1. General Law Office Administration
2. Avoiding Ethical Dilemmas
3. Financial Management
4. Legal Administration and Technology

Continuing Education Credits:   

* denotes specialty credits

1. GENERAL LAW OFFICE ADMINISTRATION
   9:00 - 10:30, Kendra Ann Diegan
   1. Management of the Firm-Internal (Malpractice Insurance)
   2. Management of the Firm-External (Marketing)
   3. Management of the Firm's Employees (Human Resources)
   4. Management of the Firm's Clients (Communication)
   5. Research
   6. Tips
2. AVOIDING ETHICAL DILEMMAS
   10:45 - 12:00, Kendra Ann Diegan
   1. Unauthorized Practice of Law (Supervision)
   2. Roles, Professional Responsibility and Integrity
   3. Conflicts of Interest, Screening and Referrals
   4. Pro Bono Work
   5. Tips
3. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
   1:00 - 2:30, Diane L. Drain
   1. Basic Accounting Information You Need to Know
   2. Timekeeping and Billing Systems
   3. Client Trust Funds
   4. Legal Fees, Billing Statements and Collection Procedures
   5. Budgeting and Account Management
4. LEGAL ADMINISTRATION AND TECHNOLOGY
   2:45 - 4:30, Diane L. Drain
   1. Basic Hardware Needs of the Law Office
   2. Factors to Consider When Evaluating Software and Related Information Management Systems
   3. Leveraging Technology for Maximum Productivity
   4. Operational Systems Setup and Management
      1. Case Management Systems
      2. Calendaring and Docket Control Systems
      3. Records Management and Retention
      4. Security, Encryption and Disaster Recovery

KENDRA ANN DIEGAN is a litigation coordinator at the Law Offices of Stone & Davis, P.C., where she specializes in firm and case management. Ms. Diegan started her legal career in 1989, working at the Arizona State University, College of Law Library. She then interned at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, Victim Witness Department and then worked part-time as a bailiff in Maricopa County Superior Court. In 1992, Ms. Diegan became a full time bailiff and then judicial assistant to a superior court judge in Maricopa County. From 1997 to 2002, she was the disciplinary clerk of the State Bar of Arizona and the Arizona Supreme Court, where she was custodian of record for all charges/complaints filed against Arizona attorneys and responsible for managing the attorney discipline system for the state of Arizona pursuant to the Supreme Court rules, which included more than 80 volunteer hearing officers and commissioners. Ms. Diegan graduated, summa cum laude, from Arizona State University with a B.S. degree in justice studies and graduated, magna cum laude, from the University of Phoenix with a M.B.A. degree in health care management.

DIANE L. DRAIN is a sole practitioner in Phoenix, Arizona. She graduated from the University of Arizona Law School in 1985. In 1990, Ms. Drain left the large firm practice and established one of the first woman-owned "boutique" firms, marketing it as a "referral firm" focusing in the areas of bankruptcy and real property. Ms. Drain practices primarily in the areas of creditor and debtor bankruptcy rights and commercial real estate development, workout, foreclosure and trustee's sales. In 1993, she established a consulting service to assist other lawyers in law office organization, administration, computerization, client development and staff education. Since 1987, Ms. Drain has served as a faculty member in numerous county, state, national and professional seminars dealing in office management skills, bankruptcy and trustee's sale/foreclosure actions. Since 1988, she has been an instructor at the Arizona School of Real Estate; where she teaches legal theory classes in bankruptcy and foreclosure. She is an adjunct professor at the Phoenix School of Law, and has been a guest speaker at the Sandra Day O'Connor School of Law and James E. Rogers College of Law. Ms. Drain has been a member of the Arizona State Bar Board of Governors since 1998. She is also a member of the Bankruptcy Section, the Real Property Section and the Solo & Small Firm Section. Ms. Drain is a past President of the Maricopa Chapter of the Arizona Women Lawyer's Association, a past Chair of the Solo Practitioner's Section of the Arizona State Bar, a past Chair of the Maricopa County Continuing Legal Education program and the founding Chairperson for the Arizona Trustee's Association. Ms. Drain was appointed to the Supreme Court's Commission on Technology in 2000; and received the Arizona State Bar Member of the Year Award in 1996; she received the Arizona State Bar President's Award in 2006, Governor's Commission on Service and Volunteerism as the Small Business Annual Awardee in 2009, and Top 50 Pro Bono Attorneys in Arizona for 2011. She was also featured in the profiles section of the Arizona Business Gazette and on the cover of the Arizona Attorney magazine. She is a regular speaker for KTAR and Horizon, and is a regular contact for reporters of the Arizona Business Gazette, Arizona Republic and several other local newspapers. Ms. Drain's community activities include developing and managing a volunteer lawyer's program at the Bankruptcy Court, participation in the Volunteer's Lawyers Programs, Law Week, Legal Assistance for the Elderly and Volunteer Mediation Services.

Please refer to Continuing Education Credit FAQ for general information about seeking credit for your participation in one of our continuing education programs.

Additionally, our team of credit specialists are here to answer your specific credit-related questions weekdays 7am - 5pm Central:

Phone: 866-240-1890

Email: credit@nbi-sems.com