Continued Legal Education
Academy Members are among the most knowledgeable estate planners in the nation, in part because of our stringent Continuing Legal Education requirements. We require 36 annual CLE credits in the areas of Estate Planning, Elder Law, Probate, or Trust Administration.
Sound overwhelming? Don’t worry. We make it easy to meet this requirement with our webinars, conference calls, and special events.
Here’s a sampling:
- Academy Summits: The Academy hosts two Summits each year. Members meet up, share tips, ideas, and stories from the trenches; and learn about the latest in practice management, marketing, and estate planning law and strategy. The Academy provides a total of 34 – 50 CLE hours at its Summits each year.
- Classroom Conference Call: Each month, our education department offers a timely and informative Classroom Conference Call. We also maintain a full archive of past calls so you can get up to speed on your own schedule. Recent topics include:
- Webinars: Frequent webinars keep you up to date on a wide variety of topics, including the latest in practice management and marketing wisdom.
- Intellectual Property Considerations for Estate Planning Professionals
- Medicaid and VA Planning Case Studies
Geographic Exclusivity
Not every attorney in town is an Academy attorney. Academy Membership is divided into geographic territories across the U.S. The number of Academy attorneys in each territory is limited. What this means for our attorneys is:
- Exclusive access to Academy marketing materials, documents, and practice management support
- An even distribution of Academy attorneys nationwide
- No competition between Members
- Access to a nationwide network of estate planning experts
With competition eliminated, Members are free to form open and supportive relationships. Imagine being able to talk openly with your colleagues about legal strategy, marketing triumphs and failures, and even your law firm’s financials. For Academy Members, this kind of camaraderie and collaboration is a reality.
Many of our Members tell us that this is one of the most remarkable and valuable aspects of Academy Membership.
- WHITE: Open Territory, plenty of room for Members
- GREEN: Academy member(s) are in this area but there is room for more
- RED: Closed Territory, no Membership openings
If you have any questions regarding territories and/or Membership please call (800) 846-1555 or email us.
*This territory map may not indicate current availability, please contact us directly to confirm open territories.
State Bar
The Academy’s mission is to help attorneys become satisfied and successful business owners. We look for ambitious, coachable, success-oriented lawyers who want to live a rich, fulfilling life.
The first step toward Academy Membership is the submission of an application.
As part of the Academy Membership application, we check with the bar for each state in which an applicant is licensed to practice. We also check the applicant’s credit history and available resources, and we talk to professional references.
The Academy offers Members unparalleled personalized support as they work toward their goals of professional and personalized success. And it’s no secret that we ask our Members to maintain a standard of excellence far exceeding that set by the average state bar.
The Membership application is the first step toward making sure we’re a good fit for each other.
Professional Legal References
What kind of attorney does the Academy attract?
One who wants to become the premier estate planning attorney in their community. The go-to legal professional everyone in town knows and respects.
Your reputation matters.
That’s why, as part of your Academy Membership application, we ask that you provide us with three professional legal references. We’ll talk to your references about your reputation in your community as well as your accolades and accomplishments in the legal field. We will also check your state bar standing and perform a full credit check.
The application process typically takes about a week. After you’re approved, we’ll have a detailed conversation about your resources and the steps we’ll take to bring you fully up to speed as a newly-minted Academy Member.
For more information, talk to a Membership Consultant by calling (800) 846-1555 or emailing info@aaepa.com.
Strategic Plan
As part of the Academy Membership application approval process, you will spend a couple of hours thinking about and filling out a Strategic Planning Worksheet. After this planning process is complete you will review your Strategic Plan with our Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Price.
The Academy believes this is a key step in designing the practice that you want.
Most attorneys operate their law firms with a general direction in mind, but they don’t have a written and rewritten plan to achieve specific goals.
The process of developing this plan is at the heart of our Members’ success stories.
The Strategic Plan is also part of the work accomplished at the Academy’s Boot Camp (offered as part of each Academy Summit), and will inspire you to take a closer look at your plan.
The application process typically takes about a week, depending on when you complete the Strategic Planning Worksheet and have your Strategic Planning call.
To learn more about Membership, developing your Strategic Plan, and obtaining the Strategic Planning Worksheet, contact us at (800) 846-1555 or email info@aaepa.com.
