Presenting a “CLE”: Community Learning Experience
We all are probably familiar with attending or participating in programs where we learn from or teach our colleagues about our practice areas. However, the community benefits by learning from us as well.
A few years ago, I was invited to participate in an outreach program with my local county surrogate’s office. The goal of the outreach was to help community members understand what the surrogate’s office is and how to navigate the surrogate’s court system should the attendees or their families need to do so. During the question-and-answer portion of the program, I realized that some information that had felt so obvious to me was novel and complicated for the audience. I saw faces light up when I explained this information and spoke to people who now felt empowered by what they had learned. I didn’t really consider whether any business would come from the program, and it became irrelevant. Pouring into others and leaving them armed with knowledge they didn’t know they needed filled my soul. It may do the same for you.
Even if you think there’s no demand for public knowledge about your particular practice area, consider that we don’t know what we don’t know until we need to know it, and we rarely discover new interests without first being exposed to them. There’s value in volunteering the information. Although you may not get “CLE” credits or a check for this type of teaching, the benefits of educating others are long-lasting.
Check in with nonlegal groups you may already be a part of, such as alumni associations, local chapters of sororities and fraternities, religious organizations, social-service groups and clubs, or others. They can help you gauge members’ interest in allowing you to do a presentation on your area of expertise. The presentation can be as simple as a Zoom hour sharing information and answering questions.
You can also contact your local court to see if it needs volunteers for community outreach or if it’s open to starting such a program.
When participating in this type of community service, be sure to make it clear that any information you’re providing is general in nature and that you’re not providing legal advice or establishing an attorney-client relationship. However, be prepared to extend your service to the community as a referral source.
Being an Excellent Referral Source
In addition to appreciating the wealth of critical knowledge we carry, we need to remember that the broader community—and even our neighbors and friends—may not know as many lawyers and legal resources as we do. We can serve the community by being an excellent resource for referrals. Again, the Internet offers a wealth of information, but you may have found that people are more appreciative of and likely to act on referrals they receive from someone they already trust. If we can’t help someone directly, the next best thing we can do is provide direct access to someone or a resource that can meet their legal needs with little delay.
We all have experienced making or receiving a referral in our personal if not our professional lives. How often or well do you keep track of these referrals? Consider building a new habit into your practice of diligently documenting the network of people you meet and the resources you come across. This might look like an Excel sheet or other document or phone application that records not only a contact’s name, email, and phone number but also the person’s location and practice area/specialty. No matter how much we like our colleagues, it can be difficult to remember everyone’s practice areas, and we miss opportunities for meaningful referrals.
Sometimes, we need to refer individuals to state and local agencies. Are we knowledgeable enough about their services to properly direct people who may ask? If we are, we can often save members of the community from wasting time and money and experiencing the anxiety that comes from not knowing where to turn.
Facilitating or Participating in Donations
Every year during the holidays, I look forward to an email from a well-known attorney in my community inviting her fellow colleagues to donate toys to kids at a local center who might not otherwise receive gifts. If you are aware of similar opportunities in your community, I encourage you to participate. It takes only a few moments to review a child’s or family’s wish list and order gifts online. (Certainly, you could, and should, take it further by personally delivering the gifts if circumstances allow.) Your few moments and gifts could be life changing for the recipients.
Of course, such opportunities are not limited to the holidays, and there are many other ways you can make and collect donations for any charitable purpose at any time. Here are a few to think about:
- Make a monetary donation to a nonprofit or community organization.
- Host a charity fundraiser in your community.
- Host a fundraising run/walk/cycling event.
- Plan a crafting contest where all the items created by participants are then donated.
- Plan an office blood drive.
- Plan a canned food drive.
- Promote a GoFundMe campaign for someone in need.
- Collect and donate school supplies.
- Collect unused makeup to donate to domestic violence shelters.
Passing the Word
If you participate in or learn of opportunities to participate in any of the above, share this information with colleagues, friends, and family. Just as with referrals for professional services, others are more likely to engage in activities they learn of from a trusted source. Share opportunities via social media, listservs, newsletters, and group messages to encourage even more people to get involved.
The Why
We all have the power to deepen our commitment to helping our communities flourish and prosper on a local to global scale. As attorneys, we can help our communities by improving the social well-being of the people living there. We simultaneously make ourselves more accessible and dispel negative stereotypes associated with the profession we hold so dear.
Consider which of the above ideas appeals to you the most. Take a moment right now to write down one step you can take today to move you toward helping your community in a new way. Doing any of the above is likely to expose you to other people, organizations, and opportunities to help the community beyond what has been discussed here.
For some, it may feel hard to prioritize the non-billable work of helping the community. Although we may no longer be at the peak of the pandemic, our profession continues to experience heightened levels of mental health challenges and loneliness. Serving our community in ways that don’t feel like work helps us to reduce stress, live in the present, learn valuable nonlegal skills, embrace new and authentic relationships, and renew our attitude of gratitude.