Boston, MA – August 5, 2014 – InReach, a leading provider of online continuing education (CE) management solutions, today announces that long-time client, the State Bar of Arizona, was selected for an ACLEA Best Award for its seminar educating legal professionals on workplace safety and providing tools to aid staff when responding to crisis situations.
“In January 2013, attorney Mark Hummels and his client were gunned down after a mediation in Phoenix not far from the State Bar of Arizona office,” said Lisa Deane, Chief Member Services Officer at the State Bar of Arizona. “Acknowledging the vulnerability of our staff and our bar members, and the fact that there is little education on how to handle these crisis situations, we realized we needed to do something.”
Over the following months, the State Bar of Arizona conducted research on the topic and learned that few firms had safety plans in place or protocols for emergency situations. In addition, another survey revealed that 42 percent of Arizona lawyers and judges had been threatened or assaulted at least once, and the results were not unique to Arizona. Seven other states had similar findings.
Realizing the violence against lawyers and their clients is a growing national problem but few legal professionals have the resources needed to respond, The Bar compiled a panel of experts in law enforcement, disaster preparedness and situational psychology and hosted a free educational online webcast using the InReach platform.
“We are so proud to partner with The Bar, and be the technology provider that can distribute this important education to legal professionals nationwide,” said Donita Bourns Douglas, Vice President of Professional Services at InReach. “As a former attorney and bar staff member, this has not been a topic that the legal community has publicly addressed, and I commend Lisa and her staff for taking on such an important cause.”
“This is not a comfortable topic for any of us, but it is critical that firms, bar associations, courthouses have emergency plans in place so staff know how to respond,” said Ms. Deane. “We understand we cannot entirely prevent violence in the workplace, but by starting the conversation and providing helpful aids—we may save a life.”
The 75-minute online program, was broadcast live via the Internet to individual lawyers, law firm conference rooms, courts and human resources professionals throughout the United States. It is estimated that nearly 400 computers connected to the program and more than 1000 people tuned into the webcast across the United States. The recorded version and accompanying materials is still available on the State Bar of Arizona website.
About The Bar
The State Bar of Arizona is a non-profit organization that operates under the supervision of the Arizona Supreme Court. The Bar includes approximately 17,500 active attorneys and provides education and development programs for the legal profession and the public. Since 1933 the Bar and its members have been committed to serving the public by making sure the voices of all people in Arizona are heard in our justice system. www.azbar.org
About InReach
InReach is a leading provider of continuing education management solutions. The first and most widely used solution for bringing accredited continuing education (CE) online, InReach technology, services, and experience have helped hundreds of organizations expand their continuing professional education programs beyond in-person events. For more than a decade, the leading providers of continuing medical, financial, and legal education have successfully leveraged InReach to produce, manage, distribute, and profit from successful online CE programs. For more information contact us at Info@InReachCE.com or visit www.InReachCE.com.
