I consider myself to be a nerd. I love to learn and don’t mind going to class. So, whenever I have the occasion to go to an in-person CLE, I am that annoying person who sits in the front with eyes trained on the speaker in front. You will find me vigorously jotting down notes from time to time, and it is not surprising that I will raise my hand to ask a question at least once during class. I can’t help it.

            So, this past week, I was at an in-person CLE out of town. I really looked forward to this CLE and hoped that it would be as engaging and informative as I had hoped. Of course, for lawyers, any part of an out-of-town CLE must include a mixer or happy hour component. We must have an opportunity to socialize during these things, and usually, the sponsor of these shindigs usually gets that. What I learned was that the social part is probably the most important part. Not only did we all enjoy the social part during the actual social hour, but also WITHIN the CLE itself. This was a CLE geared to very advanced and experienced family law practitioners. I am a newbie to family law, so I was excited to just sit back and listen. But I learned that was not the way to get the most out of a CLE like this particular one. It was the camaraderie and story-sharing that was all too important. It was so important for me to hear the other voices in the room talk not only about their experiences practicing, but also their perspectives on the practice; what they thought about client behavior, and what they thought about our own behavior. The room and floor were everyone’s to share and be candid about their respective practices and how they felt about them. THIS is what was worth the money paid for this CLE.