I finally got around to completing my Illinois MCLE Compliance Report for 7/1/09 to 6/30/11 today and was unpleasantly surprised. Why??

Quoting the Report…

If you are claiming any non-traditional credits, you must pay a $20.00 non-traditional credit flat fee with this form…

Attended bar association or professional association meeting(s) at which you earned 1.0 hour or less of MCLE credit per meeting (Rule 795(d)(3))…

I guess I had a bit more CLE cushion during my last reporting period and didn’t notice the above, but this year I got 20 bucks taken from my wallet based on the 1 hour or less rule. I’m not totally sure about the basis for the fees…it’s not clear from Rule 795. I suppose the MCLE Board has broad authority to implement the MCLE reporting requirements for Illinois attorneys.

That said the 1 hour or less fee does rub me the wrong way. Why? Primarily because if you’re like me you attend a ton of short, often lunch hour, CLE programs and committee hearings. The CBA lunch hour committee meetings are my personal CLE bread-and-butter and I’m guessing I’m not the exception.

First, the Disaster Legal Services Manuel put out by ISBA (free resource). A useful lawyer and non-lawyer resource.

Second, whether you’re in a CLE hours crunch or golly, you just want to learn something to make yourself a better lawyer and business person…a free CLE from ARDC:

Law Practice Transitions: The Ethical Obligations When Selling, Closing or Leaving a Law Practice.

Career Advice: Find one of the most obscure, yet important government agencies to work for coming out of law school and then once you’ve gotten 5-10 years of experience at that entity flip sides and use those relationships and knowledge to build a great law practice representing people before that agency/commission. I stole that nugget from Wheaton attorney Irene Bahr who was part of my CLE panel this last Saturday. Note that she first worked for the Illinois State Liquor Commission and now she exclusively represents prominent companies before it as a sole practitioner.

Buy your office: Two of four panelists from Saturday owned their office spaces and when I asked them what their best decisions were as small firm attorneys buying their office space was the answer. I don’t see this too much although my first office was as part of a lawyer suite owned by a lawyer. Probably more of an investment/portfolio planning issue almost than an attorney matter.

33.33333333……%. Andrea Buford was an impressive member of our panel as well Saturday. She heads an 8-attorney practice that was founded in 2001. And the 1/3 number is her breakdown of time spent between marketing/business administration/substantive legal work…one-third for each. I think a lot of us don’t get up to the third for marketing and business admin.

Legal work from the do-it-yourself crowd. Saw this nugget from Mattoon attorney Janet Grove in the Illinois Bar Journal. She makes a standing offer that she will spend up to 30 minutes reviewing anyone’s will free of charge tapping into that group of people who have tried to build an estate plan without a lawyer. Is there a way for you to play this trend? There’s gotta be one for me…just in the Daley law library yesterday and there are always people at the front desk getting the forms to likely improperly handle a dissolution of marriage.

And finally a Thanksgiving moment, one of the great scenes from one of my favorite television programs…our President Josiah Barlett talks turkey:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sometimes I can actually read when I’m writing on this blog and thus I ended up attending a couple seminars and conferences recently. My random thoughts both from the rostrum and as an audience member…

Out-of-town conferences offer a good opportunity for learning, networking, productivity and FUN. It had been a few years since I attended an out-of-town seminar and I’m surely not here to compare Springfield, IL to San Francisco in terms of the most exotic of conference locations (our Executive Mansion needs better tour docents) but I really enjoyed my 3 days in Springfield at several different levels. In no particular order…it’s easy to remain pretty darn productive at a conference hotel with a smartphone or laptop with you and wireless Internet access freely available. Quite frankly if my wife hadn’t accompanied me to Springfield I don’t think I would have missed a beat on the law firm/work side of things at all. I’d suggest it’s almost a more productive time than just “being in the office.” I’m meeting people, having fun, learning new things and concepts, and on top of legal work at a good conference hotel. Maybe I’ll finally get to Blogworld in 2010.

Get as close to your current clients as you possibly can. That’s among the nuggets from a presentation by management consultant John Olmstead. The overarching marketing point he made was that his lawyer clients often approach him about new marketing/sales ideas but his first questions is, what are you doing with the clients you already have/had? The point is simple right, but often forgotten. It’s a lot more likely that future legal work is going to come from that person whom you know and knows you and you have their contact information and you have a relationship versus engaging some person in the general public who might somehow come in contact with you.

The Connected Lawyer is NOT a fan of 3-in-1 printer/scanner/copiers. But they sure save surface area Bryan!

And some interesting nuggets from the ARDC CLE…

• During 2008, the ARDC docketed nearly 6,000 investigations yet only 124 of those actually resulted in ARDC prosecutions. More than 3,800 of the initial 6,000 alleged case neglect or communication failings.
• The Top 4 grievances docketed by area of law: 1) Criminal/Quasi-Criminal; 2) Domestic Relations; 3) Tort; and, 4) Real Estate/Landlord-Tenant.
• As for fee matters that get to hearing they fall into the following categories:
  –Overcharging…must be extreme. The example was a case of $150,000 in attorneys fees charged for entry of a guilty plee.
  –Billing more than a 24-hour day to a state agency for attorney’s fees.
  –Fraudulent billing at a document review project where the project’s software was timing the lawyer.

No joke ISBA is offering several FREE Webcasts including one entitled:

Brick by Brick: Building a Law Practice in Challenging Times

June 30, 2009 @ 12pm from your desktop!

Here’s a blurb…

In this panel discussion webcast, the speakers provide practical advice for starting and building a small firm practice during a financial crisis by drawing on personal experience. Topics include naming your firm, choosing a location, running your practice efficiently, client referrals, billing and collections, blogging, staffing, and much more! Peter Olson will host the webcast and be available to answer questions via the chat feature throughout the course of this program. Course materials are available onscreen and for download during the webcast.

Access to this program is restricted to ISBA members only.

Thanks to my fellow panelists Cheryl Morrison and Charles Drennen…it was quite fun to put on in-studio with no audience.

Anyone interested in helping me put on a 1 hour CLE for the IL State Bar Assn. in next 2-3 weeks loosely on the topic of starting a law practice in our current economy? All welcome with taping in Chicago (you can get reimbursed for travel if you’re not in Chicagland) at convenient time for presenters. Broadly looking for someone who may have started a practice out of law school in last year or so. Also, someone who worked at firms for years and got laid off during recession and now has started a firm. You or know anyone available/interested??

Contact me ASAP.

I attended a pretty good real estate CLE last week down at CBA.  Like many of you, I complete most of my CLE thru the Chicago Bar’s CLEAdvantage program which is essentially unlimited CLE for $125 annually (sorry ISBA I love ya but the Firm’s bottomline must come first). Mostly review but real estate is my second largest practice area and you always get a few tips.

But they still don’t talk MONEY!! Is it me or is there an aversion to talking billing/collections/billing rates at CLE programs?

Speaking personally, I can think of nothing that’s more important yet of which I’m more ignorant about than pricing legal services. Seriously, my fee setting is based on experiences at two firms I worked at some 5-7 years ago and seeing the rare fee petition that gets filed against a client. So, in an attempt to be part of the solution, I’ve created a couple forums where I hope some frank discussions about the business of law will occur:

• Solo In Chicago on Facebook
• Solo In Chicago on LinkedIn
• Follow Solo In Chicago on Twitter:  @soloinchicago

Saw this nugget at new to me blog Law and Conversation…

Scott Nathanson, an Attorney/Regional Manager at Chicago Title’s 1031 IPX Exchange Division, has some good info for Illinois lawyers looking to satisfy their CLE requirements for FREE:

IPX 1031, Chicago Title’s and Ticor Title’s 1031 division, is offering an online webinar on May 19th. Attorneys will receive 2 FREE MCLE credit hours. Log on from your desk on May 19th!

Topic: Recent Developments In 1031 Exchanges

Date: Tuesday May 19th

Time: 11:00-1:00

Illinois Attorney MCLE hours: 2

To attend this conference, please follow the steps below:

1. Register by emailing Anna Barsky your ARDC# ( anna.barsky@ipx1031.com )

2. Login to the webinar on May 19^th by clicking: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/352918459 and calling 914-339-0014

-Access Code: 352-918-459

-Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting

-Meeting ID: 352-918-459

3. The ARDC requires that you complete an evaluation in order to receive CLE credits. The evaluation form will be emailed to you after registration.

Contact Anna Barsky with any questions – 312.223.2169

I’m really not hearing from attorney friends who have to rush to finish their 20 CLE credits by June 30, 2009 am I?

Au Contraire, I’ve heard from several attorneys asking about how to get 10 quick hours over the next couple of months. It’s just mind-blowing to me that a Professional who should be trying to be the best that she is capable of becoming as an attorney wouldn’t almost by osmosis complete 20 hours of continuing legal education over the course of 2 years! You can’t be serious.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The professional responsibility portion…well, that’s another story, that requirement is pointless and I’ll admit to being signed up for a program entitled The Content Lawyer in May to finish up my PMCLE requirement.