October 2008

As a trucking accident trial attorney in Atlanta, I find myself speaking at continuing legal education seminars around the country pretty often. This year I’ve spoken on various aspects of trucking litigation at CLE programs in Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans, and have been asked to speak at upcoming seminars in California and Pennsylvania. That’s doesn’t mean I’m all that good, just that I never learned to say no and do better than average Power Point.

Today I got word of appointment to the Board of Trustees of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia. My thoughts trailed back 15 years to the first ICLE program I chaired, "Insurance Law for the General Practitioner," in the fall of 1993.

It is impossible to overstate the vital importance of continuing legal education to maintain the competence of any member of the legal profession in any practice area.  The minimum required CLE for all Georgia lawyers is pretty basic.  I never cease to be amazed at the lawyers who resent and resist attending continuing legal education programs and wind up getting their hours in a video replay on some topic irrelevant to their practice the week before the final deadline for the year.

Last Friday, I was one of the speakers at the American Association for Justice Interstate Trucking Litigation Group seminar in Chicago.  It reminded me of my father’s advice to surround myself with people smarter than myself.

The collection of new ideas for effective investigation, discovery, preparation and trial in truck crash cases was well worth the trip.  Of course, some of those ideas are too good to put out on the Internet. 

For whatever it’s worth, I came home with invitations to speak at trucking litigation seminars next year on both coasts.  I may not be the brightest bulb on the tree, but the best part of being the faculty on such programs is the opportunity to glean ideas from the other speakers.