MEMBERSHIP
Important , Convenient & Easy : Your # AtlBar CLEs
BRITTANIE BROWNING Hall Booth Smith , PC bbrowning @ hallboothsmith . com
The CLE Board of Trustees works to develop CLE content for our membership , as well as to plan longer CLE programs such as Pro Bono March Madness and But You Said You ’ re a Lawyer ?! The Board is comprised of 10 Atlanta Bar Association members who are dedicated to assisting on the major board CLE initiatives and providing support to the Sections in their planning and programming of CLE events . Beyond those events , the CLE Board of Trustees oversees the online library and content of CLE programs ondemand for the Atlanta Bar Association . As we have all increasingly relied on virtual learning this year , the online CLE library has added new content to benefit our members and remain current on new topics . Now , more than ever , attorneys are watching online CLEs to obtain their necessary credit hours . The Georgia Supreme Court extended the six hour in-person waiver until March 31 , 2021 , so now is the perfect time to explore all that the Atlanta Bar has to offer for virtual CLEs in the online CLE library .
As part of the new wave of CLE offerings , I watched “ Just Mercy and Access to Justice : Illuminating Bias , Confronting Systemic Racism , Part 1 .” This highly anticipated CLE is the first installment in a series based on the movie ( and sourced from the book by Bryan Stevenson ). With over a thousand people attending the event live , the presentation was approximately two hours with a panel of five individuals who offered unique perspectives on the topics of racial injustice , implicit bias , and access to equal justice . The panel consisted of a law professor , a mental health professional , a private investigator , and two exonerees . After reviewing challenging clips from the film , the panelists reacted to the scene and applied it to real-life situations in their lives and careers . The exonerees shared their experiences of being wrongly convicted and placed on death row for years . It was powerful to hear about their perspective on equal justice and how they are now using that experience to help others and rebuild their lives . The topic is poignant and timely for our current times because it shed light on the issue and how lawyers can be instrumental in the process . I enjoyed the fact that the CLE was designed for the virtual platform with a live audience who could participate in the online chat session with the panelists and pose questions or scenarios for discussion . The formatting was conducive to watching on your computer or device . This CLE provides one hour of ethics and one hour of professionalism . The second installment is soon to be added to the online library .
Attending these CLEs online is easy . Simply go to the Atlanta Bar ’ s website , click on the “ CLE ” tab on the main page , and find the listing for “ Online Library .” Once there , you can see all the topics available for CLE credit . After logging in , you can register for the class you wish to attend , and after paying the registration fee , the class is listed in your available courses . Once you watch the CLE , the Atlanta Bar Association will handle reporting the credit to the Georgia Bar . It is that easy ! You can find a variety of topics , including the always popular ethics and professionalism credits .
The wide range of topics from Estate Law to Family Law ensures there really is something for everyone and for every practice area . Recently , new pop culture topics were added to the offerings such as “ Murder for Hire , the Prosecution of Joseph Maldonado-Passage , A . K . A . the Tiger King ” or “ Why Attorneys Strike Out : Professionalism in Sports and the Legal Profession .” If you have not looked into the online library yet , I encourage you to do so and see what new offerings are available to meet your CLE requirements .
Don ’ t forget another benefit of your Atlanta Bar membership : the CLE coupon . As an Atlanta Bar member , you receive a onetime annual $ 75 CLE coupon that can be applied to our live CLE events presented by the Atlanta Bar Association . If you would like to attend virtual CLEs live , visit the calendar of events on the website . We encourage members to make the most of their membership and participate in all that the Bar offers .
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