Professionals rarely take a vacation, and lawyers are no exception. So it’s surprising to see so many lawyers, and whole firms, booking travel to places like the Virgin Islands, Ireland, and Alaska. So goes the new fad created by Destination CLEs, a “Vacation Education” company.
A combination of travel agency and continuing education provider, they book vacations with just enough learning to justify the best business expense you can think of. States vary in the hours that lawyers must spend learning each year. Nearly all require some amount.
The company’s website features white sandy beaches and eye-catching bridges. “Since you have to learn,” says Mary DeSpain, President of Destination CLEs, “do it somewhere beautiful and then go explore!”
So Many Destinations
There’s no shortage of places they can go. In truth, all they need is a good conference room, or better, a quiet garden outside. Next year, lawyers will be learning in Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, Alaska, Ireland, and near the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mary just returned from a trip to the Mediterranean, stopping in Greece, Montenegro, Italy, and Spain.
It’s hard not to get jealous when you look at the pictures. And Mary’s friends do. “Yes,” she says, “this is definitely the job for me.” Lawyers provide her plenty of testimonials and pictures to share – not the typical takeaway from a legal conference. Says one, “We had an absolute ball at the Balloon Fiesta. We got our ethics credit and enjoyed tours to Taos and Santa Fe too!”
Trip days typically alternate between vacation and education. A 7-day trip might have 16 hours of learning, though some trips scale down significantly. An upcoming 8-day cruise to Alaska will feature a single but very full day with 6 hours of learning packed in.
By Subject and Skillset
Mary plans each trip with a theme, either by practice area or skillset.
April’s trip to the Virgin Islands will center on personal injury litigation, with presentations on witness selection, traumatic injury cases, and mediation. Speakers include Trey Gowdy, a former Congressman and federal prosecutor, Anthony Diliberto, a forensics expert, and Pamela Colon, a trial lawyer with 40 years of experience.
The Alaskan Cruise doesn’t focus on a particular type of law. Instead, presentations will cover the many ways that law firms can benefit from technology. Featured speaker Tim Mckey, founder of the Vista Consulting Team, will walk through software, hardware, and ways to think about a myriad of firm responsibilities and goals. Having advised hundreds of firms across the country, Tim will present on many of the issues he works on with clients. These include case management, eDiscovery, social media marketing, and performance tracking.
Better Pricing Through Sponsors
Mary’s experience as a travel agent certainly helps keep pricing down. And group trips mean package deals. But it’ll always be cheaper to learn near home than on a fantastic, concierge-level trip. And law firms watch costs just like any other business.
Destination CLEs has been able to offer lower pricing to lawyers since companies who serve lawyers started sponsoring trips. And many sponsors have jumped in to support lawyers’ education and fun. Independent Life Insurance Company, an innovator of deferred settlement options, sponsored this year’s trip to Puerto Rico. LawCompany, a firm-expander that performs legal research and writing, sponsored next year’s trip to the Virgin Islands. Other sponsors include Plaintiff Parity, doc review software tailored for personal injury lawyers, and Establish, a particularly effective public relations firm.
“Sponsors have made it possible for us to cut our pricing,” says Mary. “We can’t thank them enough.”
Even Better Years Coming
With Covid restrictions slowing and ending, Destination CLEs is planning trips on the regular. Especially to keep up with attorneys telling their colleagues that it’s time for a vacation. “I’m spreading the word,” says one attorney after her first trip. Next up, Puerto Rico.
Original Source of the original story >> Perks of a “Lawyer’s Vacation”
