This program is eligible for 4 hours of CLE credit in 60-minute states. In 50-minute states, this program is eligible for 4.8 hours of CLE credit. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.
Overview
This course is $50 for new attorneys.
Get started on the right foot with your legal career and join PBI for the Bridge the Gap CLE program!
All newly admitted Pennsylvania attorneys are required to complete the Bridge the Gap program at an accredited CLE provider prior to their first PA CLE compliance deadline. This course is also an excellent refresher for lawyers, regardless of years in practice. The 4-hour program is designed to provide basic, yet important, information and insight relative to ethics and professionalism.
Covered in Bridge the Gap:
- Conducting yourself professionally through the Rules of Professional Conduct
- Best practices to ensure strong client/attorney relationships
- Interacting and communicating with court officials, opposing counsel, jurors, and other third parties
- The importance of diversity and promoting an environment of diversity and inclusion within your practice
- Managing your practice, including everything from training and supervising non-lawyer staff to addressing scope changes with a client
- Performing fiduciary responsibilities and avoiding financial troubles with clients
- Mastering the purpose and functions of the Disciplinary Board
- Discovering the many resources available to lawyers
Agenda:
- Client/Attorney Relationship
- Practice Management & Technology
- Fiduciary Requirements
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Substance Abuse Prevention
- Disciplinary Board
- Outreach Programs & Resources
- The program is discounted to newly admitted attorneys
All attendees will receive the course book as a digital download.
Faculty
Amy J. Coco, Esq.
Amy Coco is a shareholder in the Pittsburgh firm of DiBella Weinheimer. For 30 years, she has focused her practice on Professional Responsibility. She represents lawyers, judges and law students; including in civil litigation matters, ethics, professional licensure and professional responsibility representation and counseling; risk management and law practice management counseling. She is the President Elect for the Allegheny County Bar Association and served six years as a Governor on the ACBA Board. She is the current chair of the ACBA’s Nominating Committee. She is a past Chair of the ACBA’s By-Law’s Committee for many years and was a past Chair of and is currently a Duty Officer for the ACBA’s Professional Ethics Committee. She also served on Council for the Solo and Small Firm Section and chaired subcommittees for Women in the Law Division. From May 2021 to May 2024, she served as the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Woman At Large Governor and from 2022 to 2024 she was Chair of the PBA’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Team. She is Vice Chair of the PBA’s Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee. She is the Director of Pitt Law School’s Incubator program helping lawyers set up solo practices. She is also a Washington County and Philadelphia County Bar Association member and a member of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers. She frequently lectures and writes on issues related to lawyer’s professional liability, DEI and lawyer’s ethical responsibility and licensure matters. Ms. Coco is named in The Best Lawyers in America® for Professional Responsibility and Ethics. Ms. Coco has been named as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer annually since 2018 and was named a Top 50 Lawyer in Pittsburgh in 2022. She received her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, magna cum laude, in 1994 and her B.A. in Journalism from Indiana University Bloomington, IN in 1989.
David A. Fitzsimons, Esq.
His succession “next step” in practice, Mr. Fitzsimons is the principal at ADRFitz LLC which provides Process Centered dispute resolution services. About five years ago David took stock of his experience, values and forward looking preferences and decided to focus his commercial litigation experience and practice in disputes resolution to establish ADRFitz LLC. In addition to conducting mediations, Mr. Fitzsimons also serves as an arbitrator, trainer and dispute resolution consultant. A certified member of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania’s Mediator Panel, he is currently chair of the Cumberland County ADR panel. Mr. Fitzsimons maintains relevant memberships in the dispute resolution arena and is active with the PBA ADR Committee and the PBA Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee [LEPRC]. David also teaches successful dispute resolution process skills including focus on relevant professional ethics involved in dispute resolution. He maintains a perpetually under construction website at ADRFitz.com. Any questions or requests for follow up materials to this presentation can be directed to david@adrfitz.com
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