COURSE MATERIAL GUIDELINES
Expectations
Georgetown Law CLE course materials serve two purposes: supplemental learning materials for
attendees and comprehensive reference materials for CLE credit. Thus, they must be able to
stand alone and must not be merely a supplement to the oral presentation. Serving as a valuable
resource, materials should be full-sentence legal commentary and serve as a detailed and
accurate reference. Feel free to use more detail than is possible for your oral presentation.
Course materials typically include expert commentary on the current state of the law augmented
by illustrative examples, hypotheticals, checklists, practice notes, ethics commentary, and sample
clauses, forms, and exhibits.
MCLE states require thorough, high-quality instructional written materials, which appropriately
cover the subject matter for attendees, and, thus, a mere agenda, topical outline or PowerPoint
slides are not sufficient.
Finally, we would like to note that company logos or letterheads are unacceptable.
Deadlines
We cannot overstate the importance of meeting the prescribed deadlines. One panelist’s missed
deadline not only delays the production but it is also unfair to other colleagues who have
submitted their materials on time.
Please note that any speakers who do not submit their materials by the course materials deadline
will be asked to provide sufficient copies for all registered attendees on the day of the program.
Finally, please be aware that Georgetown Law’s effort to “go green” saves thousands of sheets of
paper per program. Additionally, to better serve our conference attendees, we email a linked
digital binder to all attendees one week before the conference. Noting both of these points, please
understand that our course materials deadline is set to accommodate these new features and
allow us the proper time to format all submissions into a digital binder and send it to our
conference attendees.
If your course materials are submitted after the deadline, we cannot guarantee inclusion of your
submission in the linked digital binders that are distributed to all program attendees. However,
for the convenience of all speakers and attendees, all late submissions (including those used on
the day of the conference) will be added to the linked digital binders at a later date.
Submissions
All submissions must be made via email in .doc, docx, or .pdf format only. A particular note for
panelists: when submitting your course materials, please specify which members of your panel
should be included as authors of the submitted work.
Presentations
PowerPoint presentations are encouraged, but as a reminder, PowerPoint slide decks do not serve
as course materials submissions.
Editing
Georgetown Law CLE will neither edit nor proofread your materials.
New Work or Revisions
Considering changes in the law, shifting judgments among experts, and Georgetown Law CLE’s
continuing effort to bring lawyers the best materials, please draft new and unique materials. If
you update last year’s materials for an advanced course topic, please integrate the revision into
the prior paper.
Please do not submit articles that have been published previously, articles that are accessible to
our attendees by other means, or any other public documents. In rare cases that articles of this
type are necessary, it is the responsibility of the speaker to obtain the necessary publication
permissions or consents from the original authors.
Style
Write for Your Audience: Know your projected audience. If you are participating in an
advanced program, include content that addresses more sophisticated issues. Conversely, if it is
a basic program, keep your discussion at an introductory level.
Emphasize the Practical: Forms, checklists, and sample documents are in great demand at all
CLE programs and can be excellent educational devices as supplements to your paper.
Ethics and Malpractice: Alert the reader of relevant issues regarding legal ethics and avoiding
malpractice. In suggesting tactics, bear in mind the high ethical standards of the profession. If it
is necessary to “warn” the reader about questionable tactics, make it a clear warning.
Structure: Organize your materials in a hierarchical format that clarifies and simplifies your
subject. Build your analysis into the structure of your materials.
Appendices: Reports of recent decisions, hard-to-find regulations, and other supporting
information can be included as appendices to your material.
Bibliography: Include a bibliography if source materials are difficult to find.