On October 7, 2010 the newest admittees to the Oregon State Bar were sworn in at a ceremony held in Oregon’s state capitol.  If you are among this group, or new to private practice, consider attending our annual three-day conference, “Learning the Ropes.”

Held on November 3, 4, and 5 at the DoubleTree Lloyd Center Hotel in Portland, Oregon, this conference meets new admittee MCLE requirements for the first reporting year.  For $65, or the meager sum of $4.12 per credit hour, attendees will hear presentations on the following topics:

• How to Develop a Successful Practice and Avoid Legal Malpractice
• Client Communication and Other Practice Management Survival Tips
• Multigenerational Communication
• Recognizing and Representing Clients with Mental Health Impairments
• The Ethics of Practice Management (featuring yours truly and colleagues Dee Crocker and Sheila Blackford)
• Courtroom Do’s and Don’ts
• Recognizing Child Abuse and Fulfilling Your Duty to Report
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Negotiation Tips, Tricks, and Tools
• Bridging the Cultural Gap

On Day 1 of the conference, attendees will choose from concurrent sessions:

• Tort Litigation or Criminal Law
• Domestic Relations or Estate Planning, Guardianships, and Conservatorships
• Civil Motion Practice or Business/Real Estate Transactions
• Intellectual Property or Employment Law

(Don’t worry – all sessions are recorded.  If you choose “Tort Litigation,” and want to hear the concurrent presentation on “Criminal Law,” you can order the recorded program at no charge, provided you are a lawyer in private practice in the state of Oregon.)

On Day 2, choose “Creating a Firm” and attend my presentation on “Setting Up and Running a Law Practice,” followed by “If I Only Knew, Practice Tips and Advice from Practitioners.”  If you are an associate in a firm, or looking to join an existing practice, choose “Joining a Firm” and attend “Practice Management Tips from Lawyers Joining Firms” (with my colleague Dee Crocker), followed by “Success Tips from Associates and Partners.”

As you can see, this conference covers a lot of ground.  Registration includes breakfast all three days and two luncheons:  Meet the Judges on Day 1 (November 3) and Meet the Bar Leaders on Day 2 (November 4).  Both luncheons are invaluable networking opportunities.  Where else will you get the opportunity to talk to a judge informally and ask questions?  Or speak to two or three bar leaders hosting tables in the following areas of practice: Appeals, Business Litigation, Business Transactions, Criminal Law, Debtor/Creditor, Elder Law, Employment Law, Estate Planning, Family Law, Intellectual Property, Litigation, or Real Estate.

To register, visit the PLF Web site.  From the home page, select Upcoming Seminars under the Loss Prevention heading.  If you are new to Oregon, newly admitted, or new to private practice, I hope you come.  I also extend a cordial invitation to all Oregon lawyers to attend the Resource Fair scheduled for November 19 at the Oregon State Bar Center.