I recently had a wonderful long weekend in Charlotte at the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ) convention. Like any legal convention we had plenty of continuing legal education classes. I found two classes particularly instructive — an update on the latest developments in criminal law, and a presentation on post-judgment motions (pursuant to Rules 59 and 60). The presenters clearly put in a lot of time, and while there’s always going to be a limit to how much you enjoy a lecture (with Powerpoint!) I came away glad that I went.
Additionally, the networking events were lots of fun and very useful. Of course every attorney wants to make connections that will lead to referrals and additional work, but networking also has a lot of substantive value. Law is a broad field, and we all tend to become experts in our particular areas. Inevitably, though, a case will swerve in an unexpected direction and present a legal question that you simply don’t know! It’s these times when it is useful to have a network of other attorneys who are available to point you in the right direction.
And finally – the food was great!