How many hours of MCLE credit do California lawyers need to earn?

California attorneys must earn 25 hours of MCLE credit every three years. 

A California attorneys' MCLE compliance deadline is dictated by the first letter of their last name. (See below.)

What are the specialized categories/requirements for California lawyer MCLE compliance?

The 25 hours of MCLE that California attorneys must earn every three years must include:

• Legal Ethics - 4 hours
• Substance Abuse - 1 hour
• Elimination of Bias - 1 hour

What's the difference between Participatory and Self-Study MCLE credit?

In order to qualify for participatory MCLE credit in California, the provider must be able to verify the attorney's participation and completion of the MCLE exercise and keep appropriate records of such that must be available to the Bar upon request.

The California State Bar MCLE rules require a minimum of 12.5 of an attorney's 25 MCLE hours to be Participatory.

California attorneys can earn all of their MCLE credit online.

• Group 3 (N-Z) California MCLE Compliance Period: 2/1/2011 - 1/31/2014 
  • California MCLE Reporting Deadline 2/1/2014
• Group 2 (H-M) California MCLE Compliance Period: 2/1/2012 - 1/31/2015 
  • California MCLE Reporting Deadline 2/1/2012
• Group 1 (A-G) California MCLE Compliance Period: 2/1/2013 - 1/31/2016
  
  • California MCLE Reporting Deadline 2/1/2016

California attorneys are required to report their MCLE compliance by February 1 online via their "My State Bar" profile.

California Attorneys can earn all of their required 25 hours online with Internet For Lawyers' interactive MCLE exercises. Internet For Lawyers' exercises are designed to help Attorneys locate information on the Internet that can be useful to the cases they handle in their practices. We offer a total of 26 hours of California MCLE exercises from which lawyers can choose. Of these MCLE credit hours, 16 hours qualify for Participatory California MCLE credit and 10 qualify for Self-Study California MCLE credit.

For more information on our MCLE exercises and special package prices for multi-hour bundles, see http://www.netforlawyers.com/online_mcle_catalog.htm.

Internet For Lawyers is a California State Bar approved MCLE provider (number 9836).

The post California MCLE appeared first on Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in California, MCLE Los Angeles, CLE Orange County, Irvine & San Francisco.

FOUR HOURS - LEGAL ETHICS

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SIX HOURS - LEGAL ETHICS, ELIMINATION OF BIAS & SUBSTANCE ABUSE

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ANY FOUR HOURS

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ANY SIX HOURS

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ANY EIGHT HOURS

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Add exercises below to your cart, create your own bundle of any 4 hours or more, and save 25% with discount code 2015MCLE25.

The post Online Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Catalog for California Attorneys & Paralegals appeared first on Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in California, MCLE Los Angeles, CLE Orange County, Irvine & San Francisco.

By Roy S. Ginsburg, JD

During the past three-four decades, achieving diversity in the legal profession has been the goal of many within, as well as outside, of the profession. If you google the terms “diversity” and “legal profession,” there are over a million and half results. Many of them describe the efforts of the American Bar Association (ABA), numerous state and local bar associations, law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools, court systems and others to increase the number of minority and women attorneys.

Progress has certainly been made for both groups and much of it is likely attributable to those efforts. However, few would deny that progress has been somewhat stalled, especially for minority lawyers. African-Americans make up 13.4% of the U.S. population, but less than 4% practice law. Latinos comprise 14%, but only 3.3% practice. The statistics in private law firms are even more discouraging. According to the Association for Legal Professionals (NALP), only 6% of partners at firms are minorities and a mere 2% are minority women.

The future looks even bleaker when one looks at demographic trends. The percentage of minority law school graduates has remained relatively constant over the past decade at around 20%. Yet according to the U.S. Census Bureau, by the year 2042, minorities will constitute a majority of the population in the U.S. In other words, in almost 30 years, our country will be a “majority minority” one. If law school graduation of minorities does not increase significantly during that time, the legal profession will become even less representative of the diverse communities that it presently serves.

“Pipeline” efforts are the newest trend within the legal profession’s diversity realm to address this issue. Pipeline programs are designed to reach out to minorities early and throughout their educations. Because of long standing socioeconomic inequalities, there are many “leaks” in the pipeline that create an insufficient number of minority college graduates with in interest in pursuing a legal career. Some examples of leaks include:

• Minorities graduate from high school at lower rates that whites
• Those minorities who do graduate from high school are less likely to attend college than whites
• Once in college, minorities are less likely to graduate on time when compared to whites
• The test score gap between minorities and whites begins as early as elementary school and continues throughout college and graduate levels

Once in law school, leaks continue. Law students of color have a disproportionately lower application, enrollment and graduation rate than whites.

A substantial number of potential minority law students are lost as a result of the leaks. Pipeline programs are intended to plug those leaks.

The ABA has studied this problem and in its “Collaborating To Expand the Pipeline” report, has identified three strategies to tackle this difficult and persistent problem. They include:

• Breaking down institutional and systemic barriers that impede the educational success of minorities
• Developing meaningful mentoring and networking opportunities for minorities
• Providing quality academic assistance to minorities

Barriers

Perhaps the biggest barrier is insufficient funding for education and it usually exists throughout the pre-K - 12 levels. Suggestions by the ABA include:

• Implementing special programs designed to inspire at-risk students to stay in school
• Providing career awareness services to encourage students to consider law as a career
• Design law-related workshops, mock trials and debate programs, or other activities that expose students to a variety of aspects of the legal system
• Offer college preparatory coursework and standardized test preparation

Furthermore, at the college level, minorities need to have a better understanding of selecting proper courses, as well as intensive LSAT preparatory classes.

Mentoring and Networking

Programs are needed throughout the pipeline continuum that enable minorities to develop and sustain relationships with mentors and role models. These individuals can then help minorities stay focused on their goals. In addition, they can provide introductions, recommendations and access to their networks. Other means where mentors can help include:

• Workshops that encourage students to make positive life choices
• Activities such as job shadowing, that provide students with exposure to the legal system
• Job interviewing workshops

Academic Assistance

Educational support is crucial to achieve higher graduation rates and standardized test scores. Such assistance can take the form of:

• Tutoring services in core academic subjects and test-taking skills
• Summer school programs
• Extra-curricular activities
• Career planning services

Stakeholder Groups

Just as the initiatives noted above are numerous and varied, so too, are the providers of them. They include:

• Schools, school districts and state education agencies
• Parents, guidance counselors, mentors, PTOs and PTAs
• Community colleges, universities and law schools
• Law school minority student organizations
• Local, state, national and minority bar associations
• Law firms and corporate legal departments
• Judiciary
• Local, state and federal agencies
• Private foundations

The Importance of Collaboration

While the ABA has identified institutional barriers that pipeline programs need to break down, pipeline efforts, in and of themselves, face a major barrier. That barrier is the failure of individual program leaders to collaborate with one another. Put simply, the left hand at times, has no idea what the right hand is doing. It is not unusual to find communities with a wide variety of programs addressing the issues noted above, but their efforts are not sufficiently coordinated in any formal or informal manner.

Collaboration is a must. As an initial matter, it is important to ensure that the programs do not duplicate efforts or even worse, trip over one another and impede progress. Furthermore, when efforts are collaborated, leaders may be able to identify opportunities where working together can jump-start certain types of initiatives. Under certain circumstances, one plus one could equal three.

More fundamentally, the pipeline is a continuum of efforts that span almost twenty years during the life of a theoretical minority youth who hopefully will enter the legal profession. No component of the pipeline can be truly successful unless earlier components were effective. If one link in the chain breaks, earlier efforts may have been wasted. In order to make sure the chain remains unbroken, pipeline program leaders need to first, make sure that efforts exist throughout the continuum. Moreover, there needs to be a smooth transition among the initiatives. Handoffs need to be carefully planned or there will inevitably be fumbles. The only way to ensure a winning game plan is through collaboration.

Collaboration is easier said than done. One would think that since all pipeline efforts share the same goals, collaboration should not be problematic. In reality, it is. While the overall goal may be common, the underlying motivating factors driving the individual pipeline efforts may differ. Furthermore, resources and expectations will vary from initiative to initiative. Human nature is such that it is far easier for leaders to build walls around their programs than to share resources and information with others. In short, collaboration can feel threatening and stressful to some program leaders and supporters. Instead, collaborating parties need to set goals together when appropriate and develop trusting relationships. This is no easy task, but imperative if pipeline programs are to work effectively.

Show Me the Money

Finally, it should come as no surprise that funding of all pipeline efforts can frequently be challenging, especially in this uncertain economy. Predictable funding sources are crucial, but more difficult than ever to find both in the public and private sectors. Moreover, while projects routinely rely on volunteers, most programs require some paid staff in order to maintain continuity and momentum. In order to sustain adequate funding, all collaborators must place a high priority on educating communities and funding resources of the benefits of pipeline diversity efforts and a diverse legal profession as a whole.

Reasons to be Optimistic

If you google the terms “legal profession,” diversity and pipeline, more than 200,000 results appear. Work is being done, but there remains plenty to do.

If you are interested in submitting an article for consideration for a future issue of the Internet For Lawyers newsletter, send it as an attachment (in Microsoft Word) to editor@netforlawyers.com.

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The post Pipeline Programs Enhance Diversity Efforts in the Legal Profession appeared first on Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in California, MCLE Los Angeles, CLE Orange County, Irvine & San Francisco.

Our online MCLE exercises are text-based and accessible via any computer with an Internet connection.

After your payment was completed, you should have received two e-mails:
•  a receipt for your purchase, and
•  instructions/links to access your exercises.

Follow the directions and links in that second e-mail to access the exercises. (If you purchase multiple exercises use the individual "Download" buttons to access each exercise. Do not use the "Download All" button.)

If you cannot locate the instructions e-mail , send us a message at MCLE@netforlawyers.com with the e-mail address and name used to submit your exercises and we will re-send the instructions e-mail to you..

Note that these exercises each for Self-study credit. Each of the Legal Ethics, Substance Abuse, and Elimination of Bias exercises qualify for 1 credit each. Note that some of the General Credit exercises qualify for 1 hour of credit and others qualify for 2-hours of credit. (Credit-hour and category designations are listed on this page http://www.netforlawyers.com/page/access-page-online-participatory-legal-ethics-general-elimination-bias-and-substance-abuse-onli.)

Once you select your exercise(s) you would read the associated article(s), answer the quiz questions, and click the submit button. (Some exercises have a separate article while others have the reading material integrated into the quiz or the web resources referred to in the quiz.)

What if I paid for MCLE exercises prior to January 20, 2015 - and now I can't access the quizzes?

We have updated our MCLE system to automatically generate Certificates of Completion immediately upon successful completion of an exercise.

You can still access those exercises in our old system here. These quizzes require us to manually review your submission to issue your Certificate of Completion. Close to the MCLE deadline, it can take 5-7 days for us to certify your submission and send those Certificates of Completion. (Your Certificate of Completion reflects THE DATE ON WHICH YOU SUBMITTED THE EXERCISE.

You can also e-mail us at MCLE@netforlawyers.com with the name(s) of any exercises you paid for prior to 1/20/15 but have not yet completed. We will send you links (in the new system) to access the exercise(s) you have paid for but not completed. Please also include the name and e-mail address used to to originally purchase the exercises.

How do I receive my Certificates of Completion for these online MCLE exercises once I complete them?

Our new Online MCLE system automatically generates your California MCLE Certificate of Completion immediately after you successfully complete an exercise.

These California MCLE Certificate of Completion are sent as an e-mail attachment and include the date/time you successfully completed the exercise, along with the title/credit category/credit hours for the MCLE exercise. The forms are customized with your name and Bar Number (or Paralegal title). Your California MCLE Certificate of Completion serves as your "proof of completion" in the event that your MCLE compliance is audited by the Bar at some later date. You are required to keep it in your records for four years.

If you did not receive your California MCLE Certificate of Completion, send us a message at MCLE@netforlawyers.com with the e-mail address and name used to submit your exercises and we will re-send it to you.

Thank you for completing a portion of your MCLE requirement online with Internet For Lawyers.

The post Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Submitting, Completing, and Certifying Online MCLE Exercises Completed with Internet For Lawyers appeared first on Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in California, MCLE Los Angeles, CLE Orange County, Irvine & San Francisco.

By Roy S. Ginsburg, JD

Everyone knows that, much like diet and exercise, networking is good for you and that, similarly, there are lots of excuses for avoiding it. 

Understanding Networking-An Attitude Adjustment

When coaching lawyers or conducting CLEs on business development, I hear a lot of resistance to incorporating networking as a means of building a book of business. Here are the most common excuses:

* I don't have the time.

* I'm a professional; networking is like being a salesperson.

* It is outside my comfort zone.

A better understanding of what networking really is will convince you that most anyone can learn to do it comfortably. A better understanding will also lead to a realization of how indispensable it is. 

Let's discuss first what networking is not. Networking is not showing up at a conference or reception glad-handing and distributing business cards to strangers. Who wouldn't feel uncomfortable doing that?

Networking is a straightforward concept. It's building a network of people for the purpose of mutual assistance. Put the emphasis on mutual. It's not "I want your legal business." Rather, it's developing relationships among those who can help one another in professional, as well as personal, ways. In its simplest form, networking presents a platform for exchanging information that is mutually beneficial. It may be about a legal advice, but it could even be about a baby sitter or plumber if the need is expressed.

Further, and this is key to building a network, it's more about giving than receiving. Only when you give (advice, praise, recommendations, etc.) do relationships grow and develop. Once that occurs, it's only a matter of time before you get something back. 

It's human nature; people like to reciprocate. Developing trusting and dependable relationships, however, doesn't happen in one meeting. It is a process, and it requires persistence and patience to reap the benefits. 

Getting Past the Excuses

No more excuses! Below, I discredit the attitudes that stand in the way of networking progress:

I don't have the time.

Once it's understood what a well-developed network can accomplish, it can actually be a time saver. For instance, everyone who is part of your network is a potential resource, with access to information, opportunities, or ideas that could otherwise require hours of your time to gather. With an established network, it's possible the answer to a practice management issue is only a phone call or two away. 

However, the main reason lawyers should network is for business development. Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate the importance of their technical skills when, in fact, prospective clients are weighing more "human" considerations, such as "Is this someone I get along with?" and "Can I trust this person?" 

Think about the successful lawyers you know. Are they the most exceptionally skilled or technically competent legal professionals? If not, then what is it that sets them apart and sparks their success? Undoubtedly, it's the number of people they know and the quality of the relationships they have with them. Building meaningful relationships, over time, is the key to a robust practice; and effective networking is the genesis for developing those relationships.

I'm not a salesperson.

If there's a consistently common objection to networking that I hear, it's "I didn't go to law school to be a salesperson!" 

Don't confuse networking with a sales call. Remember, networking is about sharing information and listening for ways to be of mutual assistance. 

Letting people you meet know that you practice law in a firm that offers a range of services is information, not sales.  Most people are grateful to know where to find a lawyer when they need advice about estate planning, protecting a company's intellectual property, completing a business transaction, or trying to keep someone out of jail. And all lawyers can be proud of the fact that they earn their living by helping people. 

It's out of my comfort zone.

Just as networking is not handing out business cards at receptions, it is also not cold calling complete strangers. Rather, think of it as developing relationships with people with whom you may be acquainted, but would like to know better. 

Is a cup of coffee or lunch out of your comfort zone? I have coached well over one hundred lawyers from across the nation who practice at firms of all sizes. Rarely have I worked with an attorney who could not carry on a pleasant conversation in a one-on-one setting. 

Start with people you already know, professionally or personally, to create a contact list. Think about people who can benefit from an enhanced relationship with you. Here's a starter list of prospects:

*   Law firm (cross-sell) 

*   Clients   

*   People from bar association or trade/industry organizations 

* People from organizations where you volunteer

* Opposing counsel from past cases

*   Extended family members

* Friends (and their friends)

* Neighbors (do you ever wonder what to talk about at the annual block party?)

* People you went to college or law school with

* People from previous jobs

* Members of your church or synagogue

Then what?  

It's called a contact list for a reason. Prioritizing the list, contact these people to set up a casual get-together. Be prepared that not everyone will accept your outreach, so don't take it personally. They are either too busy or are too shortsighted to see the benefits of networking. 

Building a network is a numbers game. It's not about having the best personality or leading the popularity chart. To be successful at it, you must continuously circulate, adding new names to your contact list.  Building your network within groups where prospective clients or referral sources are likely to be found. You can do that by attending conferences, becoming active in professional and community organizations where you interact with many individuals and where your contributions to the organization are visible. Networking doesn't happen in your office: Get out and meet someone new. 

Practical Tips for Effective Networking

If I have achieved my goal, I've made the case for the value of networking and that it doesn't have to be an uncomfortable exercise. Here are some general tips to make those networking efforts more effective:

1.      Network systematically. Make a contract with yourself that you will spend a certain amount of time networking. For example, your contract could be a commitment to have a certain number of coffees, lunches, or association gatherings per month. Keep the commitment realistic. The goal is eventually to make networking a seamless habit.

2. Listen. Remember the ears-to-mouth ratio. You have two ears and one mouth. Listen at least twice the amount of time you talk. If you don't listen, you will not learn how you can help this person. 

3. Be enthusiastic. Few people hire lawyers who don't enjoy what they do. When I was an in-house attorney, I wanted lawyers who truly loved what they did. I was once involved in a First Amendment case and was seeking counsel. I obtained three referrals. On paper, they all had the necessary credentials and experience. I then interviewed all three. One lawyer in particular simply exuded a passion for the First Amendment when we talked. Guess which one I hired? 

4. Be confident, not arrogant. Many lawyers find it difficult to strike the proper balance. Of course, I always wanted to hire lawyers who sounded like they knew what they were doing. Unfortunately, there were many who crossed the line, boasting about themselves or their law firm. I was never impressed, but I was always incredibly bored.

5. Be patient. How many people do you know who got married after only one date? Then why expect to be hired after one lunch? Remember, networking is a process of building relationships. It may take years of staying in contact before being retained. 

The ROI

There's the cliche, "it's not what you know that counts, it's who you know." Well, in the legal industry, we know for sure that what you know is of primary importance. But it doesn't do much good if others don't know you know it.  

Investing the time to develop a wide network of informational resources, advisors, and prospects yields a return that exponentially increases over the years. And that's because just about all the contacts you make, at some point in their personal or professional lives, will need legal services. Wouldn't it be great if you popped into their minds? Networking effectively will assure that outcome. 

The Ethics Rules Surrounding Networking

While there are no specific rules that have the word "networking" in them, certainly one of the primary goals of networking is business development. All lawyers seem to know the "rule" that attorneys are not supposed to ambulance-chase. But what does that really mean? According to Rule 1-400(C), an in person or by telephone solicitation "shall not be made ... to a prospective client ... with whom the member or law firm has no family or prior professional relationship ..."  

Of the three biggest misunderstandings many attorneys have about this rule, the first is that the rule applies only to hospital emergency rooms. In fact, the rule applies in any room in any type of building. 

The second common misunderstanding is that it's appropriate to solicit a "sophisticated" client -- for example, a corporate executive. There is no such exception in the rule. While the origin of the rule was likely intended to apply to environments such as hospitals where "unsophisticated" clients may be present, the rule is not written that way. If a lawyer reads in the newspaper about a company being sued and calls the CEO and asks to be considered as defense counsel, that is unethical unless the CEO falls within the exceptions noted above. If not, Rule 1-400(C) is violated. 

The third frequent mistake lawyers make concerns referrals. Those who are successful at networking frequently receive calls saying, "My friend's company really needs your help. Call so and so right now. Here's the phone number." Many lawyers think that it's permissible to make the call since, presumably, the potential client has somehow consented to being contacted. The rule, however, contains no such consent exception language. Unless the potential client falls within the rule's specific exceptions, the rule is violated. 

Then what do you say to the person who has been nice enough to provide your name to someone who may become a new client? You say something like "Thank you so much for thinking of me. However, I hope it's not too much of an inconvenience for you to have your contact call or email me. The ethics rules prohibit me from contacting your friend. I could get disciplined for doing that."

Besides the solicitation rules, lawyers should also be familiar with the rules regarding referral fees. After all, if your networking efforts are successful, you hopefully will be getting referrals. Do you know how to handle them?

Referral fees are strictly prohibited by the ethics rules for non-lawyers by Rule 1-320. Subdivision (A) states that lawyers are not permitted to "directly or indirectly share legal fees with a person who is not a lawyer." In addition, the rule provides that a lawyer "shall not compensate, give or promise anything of value to a person or entity for the purpose of recommending or securing employment."  

As for lawyers, referral fees are allowed, but you must follow certain requirements. Rule 2-200 states that they are permissible under these conditions:

*   Client consents in writing and is advised how fee is divided

*   Total fee is not increased by because of fee sharing

One final word of caution about networking. Many of your efforts may involve a meal or perhaps taking a potential client or referral source to a sporting or some other entertainment event. Is there anything unethical about picking up the tab? If you recall, Rule 1-320 states that "shall not compensate, give or promise anything of value to a person or entity for the purpose of recommending or securing employment."  Are $1000 courtside seats at Staples Center "anything of value?"  Under most circumstances, the answer is no. Most regulators would simply view client entertainment expenses as an accepted form of business development efforts and leave it at that. However, if there was ever any evidence that there was an explicit quid pro quo for the entertainment, i.e., "Client X, thank you very much for that case. Since you were so kind to give me that business, my firm will take your entire family to event Y," that would be a problem. 

After reading this article, attorneys can earn one hour of self-study "Legal Ethics" California MCLE credit by completing and submitting this associated exercise.

The post How to Network Comfortably and Ethically appeared first on Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in California, MCLE Los Angeles, CLE Orange County, Irvine & San Francisco.

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Click here to access the entire list of online MCLE exercises and associated reading materials.

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Select individual Continuing Legal Education exercises below, or visit our online MCLE catalog for money-saving multi-course bundles.

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Or, to locate MCLE exercises in particular categories, click subject areas below to locate quizzes, or click here to access the entire list of online MCLE exercises and associated reading materials.

• Elimination of Bias
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• See our new California MCLE video site CaliforniaVideoMCLE for video MCLE courses based on our books and live presentations.
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CALIFORNIA MCLE INFORMATION FOR LAWYERS & ATTORNEYS

California Legal Ethics, Elimination of Bias in the Practice of Law, Prevention, Detection & Treatment of Substance Abuse, Law Practice Management, or General Self-Study Continuing Legal Education credit may be earned online for only $20.00 per hour (when reading accompanying articles or code sections when applicable and answering related quiz questions). The exams can be viewed online for free prior to taking them by clicking the links above. For Attorneys or Paralegals requiring multiple hours, we have created a number of money-saving multi-course bundles. Save over $60 when completing 13 hours of our Continuing Legal Education courses online.

Additionally, these quizzes qualify for CLE credit for Arizona Attorneys. Courses offering two hours of credit also qualify for credit for New York lawyers. Attorneys in other jurisdictions may be able to submit the California MCLE Certificate of Completion for MCLE credit if they can claim credit for credits in their home jurisdictions from exercises earned from California MCLE providers. Internet For Lawyers is a California State Bar approved MCLE provider (California MCLE provider number #9836). 

Internet For Lawyers also custom-designs in-person MCLE training seminars for individuals, your practice group, law firm or professional organization. For more information, contact us at seminars@netforlawyers.com or 310/559-1632 - or view our online continuing legal education seminar calendar for our schedule of upcoming live MCLE events.

CALIFORNIA MCLE INFORMATION FOR PARALEGALS

*In the year 2000, the California State Assembly passed a bill (AB 1761) outlining, among other things, new MANDATORY continuing legal education requirements for Paralegals. The Bill provides under Business & Professions Section 6450 paragraph d that "all continuing education courses shall meet the requirements of [Business & professions Code] Section 6070.

Per Section 6070 only courses offered by State Bar of California approved MCLE providers are recognized when considering MCLE credit hours earned.

Additionally, the State Bar has gone on record stating that "If an activity is geared toward Paralegals or attended only by Paralegals, the activity DOES NOT qualify for MCLE credit and therefore does not meet either the Attorney's or the Paralegal's requirements."

When taking live or online MCLE courses, Attorneys and Paralegals should be certain that the provider is certified by the California State Bar.

Internet For Lawyers' California State Bar MCLE is a California State Bar approved MCLE provider (California MCLE provider #9836). 

Also in 2000, the California State Senate passed a bill (SB144) instructing the State Bar to "ensure that by July 1, 2000, any member possessing or having access to the internet or specified generally available computer technology shall be capable of satisfying the full self-study portion of his or her MCLE requirement [online] ... " (Paragraph d).

The Bar also allows Self-Study CREDIT online MCLE if the provider keeps record of the attorneys' usage of the materials. Internet For Lawyers keeps these records, and therefore our quizzes are eligible for Self-Study credit.

For a full list of the upcoming California State Bar MCLE deadlines visit click here.

For the full text of California Senate Bill 144 (2000) click here.

The post Online MCLE appeared first on Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in California, MCLE Los Angeles, CLE Orange County, Irvine & San Francisco.

Congratulations on selecting one of our individual online continuing legal education exercises or one of our 4-, 6-, or 13-hour Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) compliance packages. Note that these Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) exercises qualify for Self-study California MCLE credit. In January 2019, we moved our text-based MCLE exercises to a new service provider. If you had bookmarked this page in the past, you can now find our online MCLE quizzes at this page. Save 25% With Our California MCLE Self-Study Bundles. Use the Discount Code IFL25.     Click here to read answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding completing and certifying California MCLE exercises completed with Internet For Lawyers.
COURSE DESCRIPTION	READ ARTICLE	BUY NOW
LEGAL ETHICS EXERCISES (complete any FOUR of the following)
Legal Ethics Considerations for Lawyers' Use of Cloud Computing Services (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
American Bar Association's Formal Ethics Opinion 10-457 Covering Attorneys' Use of Web Sites to Market Their Practices (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	INCLUDED IN QUIZ
How to Network Comfortably and Ethically (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
The Ethical Case For Client Satisfaction (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
Contacting Unrepresented Persons via Social Networking Sites - New York State Bar and Philadelphia Bar Ethics Opinions (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
Contacting Unrepresented Persons via Social Networking Sites - New York City Bar Ethics Opinion (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
Should You or Shouldn't You? Legal Advertising in California (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	INCLUDED IN QUIZ
Ethics of Attorney Web Sites in California (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
Adhering to the California State Bar Rules of Professional Conduct (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	INCLUDED IN QUIZ
Ethical Requirements of Attorney Oversight & Supervision of Paralegal Staff in California (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	INCLUDED IN QUIZ
ELIMINATION OF BIAS EXERCISES (complete either of the following)
Diversity Makes Cents: The Business Case for Diversity (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
Pipeline Programs Enhance Diversity in the Legal Profession  (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
SUBSTANCE ABUSE EXERCISES (complete the following)
California Lawyers' Assistance Program-Prevention, Detection & Treatment of Substance Abuse (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	INCLUDED IN QUIZ
GENERAL CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION (LAW PRACTICE MANAGEMENT) EXERCISES
Congress.gov: How to Search for Federal Bills, Laws, the Congressional Record, and Committee Reports (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
How to Research the U.S. Code Online (two hours Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
From Due Diligence to Corporate Intelligence (two hours Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE-CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED
Finding Government Documents on the Internet (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
How Public Are Public Records? (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE
Free California Internet Legal Research (two hours Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE	MCLE QUIZ-CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED
Finding Entertainment Law Resources Online: From Scholarship to Scandal (two hours Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE-CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED	MCLE QUIZ-CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED
Looking For Evidence in Virtual Places: Admissibility of Internet Evidence (one hour Self-study California MCLE credit)	MCLE ARTICLE

The post Access Page for Online Legal Ethics, General, Elimination of Bias and Substance Abuse Online California MCLE Exercises appeared first on Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in California, MCLE Los Angeles, CLE Orange County, Irvine & San Francisco.

California Attorneys and Paralegals can satisfy all of their required MCLE credits by completing any four of the following (ten) self-study MCLE quizzes.

Internet For Lawyers offers California Attorneys & Paralegals who wish to complete all of their Legal Ethics MCLE requirement online a package price of only $60.00 to complete all four hours here. You may elect to complete any of the four exercises listed below. (This is a $20.00 savings over the regular price of $20.00 per hour.) Click here for more information.

Completing any of the exercises below earns you one hour of California self-study Legal ethics Continuing Legal Education credit.You can select any four of the following self-study MCLE exercises to complete your entire California Continuing Legal Education requirement of four hours of Legal Ethics credit and pay only $15/credit-hour.

(Note that some of these Legal Ethics MCLE exercises have reading material included in the quiz, while others have a separate article associated with them.)

Legal Ethics Considerations for Lawyers' Use of Cloud Computing Services

We often get questions about the security of "cloud computing" services like Google Apps and whether that security is tight enough for lawyers to use them. Google Apps, for example, meets the security standards put in place for the online storage of government agencies' information set out in the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2000 (FISMA 44 U.S.C. § 3541, et seq.). The ABA recently adopted changes to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct dealing with the question of whether and how lawyers might deal with "confidentiality issues arising from technology." The changes were, "designed to give lawyers more guidance regarding their confidentiality- related obligations when using technology." This excercise provides a compilation and overview of the existing Ethics Opinions produced, to date, by Bar Associations around the country.

Read the Article | Go to the Quiz

ABA Formal Opinion 10-457 Dealing With Lawyer Websites
As early as 1996, many state bar associations began issuing formal (or advisory) ethics opinions on the ethical uses of Internet technology. Many of those opinions relating to Web sites and online communications apply the advertising rules that already exist for print advertising. In the late Summer of 2010, the American Bar Association issued its Formal Opinion 10-457 discussing ethical concerns for lawyers who maintain Web sites.

Go to the Quiz

Client Service: The Ethical Case for Keeping Clients Satisfied
If you ask most attorneys whether their clients are satisfied, the vast majority would, of course, say "yes." If you then ask them "what makes you so sure?" the responses would typically range from "They don’t complain" and "They’re nice to me" to "They pay their bills" or "They continue to do business with us." A closer examination of these reasons, however, reveals that such client behavior hardly indicates satisfaction.

Read the Article | Go to the Quiz

How to Network Comfortably and Ethically
Everyone knows that, much like diet and exercise, networking is good for you and that, similarly, there are lots of excuses for avoiding it. This exercise applies specific Rules of Professional Conduct to effective networking strategies.

Read the Article | Go to the Quiz

Contacting Unrepresented Persons via Social Networking Sites - New York State Bar and Philadelphia Bar Ethics Opinions
More and more attorneys and judges are using social media. Some use it for its intended purpose of social networking (and, for the lesser intended purpose of marketing). Others take advantage of the information contained in these sites for an unintended purpose - investigative research. Legal pundits have argued (online and in print) about the ethical issues for attorneys utilizing this information in the matters they handle. Few Bar Associations have opined on the topic. Two exceptions are the Philadelphia Bar and the New York State Bar. They addressed the specific questions of whether it is ethical for an attorney to ask a non-lawyer assistant to "friend" an unrepresented witness even if the non-lawyer uses her real name but without also disclosing the reasons for making the request? Learn which ethics rules that these Ethics Opinions point out for potential violation by this activity.

Read the Article | Go to the Quiz

Contacting Unrepresented Persons via Social Networking Sites - New York City Bar Ethics Opinion
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York considered a question similar to the one presented to the New York State Bar and the Philadelphia Bar. The New York City Bar's Committee on Professional and Judicial Ethics' Opinion 2010-2 (Sept. 2010) concluded that there would be no violation of the rules of professional conduct if an attorney or her agent uses her real name and profile to send a "friend request" to obtain information from an unrepresented person's social networking website without also disclosing the reasons for making the request. Learn the New York City Bar's reasoning behind their decision.

Read the Article | Go to the Quiz

California Legal Ethics Quiz; Legal Advertising Should You or Shouldn't You?
There are numerous ethical considerations one makes in the day to day practice of law. While some seem to follow simple common sense, others are a bit less clear.

This ten question quiz will help you learn where to easily find answers to your ethical questions utilizing free State Bar and academic resources on the Internet.

Go to the quiz

The Ethics of Attorney Web Sites in California
The Bar's standing Committee on Professional Responsibility & Conduct has issued a Formal Opinion addressing ethical issues related to attorneys announcing their services via Internet web sites. Whether you already have your own web site or are just beginning to consider launching one, this ten question quiz will help you learn where to easily find answers to ethical questions regarding your web site.

Go to the quiz.

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Adhering to the CA State Bar Rules of Professional Conduct
The California State Bar's Rules of Professional Conduct lay out very specific guidelines to regulate the professional conduct of its members - through discipline. These rules have been adopted by the Board of Governors of the Bar and approved by the Supreme Court of California pursuant to Business & Professions Code Sections 6076 and 6077 to protect the public and to promote respect and confidence in the legal profession.

This quiz is designed to give you an overview of some of the highlights of these rules to keep in mind as you build your practice.

Go to the quiz.

Ethical Requirements of Attorney Oversight & Supervision of Paralegal Staff in California
Recent changes to the California Rules of Professional Conduct spell out VERY specific requirements for minimum continuing legal education for Paralegals AND the responsibilities of Attorneys with whom they work.

This quiz is designed to give Paralegals AND Attorneys an overview of how these rules affect EACH of them.

Go to the quiz.

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The post Online Legal Ethics MCLE Quizzes for California Lawyers & Paralegals appeared first on Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in California, MCLE Los Angeles, CLE Orange County, Irvine & San Francisco.

GROUP 2 - California attorneys with last names H-M
Next California MCLE compliance deadline for period 2/1/12 - 1/31/15 is Feb. 2, 2015

GROUP 1 - California attorneys with last names A-G
Next California MCLE compliance deadline for period 2/1/13 - 1/31/16 is Feb. 1, 2016

GROUP 3 - California attorneys with last names N-Z
Next California MCLE compliance deadline for period 2/1/14 - 1/31/17 is Feb. 1, 2017

Answers to other frequently asked questions about California MCLE compliance and requirements can be found at https://www.netforlawyers.com/page/california-mcle.

The California Business and Professions Code and the State Bar of California require active attorneys, except those statutorily exempt, to take 25 hours of continuing legal education courses (MCLE) every three years, including four hours of legal ethics, and one hour each of elimination of bias and detection and prevention of substance abuse or mental illness. Lawyers must keep documentation for at least a year after their compliance is due.

Historically, California attorneys have submitted affirmation of their compliance with their MCLE requirements on a paper California MCLE Compliance Card. Now, in lieu of submitting a paper compliance card, California attorneys are encouraged to report their compliance online through their online  My California State Bar Profile.

Every month the Internet For Lawyers' free newsletter delivers Internet legal research and marketing information to your e-mail inbox, as well as updates to our calendar of upcoming seminars and events.

The post California Bar MCLE Compliance Deadlines appeared first on Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in California, MCLE Los Angeles, CLE Orange County, Irvine & San Francisco.

If you ask most attorneys whether their clients are satisfied, the vast majority would, of course, say "yes." If you then ask them "what makes you so sure?" the responses would typically range from "They don’t complain" and "They’re nice to me" to "They pay their bills" or "They continue to do business with us." A closer examination of these reasons, however, reveals that such client behavior hardly indicates satisfaction.

Your're Not as Good as You Think Customer satisfaction surveys in all industries indicate that when a customer receives poor service, only about 4% will actually complain. There is no reason to think that the figure is any different within the legal industry. In fact, the percentage may be even less since some clients are intimidated by their lawyers and, as a result, would never even think of complaining. You may have even experienced this yourself. Think about the times you have been out to a restaurant and received either lousy food or service. How often do you complain? Most of the time, you probably don’t. You just never go back again.

Lawyers also read too much into the fact that bills paid in a timely manner reflect client satisfaction. Nothing could be further from the truth. For example, if you’re like me, you pay your cell phone bills on time. If you’re also like me, you could probably write a book about ways that your cell phone company could improve its service to you.

Finally, many attorneys assume that clients who continue to do business with them must be satisfied. Why else would they keep coming back? Reasonable assumption? Yes, but wrong in many instances. Let’s go back to the cell phone company. Why don’t I switch? Primarily because I’m lazy. I don’t have the time to research other companies. I assume competitors are probably no different and while the service is not good, it is not awful. Would I ever switch? You betcha. What would it take? One of two things; either an instance of horrendous service or I learn that a competitor is offering a significantly better deal than I have now. In other words, I’m looking for an excuse to stop doing business and eventually I will find it. Your clients are no different. Many are either waiting for something noticeably better down the street or for you to make a colossal mistake.

Statistics further indicate that clients are not as satisfied as lawyers think. In 2001, a national consulting firm polled Fortune 1000 clients and found that 75% of them were not satisfied. Significantly, of the 25% that were satisfied, client service drove satisfaction two times more than any other reason cited.

The obvious disconnect between lawyer perception and client reality is supported by a recent Corporate Legal Times survey. When asked to respond to the question "The level of law firm service has improved over the past five years," seventy-five percent of the lawyers responding said yes, but only 35% of the General Counsels responding agreed.

Why is Client Service so Important? Client service is the most critical component in maintaining client satisfaction for a variety of reasons. First, it provides you or your law firm with a competitive edge. Can you name a department store or airline that has a great reputation for customer service? Many would answer Nordstrom and Southwest Airlines. Now, can you name a law firm in your state or anywhere in the nation with a great reputation for client service? You can’t because there aren’t any. Law firms certainly have reputations, but they are usually about such things as their expertise or aggressiveness.

Lawyers have a tendency to overestimate the importance of their expertise and competence as the competitive edge. This is especially true in the corporate world. The reality is that generally speaking, the majority of law firms representing corporate America do very good work. As an in-house corporate attorney for more than a dozen years who routinely hired outside counsel, I rarely, if ever, worried about the competency of the attorneys I retained. I always assumed they would be competent and that assumption proved to be accurate virtually all of the time. However, I always worried about the type of service that I would receive from outside counsel. Would they be responsive? Keep me informed? Keep the matter moving along? Bill my company reasonably? Treat me like I wanted to be treated? I rarely had complete confidence in these matters. If I had had complete confidence in a firm, they would have always received my business.

When coaching lawyers on business development strategies, I always stress the importance of being able to distinguish themselves from the competition. What better way to do that than by emphasizing how you serve your clients. Lawyers who are technical experts are a dime a dozen; lawyers who provide extraordinary client service are few and far between.

Another reason why client service is so crucial is that when handling a legal matter for a client, the service that you provide is the only thing you have complete control over and the client can intelligently evaluate. Clients judge lawyers based on three things: 1) results; 2) outputs; and 3) service. Let’s examine each one.

Results means simply "Did we win?" or "Did the deal close?" But how much control do lawyers have over these matters? Very little. While advocacy skills can certainly make a difference in litigation, when all is said and done, most cases are won or lost based on the facts and the law; factors lawyers have little control over. Even the best corporate lawyer may not be able to close a transaction if a party’s unreasonable demand blows up a deal.

Outputs are the work produced by lawyers. Examples include briefs or contracts. How many of your clients carefully review your briefs? And even if they do, do they know the difference between a good one and bad one? Unlikely. As for contracts, when was the last time you had a client remark to you "You know that indemnification clause you inserted in our last deal; that was the best one I’ve ever seen!" The fact of the matter is that most clients, even sophisticated in-house counsel, either don’t have the time or the expertise to intelligently evaluate your work product.

Now let’s talk about service. How much control do you have over whether you return a phone call within a reasonable amount of time? Will your client be able to evaluate whether you were responsive? Lawyering involves so many things that are beyond an attorney’s control and an exhibition of skills that clients cannot evaluate. Why not take full advantage of the one thing you can control and clients fully understand?

A final reason why service is so important is the avoidance of ethics complaints. In California, as well as nationwide, the vast majority of ethics complaints relate to service issues. Within the California Rules of Professional Conduct, three rules govern most of the service-related aspects of the lawyer-client relationship. The first is Rule 3-110 - Failing to Act Competently. Here, the service-related complaint is frequently "Why is this taking so long?" The second Rule is Rule 3-500 - Communication. Clients want to know "What is going on?" Finally, there’s Rule 4-200. Fees for Legal Service. The complaint here is "Why did this cost so much?"

In order to avoid these types of complaints, you need to establish an excellent working relationship with your client. Few lawyers appreciate the fact that, while law is a profession, it is nevertheless first and foremost, a service business. In many ways, you are no different than the person who cuts your hair. Let me explain. If you’re like me, your hair has been cut by the same barber/hairdresser for many years. Now ask yourself, in theory, is there someone else in your town who could do a better job? Is there someone else who could do it for less money than what you’re paying now? The answer to both questions is most likely, yes. So, if you know there is someone who could do a better job and for less money, then why do you stay with your present barber/hairdresser? For many of us, it’s because of the great relationship you have with them. You like them, you trust them, you believe they will do their best for you and they care about you; the same precise reasons why many of your clients keep coming back to you.

Managing Expectaions - What do Clients Expect? What’s the secret to establishing great relationships with your clients? Manage and, at times, exceed their expectations. Whenever handling matters, your clients have a slew of expectations regarding a wide variety of issues. Successful lawyers ascertain those expectations, communicate and negotiate which expectations are realistic and which are not, and then satisfy, or better, exceed those expectations. And remember to check in with your clients throughout the course of the representation to make sure their expectations are being satisfied. Client expectations are a moving target and you need to carefully perceive the movements. Most of your clients won’t complain when something disappoints them, but they won’t likely forget.

Which expectations ultimately determine if your clients will be satisfied? It helps to categorize them into four separate areas. I will summarize the four and then go into more detail about each later.

The first expectation is quality. Your clients have expectations regarding how the process itself works, as well as the outcome. Second, is time. Clients have expectations about when things will get done. Third, is price. Clients have expectations regarding the cost of legal representation. Finally, there is the interpersonal piece of the equation. Clients have expectations about how they will be treated. Ultimately, you will be judged in all of these areas. By the time the matter is concluded, your clients will walk away with an intangible "feeling" that the entire experience was either satisfactory or not based on these categories.

Quality Quality consists of two separate components. The first is the process. Are you easy to do business with? A sampling of process-type items that may be important to your clients includes, how convenient is parking? Is there something to read in the reception area if you are running late? Are your bills easy to understand? If you need to review their documents, do you make an extra effort to make it as painless as possible for them to gather them up for you? In short, are your processes as user-friendly as possible.

The second component of quality is the outcome. Most lawyers overestimate the importance of the outcome as a factor in determining client satisfaction. Now don’t get me wrong, clients are definitely very concerned about outcomes, but client satisfaction is determined far more by how well you manage the expectation of the outcome, rather than the outcome itself.

One of the most challenging aspects of being a lawyer is communicating to your clients what you think the result will be. Most attorneys fall into one of two camps: they are either "cheerleaders" or "chicken littles." The cheerleaders tell clients what they want to hear. In many of those instances, they inevitably end up with a very disappointed client when the bad result comes in. Then there are the chicken littles. They tell their clients every conceivable reason why the matter may not turn out the way the clients want it to. They act this way because they believe that the clients then won’t blame them for a bad result since they’ve been adequately forewarned. The problem with this approach is that who wants to hire a lawyer who tells you all of the ways the matter can go wrong? They will take their business elsewhere. Clients want lawyers with a "can-do" attitude. The best lawyers are cheerleaders and chicken littles at the same time. They consistently convey a supportive outlook, while at the same time, when necessary, know when and how to deliver the news that they know their clients don’t want to hear. It is an art and a science...and few do it well.

Time When you call someone and leave a message, what is your expectation as to when it will be returned? 2 hours? 4 hours? Same day? We all have an expectation and certainly your clients have expectations whenever they leave a message for you. Do you know what that expectation is? Have you ever thought to ask? If you don’t ask, how do you know if you are successfully managing their expectation? What about e-mail? If your client sends you an e-mail, when do they expect a response from you? I don’t care how busy you are, under most circumstances, with the technology available today, there is really no excuse for not getting back to a client on the same day a call or e-mail is received. It may not be during normal business hours, but you can always acknowledge the receipt of the message by voicemail or email in the evening and let clients know when they can expect to hear from you. It’s just common courtesy that all clients deserve.

Price A recent survey by Corporate Legal Times indicated that billing issues are the number one source of friction with corporate clients. No surprise here. But here’s a startling statistic from that same survey. Thirty-five percent of the General Counsels believed that law firms padded their bills. In others words, over a third thought that major corporate law firms were literally stealing from them. That’s a pretty sad commentary about our profession.

There is obviously a serious communication gap between lawyers and clients regarding fees. Many lawyers feel uncomfortable discussing fees and simply state their hourly rate or that they work on a contingency fee basis. Rarely do lawyers explain to clients the value of the service being provided. Clients will have far fewer complaints about high fees if they have a better understanding of what you are trying to accomplish and why it is necessary to do certain tasks. Always try to provide a budget and keep it up to date. Few things upset clients more with respect to fees than a monthly bill that has unanticipated fees on it. That should never occur if you are communicating properly with your clients. If something turns out to take longer than anticipated, clients should be informed at the time you are doing the work, not when the bill is sent out weeks later. Once again, it all comes back to managing expectations.

Interpersonal Finally, there are the interpersonal skills of the lawyer. Are you polite? Do you listen? Are you reliable? Do you appreciate your clients’ business? In short, are you treating your clients the way they want to be treated? The importance of these skills cannot be overstated because if you make a mistake here, your client may not forgive you and will take their business elsewhere. Let’s go back to the other three categories. Will your client leave you if your parking is not that convenient? If you manage the outcome expectation of a litigation matter, will your client leave you if you lose? Will they leave you if you take an extra day to return a phone call? Will they leave you if one month’s bill is higher than anticipated? Under most circumstances, they will not take their business elsewhere. They will forgive you. However, if you are rude, don’t listen or aren’t reliable, many will leave. Why? Because they take those things personally.

Conclusion In sum, if you want to be a successful lawyer and significantly reduce the likelihood of having an ethics complaint filed against you, you can’t ignore client service. I’m sure that many of you have been thinking to yourself while reading this article, "I don’t have time for all this stuff; I only have time to practice law." The truth is that all of this "stuff" is the practice of law.

After reading this article, attorneys can earn one hour of participatory "Legal Ethics" California MCLE credit by completing and submitting the associated exercise.

If you are interested in submitting an article for consideration for a future issue of the Internet For Lawyers newsletter, send it as an attachment (in Microsoft Word) to editor@netforlawyers.com.

The post Client Service – The Ethical Case for Keeping Clients Satisfied appeared first on Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in California, MCLE Los Angeles, CLE Orange County, Irvine & San Francisco.