The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) ensures the integrity of the legal profession in Washington state. Established by the Washington Supreme Court, the WSBA licenses attorneys, administers the bar exam, maintains ethical standards for the profession, and provides a variety of services to its members including developing continued legal education (CLEs) for attorneys to perfect their practice.
The WSBA will ask legal leaders to present CLEs to help better ensure other practitioners have the information they need to provide sound legal representation to their clients. The opportunity to present a CLE is a recognition of one’s experience and in the practice area.
Partners Edward K. Le and Michael Kittleson recently presented at a WSBA CLE webinar, sharing information with other practitioners on how to better represent personal injury clients. They discussed how to navigate liability insurance and health policies as well as UIM, umbrella, and commercial insurance policies. The webinar also included a discussion on how to find immediate sources of recovery to help clients financially make it to the settlement. These could include PIP policies and health insurance.
What are CLEs?
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) is a requirement for attorneys who wish to maintain their license to practice law. These educational courses are designed to serve two main goals:
- Keep legal professionals informed about recent developments in the law, and
- Enhance their skills to improve service to the public and the justice system.
CLEs ensure that attorneys stay current with new laws and legal procedures while also helping attorneys meet the WSBA’s requirements for ongoing education.
How do CLEs impact legal practice?
The requirement for CLEs directly impacts the legal community by promoting a high standard of legal proficiency. This commitment to continuous education fosters a culture of competence and professionalism within the bar. It also ensures that attorneys can provide the best possible representation to their clients, upholding the public’s trust in the legal system.
The presentation adds another item to the list of accolades for Partners Edward K. Le and Michael Kittleson. Mr. Le is also ranked as an AV-Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbel and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer for Washington and Mr. Kittleson was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star and National Trial Lawyer Top 40 under 40.