If you plan to apply for appellate specialization, consider this CLE seminar

As readers of this blog know, beginning in 2016, the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization will begin accepting applications for Board certification in appellate practice. Among the requirements for certification will be 18 hours CLE focused on appellate advocacy and approved by the Board’s Appellate Practice Advisory Commission. As I understand the rules, those 18 hours have to be earned during the application year (that is, during 2016 for the inaugural class).

To earn a large chunk of those 18 hours, you may want to plan now to attend the DRI Appellate Advocacy Seminar, to be held February 10–12 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Judging from the seminar brochure, it looks like it’ll be a great program. DRI typically obtains accreditation for its CLE seminars from all states that have mandatory CLE. And though this seminar has not yet been approved by the Advisory Commission, I am confident that DRI will apply for and get the necessary approval for this seminar to count toward the required 18 hours.

Since 1999, I’ve attended all but one of the DRI Appellate Advocacy Seminars. Their programs are consistently excellent. And this particular seminar offers the rare opportunity to meet and make friends with appellate lawyers from across the country.

Why plan so early? If you go to this seminar, you’ll probably be flying to Arizona on February 10. That’s going to be Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras. If you procrastinate, you may have trouble booking a flight out of MSY (assuming that is your airport of choice). Also, DRI offers a $100 discount for early registration (on or before January 19).