
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- Requests for Time Off: How Caregiving is Changing the Workforce and Impacting Your Firm
- How to Take Your Practice to the Next Level
- Building a Gold Reputation
- Making the Jump: A Step-By-Step Guide On How to Launch Your Law Firm
- Enhanced Results through Effective Communication
- Five Simple Lessons to Help You Earn More, Stress Less, and Be Awesome
- Cybersecurity for the Everyday Lawyer
- Ten Ways to Avoid Bar Discipline
