December 2003

The Mission and Business of CLE

by Mark Sideman, WSBA CLE Director

It has been just over a year since I began my position as Continuing Legal Education (CLE) director of the Washington State Bar Association. During this time, I have had the opportunity to hear much about what WSBA members think about CLE in general, and WSBA CLE in particular—both the good and the not-so-good. I have appreciated the input, and the dialogue I have had with many of you. I thought, after a year, it might be of interest to you to learn how WSBA CLE has responded to member input, and the direction in which we are heading.
 
I want to talk first about CLE operating costs, with the hope of clearing up some possible confusion. It surprises many people to learn that WSBA CLE is completely self-supporting. We receive absolutely no fiscal support from member licensing fees or any other WSBA sources—honestly. The Board of Governors has made that policy. On the other hand, we are still a part (and I trust an important part) of the WSBA. As a WSBA department, CLE shares the WSBA's goals and objectives and, yes, we pay our fair share of the overall WSBA operating expenses. Each year, the WSBA's finance department calculates CLE's "administrative charge" (another name for our share of the operating expenses). That "administrative charge" is then spread over all our programs. Our operating costs, just like those of all businesses, do not include our direct expenses (facility rentals, printing, etc.). We strive to be as efficient as possible and hold the line while continually working to reduce costs.
 
In my view, the principal challenge of the WSBA CLE Department is to provide WSBA members the very best product possible in a very competitive market and support the mission and goals of the WSBA. In other words, to serve our members and stay out of the red. Perhaps it goes without saying that we are constantly working to increase the quality of our programming and our publications. But what may not be known is the role the CLE Department plays in directly supporting the mission of the WSBA, including:

• Supporting Past-President Dick Manning's Professional Development Initiative for more effective and relevant low-cost training for new attorneys;
• Developing more online CLE programs and more live CLE programs throughout the state, leading to greater program accessibility for all members regardless of their geographic location; and
• Working collaboratively with WSBA sections to develop better programming and help them meet their education goals.

One very tangible result of working to support members and be fiscally responsible was this summer's first online "Membership Appreciation Sale" on selected WSBA CLE deskbooks, coursebooks, and recorded seminars. Record numbers of members visited the CLE online store (http://store.yahoo.com/wsbastore), purchased CLE products at significant savings, and told us they appreciated the event.
 
One of our major efforts for the upcoming year is to do more live programs around the state. In an e-mail survey we conducted earlier this year (with more than 300 respondents in three days), members' number-one request was for more statewide programming. Statewide programming is challenging in several ways, not the least of which is putting together the program's faculties. In 2003 we more than doubled the number of programs we are delivering outside the greater Puget Sound area compared to 2002. A special thank you goes to the faculties helping us. We are always looking for members, especially those outside the Puget Sound area, to assist with programming. If you are interested, I would like to hear from you—please contact me at marks@wsba.org. And, if you have questions, comments, or suggestions, I would also like to hear from you.
 
One final point. We know that you expect us to provide the highest-quality CLE programs, deskbooks, coursebooks, CDs, and tapes, and we hold that expectation as a core part of our mission. We are committed to giving the highest quality of service to WSBA members.

Mark Sideman is WSBA CLE director. He can be reached at marks@wsba.org.