Showing your stuff

The presenter at a recent continuing legal education program about an in-depth immigration law issue wasn't from a marquee law firm. But by the end of the presentation, audience members were taking business cards from her and asking follow-up questions. While it might seem like your schedule is full just running your solo practice, the idea of finding time to put together a CLE program might be worth considering. Talking about a topic that you can address with authority can promote your practice and associate you with credibility in your practice area. "People do notice you when you speak with authority on issues that interest them," said Barbara Gislason, a family law attorney who has both done CLEs and given speeches here and internationally to professional legal audiences. "If you speak in one place, it's more likely that you'll be asked to speak somewhere else." Enough interest? CLE programs are sponsored by some presenting body usually one of the county bar associations, the non-profit CLE or one of the state bar association's practice sections. For-profit businesses such as law firms and legal publishers are also frequent sponsors. Standards for course approval call for significant, relevant, practical content presented with high-quality materials that are distributed to attendees beforehand. Courses need to be presented in an appropriate classroom-style setting. Sponsors are responsible for compiling and maintaining a list of attendees. Presenting tips As for the topic you choose to present, let CLE sessions you've attended yourself be a guide. If it pertains to your practice area, did the presenter cover everything you wanted to know? If there's an angle that the presenter missed, and you think it could carry an hour-long presentation, it might be a good fit. On the other hand, the sponsor might think twice if they think not enough people will attend to make it worthwhile. "Try to work with a provider you've taken a CLE from in the past," advised Gislason. "Ask if that sponsor is looking for additional presenters. If you have an expertise in an area that doesn't get covered very often, the sponsor might be interested. If they did a good job presenting that CLE, they'll probably do a good job with yours." When it comes to giving your presentation, Gislason recommends doing the research yourself and not leaving it to a clerk or someone else. That way, you'll have fresh, intimate familiarity when you get up to talk about it. Also, when preparing the PowerPoint presentation that goes with your talk, don't put all the information on the screen highlight some key words and extrapolate from them verbally, rather than bogging attendees down with a screen full of words that they'll probably read when they should be listening to you. "Most lawyers don't know the basics of PowerPoint," said Gislason. "They tend to overwhelm the slide with information that the attendees can't take in. "Your slides should be terse and short. If you're well enough prepared, the key words on the slide should be enough to trigger you to talk about them." While presenting a CLE seminar isn't a paying gig, it can offer soft dividends beyond increased exposure to your practice. "When you give a presentation that's well-received, it does help with your self-confidence," said Gislason. "And the more confident you are, the more effective you'll be as a lawyer. Published: Thu, Dec 04, 2014