The Association for Continuing Legal Education is a dynamic organization devoted to providing educational opportunities and professional interaction for its members. Our mission statement -- to serve the CLE profession worldwide through leadership, education, and development. -- is the filter through which the Association for Continuing Legal Education’s activities are screened. Our activities are designed and conducted primarily by our member volunteers. ACLEA’s committee structure provides the best opportunity for members to enhance their professional knowledge.

ACLEA is an incorporated, non-profit association with over 400 members representing over 200 providers of continuing legal education. While our members are located primarily in the United States and Canada; they also hail from Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and Mexico. Our members are not only lawyers and administrators, but also adult education specialists, editors, publishers, marketing and media specialists, business professionals, and in-house educators -- all professionals in their areas of expertise. The organizations they belong to include national, state, local and specialty bar associations, law schools, government agencies, private institutes, book publishers, law firms and corporations.

ACLEA’s business is conducted by an Executive Committee -- president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, and five directors-at-large -- that meets quarterly. These people care deeply about the Association and strive to perform their duties in ACLEA’s best interest. I urge you to contact any of them about areas of interest or concern to you.

The organization’s greatest strength is the relationships among members. In an effort to forge and build these relationships, ACLEA publishes a quarterly newsletter, In the Loop, to keep us aware of developments in our profession. Our Membership Directory is a wonderful tool members use to identify and contact one another. We have Annual and Mid-Year, three-day, meetings each year.

The old saying "you get out what you put in" is definitely true about ACLE. "Put in" a little bit and you will "get out" more than you can imagine. I invite you to take the time to learn more about our Association, to identify and contact your CLE colleagues, and become active in the Association. If we can do anything to help you in your professional endeavors please let us know.

For more information about ACLEA, contact:

Donna J. Passons
Executive Director, Association for Continuing Legal Education
P.O. Box 4646
Austin, TX 78765
phone: 1 (512) 453-4340
fax: 1 (512) 451-2911
e-mail: aclea@aclea.org.