Why Is A Former Judge Offering CLE Courses?

During my eight years as a Jefferson County District (Special Circuit) Judge, the most enjoyable part of my job was the interaction I had with the lawyers who appeared on cases.. I always tried to make time to visit in my chambers with counsel for both sides before starting a trial. These meetings resulted in a lot of cases being settled but they also afforded me a great deal of insight into the challenges lawyers faced as they navigated the ever-changing law-practice landscape. Some of the stressors that were mentioned frequently were overhead, time pressures, and lack of sleep. 

In early 2017, I left the bench to focus primarily on ministry work, and not long after, one of the lawyers in our local bar association tragically committed suicide. After learning how common depression and anxiety is among members of the bar, I began presenting a 1-hour faith-based wellness cle that later expanded to a 4-hour cle that is fully accredited by the Alabama Bar Association. 

As I began to educate myself on how cle's work and what courses were currently available for Alabama lawyers, I noticed one other thing. A high percentage of courses currently being offered by cle providers are incredibly specialized and therefore, not terribly helpful to the average lawyer who is visiting the courthouse frequently and handling a traditional caseload. 

In response to this we are currently developing a collection of short on-demand cle courses that focus on such practical subjects as evidentiary issues (of the sort you deal with on a regular basis), Time management for lawyers, financial issues, practice management, stress reduction, making positive changes to your practice, and ethics (Primary focusing on issues lawyers are regularly confronted with).

Please be watching your inbox for emails from Stonebridge Professional Education for further exciting developments!