New Supreme Court-mandated professionalism CLE is just one of many free educational programs offered by the Bar

New Supreme Court-mandated professionalism CLE is just one of many free educational programs offered by the Bar

LegalFuel currently offers 184 complimentary programs online that provide 203 hours of general CLE credit

With the new, Supreme Court-mandated professionalism CLE featuring a varied group of experts is now available for free on The Florida Bar website, it’s a good time to remind Bar members that LegalFuel: The Practice Resource Center of The Florida Bar also offers a host of other free on-demand education programs.

Available at www.legalfuel.com/free-cle, LegalFuel currently offers 184 complimentary programs online that provide 203 hours of general CLE credit, including:

• 101 tech credits
• 39.5 ethic credits
• 29.5 mental health and wellness credits
• 3.5 professionalism credits
• 29 board certification credits

The new mandatory professionalism course coincides with a reduction in the hours Florida lawyers must earn every three-year reporting cycle, from 33 to 30, that the court recently ordered, restoring the initial requirement when the Supreme Court first imposed mandatory CLE in 1987 and aligning lawyers with a continuing education requirement for judges.

“Professionalism Expectations: A Mandatory CLE for Members of The Florida Bar,” produced by the Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism, may be accessed through The Bar’s InReach platform.

Course No. 8262 has been approved for 2 CLE credits: both of which may be applied toward Professionalism. The nearly two-hour presentation was recorded January 22.

The program begins with welcoming remarks by former Bar President Michael Tanner, a Jacksonville attorney who made professionalism a priority during his year-long term beginning in June 2021.

“We know that when we practice with civility and professionalism and integrity and honesty that we fulfil our duties to the public and to our clients to the greatest extent, and we know that when we practice that way, we will enjoy the practice of law to greatest extent,” Tanner says.

The CLE is divided into nine segments that include Tanner’s welcoming remarks. Those are followed by:

Professionalism Expectations 
Chardean Hill, 2023-34 Chair of The Standing Committee on Professionalism
CMH Law & Dispute Resolution, LLC, Brandon

Professionalism Tips for Young Lawyers
Anisha Patel, President, Young Lawyers Division
Hill Ward Henderson, Tampa

Maintaining Professionalism
Brian Tannebaum
Brian L. Tannebaum, P.A., Miami

Professionalism Updates, SC2023-0884
Second Judicial Circuit Judge Anthony Miller, Tallahassee

Regulating Professionalism 
John Schifino, Member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors
Gunster Law Firm, Tampa

Professionalism Resources 
Kara Rockenbach Link, Former Chair of the Standing
Committee on Professionalism and Member of the Special Committee on Professionalism
Link & Rockenbach, P.A., West Palm Beach

Professionalism Advice from a Seasoned Attorney
Paul Lipton, 50-Year Member of The Florida Bar
Rumberger Kirk, Miami

The CLE concludes with closing remarks from Tallahassee attorney Magdalena Ozarowski, vice chair of the Standing Committee on Professionalism.

As for LegalFuel’s other free CLE offerings, some of the titles include:

The Florida Bar Podcasts also provide a way to earn free CLE credits, with titles including:

The LegalFuel Speaker Series consists of nine programs which account for 8.5 hours of general CLE credit; 2 hours of ethics; 1 hours of mental-health awareness; 1 hours of professionalism; and 2.5 hours of technology, with titles including: