Make your CLEs a Holiday By Charles E. Guerrier1
Getting ready for the evening’s dinner and discussion in the courtyard in Loudon, France.
Charles Guerrier is a graduate of Western Reserve University and Case Western Reserve School of Law, both in Cleveland, Ohio. His interests, other than the practice of employment law, include art, art history, international rights and law, and literature. Since retiring from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2012, he has been Of Counsel to the Birmingham firm of Haynes & Haynes, P.C., where he is required to sit and think all day.
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2 I trace my condition to Professor Peter Junger, who taught Water Law at Case Western Reserve University. Part of the class involved a half-day canoe trip on the Cuyahoga River, where we learned about water pollution (the Cuyahoga River notoriously caught fire in 1969, the year I started law school), riparian rights, and the common law right of portage. During the trip we discussed various topics such as whether or not we had the right to stop along the banks of a navigable
I have an unusual obsession: I enjoy continuing legal education courses. I look forward to attending them. I relish presenting at them. And I obsess over planning them. But not just ordinary CLE programs. No. I prefer structuring unique programs that not only contribute to the understanding of the law, but also expose me to how knowledge of the law can enhance even the smallest details of daily life.2 Let me give you an example that, I hope, will inspire you to think about structuring your own CLE program.3 In 2016, fellow Birmingham Bar Association member Alicia Haynes held the winning bid for a week in the restored Maison Cornay4 in Loudon, France. Because the house could accommodate 16, Alicia wanted to maximize this opportunity, for herself and others. She decided to work with an organization of employment lawyers with which she is affiliated5 and combine a vacation to France with a CLE program. My job was to figure out what that program would be. The travel agenda I was working with entailed a flight to Paris, a train to Tours, a car to Loudon, one week in the Loire River valley, a return trip to Paris for three days and a flight back to Alabama. Loudon is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. Aside from being in the heart of the châteaux region of the Loire Valley, Loudon is where, in the 17th
The Maison Cornay dates to the Middle Ages. It was the home of the missionary Jean-Charles Cornay, who was martyred in Vietnam in the early 19th Century. Father Cornay was later beatified by the Catholic church.
river and build a fire from estovers.
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While getting a CLE program approved by the Alabama Bar is not difficult, there are certain requirements which must be met. See How a Sponsor May Apply for Course Credit, at https://www.alabar.org/membership/ mcle/sponsor-information/. Individuals who work in the MCLE section of the Alabama State Bar can be particularly helpful in guiding you through the certification process.
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Ms. Haynes worked with NELA-AL, the Alabama affiliate of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), an association of attorneys who represent employees in disputes with their employers.
BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN
