I was talking to my cousin last night about CLE online and how it’s still just as important as ever, but how lawyers don’t make quite as much money as they used to. She asked me if I knew this for a fact, if I had read these stats in a journal or magazine, in her rather confrontational way.

“No,” I said, “but it’s obvious. After the markets crumbled there’s the same amount of competition, but more reluctance to hire.”

William Robinson supports me. He recently said, “It’s inconceivable to me that someone with a college education, or a graduate-level education, would not know before deciding to go to law school that the economy has declined over the last several years and that the job market out there is not as opportune as it might have been five, six, seven, eight years ago.” For those who don’t know Mr. Robinson is a Kentucky lawyer who is president of the American Bar Association.

Some of the other factors that keep young lawyers in debt are professors’ tenure, which raises law school tuition. But the big reason is that since lawyers cost money, and we’re in a time when people aren’t spending, they don’t make as much money. At least lawyers can still find affordable online CLE.

A couple of weeks ago, the New York City Council  decided that corporations are not people. This may soon send an amendment to Congress. The result will form a part of any New York CLE course.

The 1976 Buckley v Valeo is a precedent for corporate spending as a form of free speech, which holds that corporations can give as much money as they want to influence a campaign. The proposed amendment would overturn this ruling.

Treating corporations as people could be seen as an early stage of socialism. Corporate power means power in the hands of the people who work for that corporation. When a corporation can sway an election to benefit itself and its employees, that’s one step closer to a cooperative enterprise and common ownership of an espoused set of values and ideas by said corporation. Of course, the corporation would still function in a democratic society, but such brinksmanship could easily lead to three or four corporations ruling the country, instead of political parties (Google, Amazon, Facebook). The possibility for a reactive amendment to stave off corporate influence is more closely aligned with a late capitalistic sense of democracy.

While government regulation is often associated with more liberal, socialistic tendencies, in this case, it holds a more conservative and traditional role.  Seeing as how corporations are still not especially popular today, it will be interesting to see whether Congress will pass such an amendment. Should it, online CLE will have another topic to cover.

The law is grounded in morality, a system and code which helps lawyers determine right and wrong; and yet it is fluid, capable of shifting. Legal ethics are considered in online CLE, as well as by the highest court in the land.

In his annual report, Chief Justice John Roberts issued a statement defending the ethics of the Supreme Court. He refuted criticism about Justice recusal, pointing out that in lower courts, in which rules and ethical codes issued by Congress are the standard, a judge who does not see himself fit to rule over a case can recuse, and the case goes to a different court. But the Supreme Court is above and outside of ethical codes imposed by Congress, and moreover, there is no one to replace a Justice. He thus affirmed his faith in his fellow Justices to recuse themselves when necessary.

He also noted the Supreme Court’s compliance with Judicial Conference stipulations, which apply to lower courts, and which technically the Supreme Court is above; namely, that Justices must limit and report gifts and outside income, which are used to sway opinion.

It can be tricky to balance ethical scales, which is why New York continuing legal education is so important. It is possible for one’s moral compass to occasionally bounce and lead one astray, but with online CLE it becomes easier to get an accurate reading on the right moral direction.

Every attorney in the tri-state area needs a New York continuing legal education. Attorneys are intellectually curious, which is why they need to keep learning, no matter where they are in their careers.

iPhone Projector Case.

With so many precedents and case facts shuttling around your brain, however, it can be easy to forget the little things that can make legal life much easier. For the new year, here are three to remember.

1. Spend some extra time with the family. Kids grow up. And although you say this every year, actually spending Sunday afternoons lounging around can de-stress you, making you more dedicated and eager come Monday morning.

2. Sharpen your writing. Consider who you’re writing for, be they judges, clerks, or other attorneys. When writing about your client’s case, make it a story. Describe the facts of the case and how your clients have been affected. And go for concision — use active verbs rather than drawn-out clauses, for example.

3. Add new technology to your practice. Even if it’s one aspect, whether an iPad, cloud capabilities, or even a new focus on internet marketing, which will propel your practice higher on Google search results, now’s a good time to start.

And of course, choose between online CLE or in-person NY continuing legal education.