Co-Chairs Lawren Finley and Sara Robertson

When it comes to finding an expert, you want to avoid ending up with a clown. Just think about it—if you're looking for a surgeon, you won’t go to someone who is wearing a big red nose and floppy shoes. This example is glaringly obvious but there are lots of examples of professions or roles with crossover skills that still don't make them the right fit for the job. Can a funeral director organize an event? Sure—but they probably wouldn't be the first choice to plan your wedding. So, you need a lawyer. Will just any lawyer do? I doubt you would want a real estate lawyer defending you in a criminal case. There is a reason for practice areas. You want someone who is qualified and knows what they are doing. The same principle applies when you are looking for an expert in any field.

In the world of CLE, you have a subject matter expert (SME) lined up to present with a lot of experience with a given topic, but do they have the presentation skills to transfer their knowledge effectively and engagingly? Can the SME captivate an audience? Do they have the technical skills to deliver effectively online? Then there is the opposite scenario—you've got yourself an experienced speaker, maybe a recommendation or someone that someone you know once used—but do they have experience in the legal profession? Can they convey their message in a way that connects with lawyers?

When you are looking for an expert to help you with CLE, whether it is planning, presentation skills, or both, you want to make sure that you find someone who knows what they are doing.

Another scenario is that you may not need a speaker, but you need a platform, a learning management system (LMS), for example. There are literally thousands of LMSs out there. Some are corporate focused. Some are education focused. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to find one that is legal industry focused? Platforms that are familiar with how law firms and state bar associations work have all the tools you need at your fingertips.

Choosing the wrong platform can be time-consuming, frustrating, and costly.

So how do you find the right expert?

Google "CLE presentation expert" or “Legal LMS” (or try flipping through the phone book for those of us of a certain vintage), and you're likely to be met with mixed results. The good news is that the Vendor and Speaker SIG has fully vetted experts that you can search on the ACLEA website!

The Vendors and Speakers Directory is now available on the ACLEA website.

Next time you are searching for a great speaker for a CLE event or looking for some new technology to make your job easier, the directory is a great place to start. It can be found here.

If you are looking for speakers, there are a variety of topics listed, and for vendors, a variety of areas are represented.

We hope the next time you are looking for a great speaker and or software vendor, you will use the new directory.