ApexCLE

CLE Faculty Information

We are always looking for new faculty to to present a CLE program of an hour or more. If you have significant legal experience and like giving seminars, you may make a great online presenter. We provide a professional stipend to our presenters.

To start the process, please complete a CLE Course Description.

ApexCLE is an Illinois based continuing legal education "CLE" provider approved by the MCLE Board of the Illinois Supreme Court since 2007 providing high-quality, online CLE courses for attorneys.

As a member of the ApexCLE faculty, your benefits include:

We pay a professional stipend;
7 hours of CLE presentation credit for yourself;
Recognition of your status as an expert in the field;
Illinois Accredited MCLE Teaching Certificate;
Professional development;
Local, national and international exposure;
Highest quality programs in the country;
Networking, marketing and referral aspects including website links, contact information and video marketing.

The Process of Presenting with ApexCLE:

Fill out CLE Course Description. If you don't have a a presentation prepared, tell us what you'd like to present on and we'll let you know if we have the materials.
Respond to our email scheduling a time to record your presentation.
Prepare written materials for presentation. Have at least 1 hour and 15 minutes of material to present. Your written materials should include: the material that you're presenting on, a headshot (if you have one) and biography information.
Provide us with the written material 14 days before your recording date. Your written materials should be more than an outline and include a substantive summary of the law and topic that you will present. Your written materials should be in a Microsoft Word format or Google Docs format.
Come to our office in Mount Prospect, IL and record your presentation. Recordings take around 2-3 hours for every 1 hour of substantive material.
Your CLE Certificate of Attendance will be forwarded to you within approximately thirty days. We issue the certificate when the course is posted live.

The Quick Rundown (For Presenting):

Do:

Have 1 hour and 15 minutes of material to present
Use regular makeup
Wear business attire
Slow down and have fun
Expect to have a difficult time presenting to a camera

Don't:

Wear thin stripes or lines
Wear green
Add additional makeup
Panic

Please note that if you choose to become a presenter we will be taking the following COVID-19 precautions at our office in Mount Prospect, IL:

All surfaces will be sanitized.
Social distancing will be practiced.
Contact with other individuals will be minimized.
The person recording your presentation will be wearing a mask and will be outside the room.
Our mask policy is updated with current health guidelines.
You will be in the room by yourself while recording.

Possible Topics:

Anything you're qualified to present on

National Diversity/Inclusion CLE

Challenging implicit biases;
Advancing Minorities/Women in the profession;
Restructuring organization policies to encourage retention;
Mentoring relationships between majority and minority attorneys;
Client-initiated efforts to increase diversity of lawyers;
Positive Steps to Increase Gender Diversity and Eliminate Bias in the Legal Profession;
Overcoming and Eliminating Age Bias against both Younger and Older Lawyers;
Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusion: Uncovering the Talent in Your Team;
The Metrics of Diversity Initiatives: How Can We Measure Progress;
Changing Workplace Culture: Creating LGBT Inclusive Workplaces;
Diversity and the US Supreme Court;
What is meant by diversity and inclusion;
History of Diversity of the US court system, Appellate Courts and US Supreme Court;
How to build the business case for Diversity and Inclusion in your law firm;
Best practices for lawyers and law firms to improving Diversity and Inclusion in the legal profession;
The meaning of Diversity and Inclusion;
Embracing Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession;
Making the business case for Diversity and Inclusion in your organization;
Tips for improving Diversity and Inclusion in the legal profession;
Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Minorities/Women to Succeed;
Breaking Through Bias: eliminating the stereotypes about Minorities/Women;
Culturally Competent Lawyering; Understanding of how cultural differences between lawyers impacts the representation of a client;
Getting Behind and In Front of Implicit Bias in the Workplace Category: Government & Legislative Law, Online Content, Diversity and Inclusion;
Ways implicit bias can affect our communications and actions in the workplace;
Explore ways to ‘interrupt’ bias and improve the workplace environment;
Understanding, Identifying and Overcoming Different Types of Bias in the Legal Field;
Identifying Implicit Bias and Unconscious Bias in the Work Place.

Attorney Mental Health/Substance Abuse Topics

Substance Abuse Identification;
Recognizing and Reducing Substance Abuse;
Practicing Wellness: Skills Beyond the Status Quo;
Relaxation/focus techniques;
Availability of wellness technology/apps;
Reducing Stress for Mental Health;
How to quiet the racing mind, and how to use breathing to relax and focus;
The workspace can create major issues which influence personal health and wellness, how to address these issues;

Attorney Civility Topics

Incivility in the Workplace;
Difficult people are everywhere, however how to handle them in the legal profession;
The legal field can be a very stressful work setting; adding a hostile person in the work environment can make it feel impossible to cope;
Understanding the psychological, physical, and emotional impact of dealing with difficult people at work while simultaneously providing helpful skill sets to manage individual experiences;
Provide concrete and action steps that will help attorneys feel more empowered and in control;
How dealing with a difficult person at work creates problems in life;
How to stop doing actions which create more problems in dealing with a difficult person;
Different skills in managing internal thoughts and feelings about difficult people at work;

Professionalism Topics

The relationship between legal practice and technology;
Motion and trial practice, deposition training, negotiation strategies, settlement, simulations, mediation;
Effective legal research techniques;
Law practice management;
Client communication and client relations;
Techniques to address the misuse and abuse of discovery and litigation;
Billable hours and responsible fees;
Pro bono training;
Negotiation Success Series;
Fundamentals of Effective Client Communication;
Settings & Customizations for Lawyers Using Android;
Hands-On: Create Charts for Your Cases in Microsoft Excel;
The Art & Science of Criminal Defense: Expert Advice to Sharpen Your Skills;

Legal Ethics Topics

Legal ethics courses usually address the Rules, Opinions and Caselaw interpreting and apply ethics decisions to attorneys.

The Rules of Professional Conduct establish minimal ethical standards that every lawyer must comply with in order to promote the highest standards of the legal profession;
Conflict between duty to client and duty to the system of justice or to the public good;
Conflict between duty to client and duty to opposing attorney;
Attorney’s responsibilities as an officer of the legal system;
Spotting and avoiding malpractice;
Other duties and responsibilities articulated in the Rules of Professional Conduct;
I Could Get Away with an Ethics Violation, But SHOULD I Do It;
Let’s Get Technical: Digital Security Ethics for Law Firms;
From a Different Perspective: The Ethical Challenge Presented by Social Media Metadata;
Conflicts of Interest: A Practical Legal Ethics Guide;
Ethics of Going Into Business With Clients;

And many more!