Continuing Legal Education

The RCBA is a State Bar-approved Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) provider. The CLE Committee is responsible for overseeing the MCLE Program. The committee meets monthly to discuss ideas for upcoming programs that will be interesting for RCBA members and will help them comply with State Bar educational requirements. The current committee consists of five members: Melissa Cushman, Susan Exon, Abram Feuerstein (Co-Chair), L. Alexandra Fong, and Brandon Mercer (Co-Chair). The CLE Committee is also responsible for the annual CLE marathon, where attorneys can obtain 4 of the 6 specialty credits (2 hours of Legal Ethics, 1 hour of Competence Issues, and 1 hour of Recognition and Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession and Society) for a low-cost. 

In 2013-2014, the CLE Committee conducted a monthly series of MCLE programs devoted to trial practice skills, including the following topics:

1. Motions in Limine;
2. Voir Dire;
3. Opening Statements;
4. How to Prepare Your Client for Testifing at Trial;
5. Direct Examination;
6. Cross Examination;
7. Expert Discovery;
8. How to Present Expert Testimony;
9. Evidentiary Objections from a Judicial Perspective;
10. Closing Arguments.

The CLE Committee's first series was well attended and featured many distinguished speakers from the legal community. 

In 2014-2015, the CLE Committee conducted a monthly series of MCLE programs devoted to civil litigation skills, including the following topics:

1. Client Intake, including Drafting the Complaint;
2. Responding to the Complaint, including Attacking the Pleadings;
3. Investigating the Claim (Sub-Rosa);
4. Developing a Discovery Plan;
5. Legal Research;
6. Law & Motion;
7. Expert Discovery;
8. Case Management & Trial Setting;
9. Dispositive Motions, including Motions for Summary Judgment;
10. Alternative Dispute Resolution;
11. Basic Trial Preparation;

The CLE Committee's second series was well attended and featured many distinguished speakers from the legal community.

For the 2016-2017 year, the CLE Committee hopes to begin a series of CLEs focused on motion practice. We are looking for attorneys and judges to speak on a wide variety of topics, including demurrers, motions to strike, motions for judgment on the pleadings, Anti-SLAPP motions, motions to compel, motions for summary judgment, pre-trial motions, and post-judgment motions.

If you are interested in learning about other topics, please contact the CLE Committee. If you are interested in presenting a CLE, please contact the CLE Committee. If you are interested in joining the CLE Committee, monthly meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month, from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Board Room at RCBA. The committee is always looking for new members and ideas for future MCLE programs that RCBA members will enjoy.

CLE Events