Colorado Supreme Court

Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel

Promoting Professionalism. Protecting the Public.

An Opportunity for Professional Growth, Renewal, and Learning


By JONATHAN WHITE

 

The change of seasons is upon us once again. Lawns appear greener. Evenings longer. Spring reminds us that change is constant. It is also a season that reminds us of the good that comes from renewal and growth.

Change and growth are central to a program that the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel unveiled last year: the Colorado Lawyer Self-Assessment Program. The program consists of a series of ten self-assessments on essential professionalism topics. These topics range from maintaining competence, to charging appropriate fees, to proper trust account procedures. They also include topics such as personal well-being and ways to structure a practice to promote access-to-justice.

Since this is a season of change and new growth, consider using the Colorado Lawyer Self-Assessment Program to review your practice’s procedures when it comes to client service, law office management, and ethical obligations. As you look towards completing it, here are a few things to keep in mind:

First, you can take the assessments either online or through a downloadable print, PDF form. Both are available at the following website: http://coloradosupremecourt.com/AboutUs/LawyerSelfAssessmentProgram.asp.

Second, in the spirit of helping lawyers grow professionally, the program offers a variety of educational resources from opinions published by the Colorado Bar Association’s Ethics Committee to template forms like model engagement letters. The resources are available through hyperlinks in both the print and online assessments.

Third, this is a voluntary program. The goal is to have lawyers engage with the resources and the questions and improve their practice. To accomplish that goal, the lawyers and professionals who designed the assessments believed a voluntary program was most appropriate.

Fourth, the self-assessment process includes practice reflection and interaction with educational resources. It presents the opportunity for review of various rules in the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct. Accordingly, you can claim continuing legal education credit for completing the program. The program has been approved for three general and three ethics credits. An affidavit is available on the program homepage listed above.

Fifth, you do not have to answer every question to complete the survey, benefit from the educational resources it offers, and claim continuing legal education. Not every topic applies to every practice. For example, certain lawyers do not manage trust accounts. You can skip questions that do not apply to your practice. They will be recorded as “N/A” in the end-of-survey reports that lawyers can download and print.

Sixth, while not every question applies to every practice, even if a question does not apply to your immediate practice, reviewing the issue highlighted might be helpful down the road. You never know when you might venture into a new practice area. The self-assessments contain pointers you might find helpful, important, and time-saving in the future.

Seventh, lawyers can complete the online assessments in stages by registering an email address with the online assessment’s host. This will allow you to get a link so you can return to your work when you’re ready and time permits. Note that the platform host company does not share any individually-identifiable information or answer data with the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. Nor does it keep a lawyer’s work on file beyond the time it takes for the lawyer to work through the program.

Last, take the opportunity to provide feedback to the lawyers and professionals who designed the several self-assessments. The assessments should evolve to remain effective and to keep their resources current and pertinent. Feedback helps tremendously in this process.

In this season of new beginnings, use the Colorado Lawyer Self-Assessment Program to evaluate your practice. It may give you the chance to implement new procedures to help you succeed and your practice thrive. It may also give you reassurance that you’re on the right track when it comes to delivering excellent client service and meeting professional obligations.