My Bi-Annual Misery

Like most states, Ohio has continuing education requirements as a condition of maintaining one’s license to practice law. We are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education every two years. The first half of the alphabet reports in odd-numbered years, and the second half of the alphabet reports in even-numbered years. As a “W”, this is my year to report. I have to satisfy the obligation by December 31. For the most part, we get to pick our own programs. The only absolute requirement is 1 hour of legal ethics, 1 hour of professionalism, and a completely and totally wasted half hour of how to recognize substance abusers every two years. Beyond that, we are free to select what we attend.

Like most people, I’m a terrible procrastinator. Every minute spent in CLE is a minute of unproductive time. I’m busy enough that it’s typically hard to work these programs into my schedule. There’s also the fact that most of these programs–not all, but most–are about as interesting as watching paint dry. Occasionally, you find an interesting one, but most are sheer misery. The vast majority of them end up being a serious waste of time. It is, therefore, no mystery why I tend to procrastinate in spite of my avowed intention to get it over with earlier each biennium.

In October, I realized that I had completed exactly 2.75 hours of my requirement, and that I had another 21.25 hours to complete by December 31. I’ve chipped away at it some–as I write this, I have 11.75 hours completed. That means that I have another 12.25 hours to go before the bi-annual misery is over.

I found a program that will provide me with 14.25 credit hours over two days (we’re allowed to carry forward as many as 12 credits, so the extra two hours will carry forward toward my 2008 requirement). Those two days are tomorrow and Thursday. It’s 9-5 each day. The topic is “Solo and Small Law Office Technology”. Normally, that would be reasonably interesting, as I’m something of a propeller head. It includes such scintillating topics as “the paperless office” and how to make maximum use of your scanner.

However, the consulting firm that puts the thing on is the very same consulting firm that my partners hired to do the technology when they established the law firm in May of this year. That means that I’m already using much of what they will be preaching over the course of the next two days. It means that I’m headed to the world of mind-numbing boredom for the next two days. The big challenge, I fear, will be staying awake.

I will have my laptop with me, and the Ohio State Bar Association has wireless. At least I can check e-mail and stay in touch with my world, and I might also find a way to get a little bit of work finished during the particularly dull moments. However, I can think of hundreds–no, thousands–of other things I’d rather do, or places I’d rather be.

The only consolation is that once I finish up on Thursday afternoon, I will have fully satisfied my bi-annual obligation. Wish me luck, folks. It’s going to be miserable.