ACC's Educational Programs Offer Something For Everyone!

Each year, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) strives to develop educational programs that focus on the needs of in-house practitioners at all stages of their careers. As a diverse organization with diverse members, ACC recognizes that one size does not fit all and a need exists to provide varied educational opportunities for everyone from technical specialist to general counsel, those new to the profession or seasoned practitioner, or those with a domestic or multinational practice. In 2005, as a constantly expanding organization, ACC will strive to provide more educational events than ever before, to truly meet the needs of the entire in-house legal community.

On May 15-17 in Los Angeles, ACC will present its Third Annual Corporate Counsel University: New Challenges/New Solutions. Through this program, new in-house counsel and new legal managers will acquire the tools they need to succeed in their new positions and excel in the in-house arena. Like all ACC programs, Corporate Counsel University emphasizes practical tips and hands-on advice, with numerous opportunities to interact with faculty and other attendees.

For those new to in-house practice the program features such topics as: Hallmarks of a Successful In-house Practitioner, Financial Analysis for In-house Practitioners: Reading Between the Headlines, Hot Topics in Employment Law , and Outside Counsel/Bill-ding Relationships . New managers can look forward to learning about Building & Motivating Your Legal Team, Law Department Alignment with Company Goals, Budgeting Tools for the New Attorney Manager , and Was It Legal? A Case Study of Corporate Governance Practices . All attendees will learn about the full range of products and services ACC provides on all topics of interest for in-house counsel. Corporate Counsel University will provide attendees with a practical base of knowledge as they begin their in-house career. For complete program details or to register for this meeting, visit www.acca.com/ccu/05.

Focusing on the rapidly expanding global legal department, ACC's European Chapter will present its 2005 Annual Conference, Lawyer's Across Borders - Succeeding in Transnational Business, June 19-21 in Brussels, Belgium. Now more than ever before, corporate practitioners must be prepared to effectively advise their transnational clients. Managing the broad range of legal and business issues that confront companies in today's competitive global economy can be a challenge for even the most experienced in-house attorney. This conference will provide the knowledge and tools to succeed in a multinational corporate practice. Attendees will be able to benchmark best practices on such topics as Managing a Multinational Legal Department, Global Harmonization of Codes of Conduct, Protection of IP Assets in a Borderless Electronic World, Opening & Operating Foreign Offices & Subsidiaries , and much more. For more information about this meeting, or to register, go to www.acca.com/acce/05.

The cornerstone of all of ACC's educational events is its Annual Meeting, being held October 17-19 in Washington, DC. With over 2500 attendees and over 100 CLE programs across 12 tracks of programming, no in-house counsel would want to miss these networking and educational opportunities.

Every day, companies face new risks and challenges. By implementing broader compliance programs, in-house counsel will be more prepared to identify and resolve issues before they cost the company valuable time and money. Thus was born this year's theme Legal Underdog to Corporate Superhero: Using Compliance for a Competitive Advantage. The program includes an entire track of compliance sessions that will show attendees how to become a "superhero" by helping their corporate clients proactively identify all aspects of risk assessment and management. "Compliance is truly a part of every in-house counsel's practice - or should be. But it goes beyond S-OX. We wanted to take this chance to refresh members on the broader topic of compliance in other areas such as environmental, employment, and others," says Anastasia Kelly, ACC's vice chair and Executive Vice President & General Counsel of MCI.

For those looking for a broader range of substantive programming, rest assured ACC's Annual Meeting will deliver value for all of your interests. The program schedule identifies sessions for new in-house counsel, new managers, and general counsel in addition to traditional tracks for specialists in fields such as employment and labor, intellectual property, international law, litigation, and corporate and securities law. New this year, "Back to Basics" programming will provide solid overviews of substantive legal topics for those counsel looking for an update in common practice areas. Regardless of practice level or expertise, registrants will surely leave with current, practical information that will both challenge and help them to improve their legal practice. To view the full ACC Annual Meeting schedule or to register, visit www.acca.com/am/05.

2005 promises to be a landmark year for ACC's education program. President, Frederick J. Krebs, has said, "Providing targeted education for the in-house community is one of the core benefits we provide our members. Our expanding educational initiatives this year and in the future will only ensure that in-house counsel are well trained and prepared to better serve their clients."

If you have questions about any of the educational opportunities that ACC provides, contact the Education Department at 202.293.4103, ext. 451.