All lawyers are required to complete a certain number of continuing legal education hours per year. State bar associations often list approved legal seminars that count towards a lawyer's education hours. This type of seminar is often meant to update lawyers on new developments in legal issues. For example, a seminar on contract law may address the impact of a recent judicial decision on the interpretation of contractual clauses.
Not all legal seminars count towards continuing legal education hours, but may still offer attorneys incentives for attending. Some seminars may be mandatory, such as those held by law firms to improve their attorney's ability to manage cases. Others provide a useful networking tool for attorneys. For example, international legal seminars allow professionals to establish relationships with oversees attorneys who may be contacted later to handle out-of-state legal matters. Moreover, attending seminars can improve an attorney's ability to handle specific types of cases and expand his client pool. For example, a contract attorney who wants to expand into intellectual property may use seminars to first refresh his knowledge of intellectual property issues.
Legal seminars create a more intimate learning experience than large lectures. A seminar professor is able to provide more personalized instruction to his students without being overwhelmed by questions or spending days grading papers. Although first-year law classes often involve large lectures, second- and third-year students will have an increasingly larger proportion of seminar classes as they begin to specialize in particular areas of law.
Legal seminars are not only for law students and attorneys. Any person who interacts with the legal system can find a seminar for his needs. For example, paralegals are able to attend seminars meant to improve their understanding of legal issues and proper filing procedures. Law enforcement officers will often attend legal seminars that review their rights and responsibilities when interacting with suspects. Seminars give professionals who do not have a formal legal education the tools they need to understand and interact with the law as efficiently as possible.