Richard Clem Continuing Legal Education
Cedar Rapids Ethics, Wednesday, November 16, 2011

This CLE program took place in the past. For information on upcoming low-cost CLE programs, please visit my main CLE page.

Update: Walk-in registrations are welcome. You may register at the door and pay by cash or check. I'm unable to accept credit cards at the door, but you may register and pay by credit card by following the link toward the bottom of this page.

I should have sufficient course materials for walk-in registrations, but to make sure, it would be helpful if you would download the materials prior to the program. You can get the materials at the following links, in PDF format:

• Ethics (first two hours of program)
• Bias (last hour of program)

If you register online, you will receive an automated confirmation. I'll be presenting a program in Mason City on Tuesday afternoon, but I will try to personally e-mail a confirmation of your registration Tuesday evening.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Conference Room
Hometown Inn and Suites
3315 Southgate Ct. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Hotel Phone Number for Dirctions: 319-362-9012

*-CLE credit has been approved/applied for as follows: Iowa: 3 credits, including 2 ethics credits approved (Iowa activity numbers 83693 and 83694). Minnesota: 3.0 credits, including 2.0 ethics credits and 1.0 elimination of bias credit approved (Minnesota event codes: 161831, 161850, 161841). Wisconsin: Credit applied for upon request. This program completely satisfies the Iowa ethics requirement for the entire reporting cycle.

We have three interesting presentations planned: two live programs, and one video replay:

Ethics Refresher 2011 (Parts 4 and 5) Presented and moderated by Richard Clem. This will be a comprehensive review of the Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. All three states have adopted substantially similar rules governing lawyers, and this course will review the rules as adopted in all three states. Where the rules differ, we will go over the differences. Seeing these differences is useful for the practitioner in that particular state, but also gives insight into the meaning of the rule in other states. And since the same model rules serve as the basis for most state rules, this course will provide practical guidance for attorneys in most U.S. jurisdictions. Many lawyers review the Rules in their entirety only once, and that is before they take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam in law school. But the rules change over the years and decades, and some of the finer points might be forgotten. Therefore, this course will serve as a useful refresher for the practitioner to avoid ethical pitfalls. This is two hours of a longer six-hour program, but each portion of the program can be taken separately. Part 4 will be done as a video replay, and Part 5, which includes the advertising rules, will be presented live. The program will include a discussion of the proposed amendments to the Iowa advertising rules.

Elimination of Bias: The Rules and an Ongoing Process. (Live program) presented by Richard Clem. This program is designed to meet the Minnesota "Elimination of Bias" CLE requirement, but may also be taken for general CLE credit in Iowa and other states. We'll start by looking at the rules governing bias within the legal profession, which is a subject covered by both the Minnesota General Rules of Practice, the Rules of Professional Conduct, and similar rules in other states. We will then see how well we are collectively doing as a profession and legal system in abiding by those rules. We will do so through the eyes of participants at a series of community dialogues at which community members were asked to describe their experiences and discuss ideas for advancing racial equality and fairness in the courts. All participants are welcome to share their insights.

In addition to being suitable for general CLE credit in Iowa, this program meets the "Learning Goals" for Minnesota Elimination of Bias courses: The program will run sixty continuous minutes, will relate directly to the practice of law, and is designed to meet the first and third learning goals for Minnesota elimination of bias courses:

• 1. To educate lawyers about the elimination of bias or prejudice in the legal profession, in the practice of law, and/or in the administration of justice; ...
• 3. To educate lawyers about the problems identified in the Supreme Court�s Race Bias and Gender Fairness Task Force Reports, as well as in other studies, reports or treatises which describe bias and prejudice in the legal profession, in the practice of law, and/or in the administration of justice.

We will begin by referencing the Supreme Court's 1993 report on the elimination of bias in the judicial system, and we will also look at how both the Rules of Professional Conduct and the General Rules of Practice require us as lawyers to avoid bias.

Then, we will look at how well we are doing in meeting these requirements, as seen by various communities, including communities of color. In particular, we'll examine the suggestions made by members of the public at community dialogues held over the past three years by the Supreme Court's Racial Fairness Committee.

There will be opportunities for participants to discuss these suggestions, and to offer our own suggestions on how we can fulfill these professional obligations.

Richard P. Clem has a B.A. in history from the University of Minnesota, and a J.D., cum laude, from Hamline University School of Law. He has been in private practice in the Twin Cities for over 20 years. His reported cases include: Asociacion Nacional de Pescadores a Pequena Escala o Artesanales de Colombia v. Dow Quimica de Colombia, 988 F.2d 559, rehearing denied, 5 F.3d 530 (5th Cir. 1993), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 1041 (1994); LaMott v. Apple Valley Health Care Center, 465 N.W.2d 585 (Minn. Ct. App. 1991); Abo el Ela v. State,468 N.W.2d 580 (Minn. Ct. App. 1991).

9:00 Registration
9:05 Welcome, opening remarks
9:15 Ethics Refresher 2011: Part 5 (Live lecture). Ethics, 1 hour.
10:15 Break
10:20 Ethics Refresher 2011: Part 4 (Video replay). Ethics, 1 hour.
11:20 Question and Answer Session
11:25 Break
11:30 Elimination of Bias: The Rules and an Ongoing Process (Live Lecture). Elimination of Bias, 1 hour
12:30 Closing remarks

The program will be in the conference room of Hometown Inn & Suites, 3315 Southgate Ct. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. The hotel phone number for directions is 319-362-9012. Complimentary coffee will be provided.

The cost for the entire program is $49. You may also attend any portion of the program for only $25 per credit. You may register by mail by sending payment, along with a note indicating which program you will be attending: Richard P. Clem
PO Box 14957
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Phone (612) 378-7751
For questions the day of the CLE, Cel. (651) 285-5474

You may also register securely online by following the "Buy Now" link below. If you have a PayPal account, you may sign and and use your PayPal account. If you do not have a PayPal account, of if you prefer to simply use a credit card, you may also do so by following this link.

If you have any questions, please e-mail me at clem.law@usa.net or call me at 612-378-7751.