2013 Professional Development Workshop Series
This annual series provides attorneys with critical training to help them succeed as they transition into more senior roles. As always, the Series is free to City Bar members and attorneys from sponsoring law firms. View the 2013 professional Development Brochure.
Writing Online About the Law
Thursday, January 17, 8:30-10:15 a.m.
This workshop will focus on concrete ways to attract and retain an online readership. Techniques will be drawn from legal and financial journalism as well as from the practices of top-performing legal bloggers. The workshop will cover both structure and style. Examples will come from many different legal specialties and mediums.
Speaker: Ross Guberman, Legal Writing Pro LLC
2.0 CLE credits in Skills
Plan for Professional Success: Wisely Select and Develop Your Legal Career Path
Tuesday, February 12, 8:30-10:15 a.m.
The choice of legal practice setting makes a tremendous difference in how lawyers work. The same professional and ethical standards apply to junior associates, general counsel, and solo practitioners, however, they practice in such diverse circumstances that the skills required and the application of familiar professional standards is very different. Planning for success includes learning the demands of different practice settings and for each lawyer, doing the internal assessment to determine the most advantageous practice setting for that lawyer’s professional skills, communications style, and temperament. In this dynamic program, attendees will be prompted to look at the demands of using their legal skills within and beyond legal practice and to make the individual determinations that are an essential element of career planning.
Speaker: Alexandra Duran, Duran Consulting
2.0 CLE credits in Law Practice Management
10 Steps for Running a High Impact Pitch Meeting: Business Development for Lawyers
Thursday, March 21, 8:30-10:15 a.m.
Many attorneys think that the primary purpose of a pitch meeting is to tell the prospect about the attorneys' and firm's capabilities, expertise and experience. We believe it is about so much more. It truly should be about creating an experience that develops trust, simulates what it would be like to work with the attorney and firm, and places the focus on the potential client, not the attorney. This program will focus on ten simple steps that attorneys can take to create such an experience and increase the odds of winning the work. In particular, the program will discuss preparation, meeting facilitation, handling objections and setting up the close.
Speaker: Tracy LaLonde, Akina
No CLE credit provided
How to Best Convey Your Message in Meetings, Conference Calls or any Conversation
Tuesday, April 16, 8:30-10:15 a.m.
Your presentation skills in formal and informal settings are crucial to how others perceive you, and whether you are seen as someone who will become
a partner or leader in your profession. Participants in this session will learn impromptu speaking techniques including:
- Pre-meeting preparation strategies;
- Organizing thoughts quickly in the moment;
- Tactics for answering “I don’t know” questions; and
- Interrupting with respect and handling interruptions.
By the end of the workshop, you will be able to immediately implement the skills learned to improve how you speak and build credibility in your message.
Speakers: Nicole Wells, NWK Communications Consultants; and Maina Rice, Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP
2.0 CLE credits in Skills
Translating the Business Deal into Contract Concepts
Thursday, May 16, 8:30 -10:15 a.m.
The analytic reasoning process used in drafting a contract is different from the one used in writing a persuasive document -- whether a memo or a brief. Rather than applying the law to the facts, a deal lawyer translates the client’s business concerns into legal concepts and then into contract provisions. This class is devoted primarily to teaching participants this skill. In addition, the workshop shows participants how the underlying structure of agreements is similar and how representations and warranties, covenants, and conditions precedent reflect the business deal. Finally, the participants learn a vocabulary that they can use when discussing contracts and business issues.
Speaker: Tina L. Stark, Stark Legal Education, Inc.
2.0 CLE credits in Skills
Available, at no charge, to Sponsoring Firms Only:
Ethics in the Electronic Age: Be Careful When Using That Smart Phone, Tablet, Blog, Social Network...
Monday, June 3 6-8:30 p.m.
Using the latest technology to communicate with clients, the court, and the public is often a necessary part of a lawyer's job. But incorrect use of these tools can lead to disaster, particularly when it involves the inadvertent disclosure of a client's confidential information. The stakes are raised even higher when information created, distributed, or stored electronically is subject to discovery. This program will address mistakes that lawyers can easily make with cell phones, speaker phones, voicemail, e-mail, and wireless handheld devices like iPhones. Additionally, using illustrations from multiple practice areas, the program will provide a basic grounding in electronic discovery and provide practical guidance to lawyers in handling matters involving electronically stored information (ESI). Finally, the audience will hear about how the next generation of Internet communications (e.g., blogs and social networks) carry with them even greater risks along with their benefits.
3.0 CLE credits in Ethics
