By Trish Conlon
I often tell Boyd Law students that it is a small legal community here in Las Vegas. While it may be a small community, it is definitely mighty. I have been on the CCBA Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Committee for about a year now and the Chair for a little over four months. I am very impressed with the willingness and eagerness with which our members offer up their time and expertise to each other.
The Nevada Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1 requires us, as attorneys, to provide our clients with “the legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness and preparation reasonably necessary for the representation.” This obligation includes maintaining and improving our legal skills. The CCBA Continuing Legal Education Committee’s goal is to provide free or low cost continuing legal education for members, and we are able to do that by relying almost solely on the expertise of our membership.
A Nevada practicing attorney must complete 13 CLE hours annually, which includes two hours of ethics and one hour of substance abuse, addictive disorders and/or mental health issues that impair professional competence. All these hours may be obtained through lunchtime learning CLE seminars offered by the CCBA CLE Committee. The webinars include a wide variety of topics, from local issues to cutting edge theory and practice, and we are open to ideas for new offerings from the membership.
Although continuing legal education is required, the benefits to attorneys and their clients are immeasurable. The increased competence of lawyers resulting from attending CCBA seminars is the CLE Committee’s goal, and we will continue to create high quality, free (or low-cost) CLEs for the benefit of CCBA members. Additionally, if you are unable to attend a CLE session live, recorded materials may be available to rent for a nominal fee (depending on the session).
Committee meetings
Typically, the CLE Committee meets on the second Wednesday of the month. Join us for our next meeting is on July 9, 2025!
If you are interested in joining the CLE Committee, presenting a CLE session for CCBA members, or have an idea for a topic for an upcoming session, please contact CCBA staff liaison Donna Wiessner at (702) 333-2266 or donnaw@clarkcountybar.org or CLE Chair Trish Conlon at trish@devallancelaw.com.
About the author
Trish Conlon serves as the Chair of the CCBA’s CLE Committee. Trish is licensed to practice law in Nevada. She will be practicing primarily in family law matters with the firm of DeVallance Law and previously served as the Associate Director of Career Development at Boyd Law School.
About the article
This article was originally published in the Communiqué (June/July 2025), the official publication of the Clark County Bar Association. See https://clarkcountybar.org/about/member-benefits/communique-2025/communique-june-july-2025/. The printed magazine was mailed to CCBA members on June 6, 2025.
The articles and advertisements appearing in Communiqué magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the CCBA, the CCBA Publications Committee, the editorial board, or the other authors. All legal and other issues discussed are not for the purpose of answering specific legal questions. Attorneys and others are strongly advised to independently research all issues.
© 2025 Clark County Bar Association (CCBA). All rights reserved. No reproduction of any portion of this issue is allowed without written permission from the publisher. Editorial policy available upon request.