Publication types Books Official website ceb.com Country of origin United States of America | Nonfiction topics Law Founded 1947 | |
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Founder University of California, State Bar of California Headquarters location Oakland, California, United States | ||
CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar • California) is a self-supporting program of the University of California that is co-sponsored by the State Bar of California. Founded in 1947, CEB modernized continuing legal education (CLE) by providing three, six, and 24 hour courses in locations that were convenient to California practitioners. CEB fulfills its mandate to cultivate the professional development of California lawyers by offering CLE courses, and by publishing practice guides.
Contents
- Objectives of the program
- Governing committee
- CLE courses
- Publications
- Blog and social media
- Spirit of CEB Awards
- CEB Awards to Law Students for Excellence in Legal Research and Writing
- CEB Recognition for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Oral Argument
- AccessLaw
- CEB leadership
- References
CEB has received multiple awards from the Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA), including the Award of Professional Excellence for Publications in 2012, 2011, 2006, 2005, 2002, and 1996. In 2014, CEB accepted ACLEA’s Best Publication award for the book, “Neighbor Disputes: Law and Litigation.” In addition, in 2013 CEB was ranked as the second-best CLE provider in California by the readers of The Recorder legal newspaper, and the third-best legal research vendor.
Objectives of the program
As set forth in the Memorandum of Understanding for the Joint Sponsorship of the Continuing Education of the Bar Program between the State Bar of California and the Regents of the University of California, CEB's objectives are to:
- Keep members of the legal profession informed of changes and developments in the law through instruction, publications and other services;
- Provide continuing legal education to members of the legal profession in significant areas of legal practice;
- Promote greater efficiency in the practice of law by providing instruction, publications, and other services for law office management;
- Present courses and publish materials concerned with the ethical and professional responsibilities of the members of the legal profession;
- Provide such other services supportive of the purposes set forth above.
CEB's goal is to collaborate with members of the legal profession to "deliver the best current knowledge for the proficient and successful practice of law, thereby contributing to the betterment of the members of the legal profession, the public and the administration of justice."
Governing committee
Oversight of CEB is provided by the CEB Governing Committee. The Committee consists of nine voting members: four members appointed by the State Bar of California and five members appointed by the University of California. The University appoints the chair, and the State Bar's Board of Governors appoints the vice chair. The vice chair must be a lawyer in active practice in California. The other members the State Bar appoints include the Executive Director of the State Bar, or the Executive Director's designee who must be a lawyer, and two members who are actively practicing law in California, at least one of whom represents the interests of the sections of the State Bar. The Committee reviews and approves CEB's annual publishing and educational program, strategic objectives, annual budget, and recommendations from the Director on the overall operation of CEB.
CLE courses
CEB's CLE courses are typically presented by practicing attorneys and judges with expertise in the course's subject matter. All CEB courses are also available through CEB's "On Demand" service. In June 2012, CEB began offering podcasts on recent developments, beginning with two podcasts on the decision in Brinker Restaurant Corp. v Superior Court (Hohnbaum) (2012) 53 C4th 1004.
CLE courses cover substantive practice areas including business law, criminal law, employment law, estate planning, real property law, family law, and litigation. CEB also offers law practice management programs, including "Making Sure You Get Paid: Accounts Receivable Management" which is available online to members of the Bar free of charge. CEB also tackles subjects required by the California State Bar's minimum Continuing Legal Education Program, including legal ethics, elimination of bias, and substance abuse.
Each year CEB and the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law present a 12-hour Estate Planning Institute in Los Angeles. The program focuses on advanced estate planning and estate tax issues. Each January, CEB presents a two-day fair in several locations across California that focuses on recent developments in the areas of estate planning, real property, business law, civil litigation and torts, and ethics.
Publications
CEB publishes more than 120 practice guides—most of which are updated every year—in substantive areas including business law; civil litigation and torts; criminal law; employment law & workers' compensation; estate planning, trust and probate; family law; public law; and real property. CEB also publishes books on law practice management topics, such as the "California Client Communications Manual: Sample Letters and Forms" (Cal CEB 2012). The Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA) has issued the Awards of Professional Excellence and of Outstanding Achievement to CEB practice guides, including "Criminal Sentencing Enhancements" (Cal CEB 2012), and "California Wage and Hour: Law and Litigation" (Cal CEB 2010).
CEB also publishes more than 25 "Action Guides," which are short, softbound books that describe step-by-step how to handle a specific task for a client. Action Guides are updated every two years. Topics include "Creating Your Discovery Plan," "Handling Postmortem Trust Administration: A Checklist," "Handling a Real Property Foreclosure," and "Handling a Wrongful Termination Action."
CEB publishes four periodicals: the quarterly "California Business Law Practitioner," as well as the "California Business Law Reporter," the "Estate Planning and California Probate Reporter," and the "Real Property Law Reporter," which are published every two months. The publications are designed to keep the practitioner up to date concerning developments in his or her practice area.
In conjunction with the California Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER), CEB publishes a number of criminal law handbooks and benchbooks, including the Felony Sentencing Handbook and the Mandatory Criminal Jury Instructions Handbook.
CEB's practice guides and Action Guides are available online through OnLAW. OnLAW allows the user to search a book or a library of books for specific words, to answer legal questions and locate forms. Books published on OnLAW are embedded with links to U.S. Supreme Court cases, as well as California cases and codes.
Blog and social media
CEB offers free content to practicing attorneys and members of the public on its blog, law alerts, and discussion forums. The American Bar Association acknowledged CEB's blog as one of the top 100 law blogs in 2011.
CEB publishes blog posts three times a week on substantive topics including business law, civil litigation, constitutional law, criminal law, elder law, employment law, estate planning, evidence, family law, public law, real property, and tort law. The blog also covers legal writing, litigation strategy, new legal developments, the practice of law, and profiles of California attorneys.
CEB shares its blog posts and other information of interest to practicing attorneys on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus, and Twitter.
Spirit of CEB Awards
Throughout the years, the key to the success of CEB's programs and publications has been the generosity of the attorneys and judges who have volunteered to speak and write for CEB. These individuals—motivated not by hopes of personal gain but by their love of teaching and dedication to improving the profession—have made an enduring contribution to the continuing education of attorneys through their work over the years. To acknowledge these contributors and their service to the legal profession, CEB initiated the "Spirit of CEB" Awards in 2005. These awards are an acknowledgement of the selfless sharing of information by these colleagues for the betterment of the legal profession and the society it serves.
In 2013, CEB honored the following volunteer authors and speakers:
CEB Awards to Law Students for Excellence in Legal Research and Writing
Since 2008, CEB has recognized the achievement of first-year law students with Awards for Excellence in Legal Research and Writing at several UC law schools. The award is granted to the top student in the school's first-year research and writing program. The award includes a certificate and a $2,500 cash prize. Winners include:
From the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
From the University of California, Davis, School of Law
From the University of California, Irvine, School of Law
From the University of California, Hastings College of the Law
CEB Recognition for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Oral Argument
Five third-year students were recognized by CEB for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Oral Argument at the 2014 Roger J. Traynor California Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Competition, held April 12 and 13, 2014 at UCLA School of Law. The winners were
AccessLaw
In 2012, CEB acquired AccessLaw. AccessLaw offers published and unpublished California and 9th Circuit cases, as well as cases from the U.S. Supreme Court. AccessLaw also publishes DVDs containing California case law and legislation; California civil and criminal jury instructions; California Judicial Council forms; and U.S. Supreme Court Opinions.
CEB leadership
Current CEB Governing Committee
CEB Executive Directors