Become a Speaker
With the help of volunteer speakers, the NCBA provides thousands of hours of high-quality CLE to attorneys across North Carolina each year. The expertise and commitment of these speakers is vital to the advancement of the profession, and we welcome the opportunity to work with you.
Why should I speak for the NCBA?
The NCBA is the leading provider of CLE in the state and has a membership base of more than 18,000. By speaking with the NCBA, you have the opportunity to:
- Demonstrate subject matter expertise to a statewide audience
- Receive teaching credit
- Receive complimentary program registration
- Add to your professional experience and expand your public speaking skills
What if I am interested in speaking, but I don’t have a particular topic in mind?
We are more than happy to work with you to determine a topic that will be a valuable resource for attorneys in your practice area.
What is required of NCBA speakers?
Volunteering to speak can be a time-consuming commitment and we are appreciative of our speakers’ time and effort. Our goal is to make the speaking process as seamless as possible. Below are the standards set forth for NCBA speakers.
- Set up a call with your NCBA CLE team. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or brand new to speaking with us, it is important to set up a call. We’ll walk through resources available to you and allow for questions to be asked of us.
- Provide your biography, headshot and a link to your firm or professional webpage.
- Sign the Speaker Acknowledgement.
- Submit your draft materials eight weeks before the program. Submitting a draft manuscript or session outline in advance provides an opportunity for you to discuss the material with your program planner.
- Submit your final written materials and PowerPoint presentation two weeks before the program.
What other things are important for potential speakers to know?
- Please speak the full length of your scheduled session. Ending a session early or running over may impact the overall credit of the CLE program. NCBA CLE provides a countdown clock to help speakers keep up with their session time.
- Keep in touch with your CLE team members. We are here to help you and to answer questions ranging from technology and equipment set up to speaking tips.
- Speakers may be eligible to receive teaching credit for their time. Attorneys licensed in North Carolina receive 6 hours of credit for every 60 minutes taught. For panelist teaching credit, total speaking is divided among the number of panelists. The NCBA reports NC-licensed attorney speaking credit on behalf of those speakers to the NC State Bar.
- Speakers may be eligible for expense reimbursement. As planning gets underway, we will provide you with this information, including the expense reimbursement limit.
- Most CLE programs are recorded and then made available as On-Demands in the CLE catalog.
What speaking formats are available to me?
Speaking formats include in-person as part of a larger multi-hour program or through smaller sessions such as 1-hour webcasts or webinars. You may also pre-record your session with us. Most live programs are recorded and then made available as On-Demands in the CLE catalog for around 2 years.
I’m interested in speaking. Who do I contact?
Please send your speaker interest and proposed topic information to [email protected]. One of our CLE Managers will review your information and be in touch.
When submitting your information, we encourage you to provide as much detail as possible including your contact information, primary practice/subject area, program description with specific aspects to be discussed and any additional relevant information.