Partnership FAQs

Terms I General Questions I Online Resources I Questions about the Solo Partnership I Questions about Firm Partnerships

1. Do I have to be a lawyer to join?

Yes, you must be an active member of the State Bar of Michigan or a law firm to join the ICLE Partnership.

2. How long do subscriptions last?

Annual payment option. If you choose annual payment, your subscription lasts 12 months and you will receive a renewal notice before the end of the year for your next year's subscription.

Monthly payment option. If you select monthly payment, you must pay by credit card and you are committed to pay for the first 12 months. After the initial 12 months, we will continue to charge your credit card each month unless you cancel your subscription in writing with 30 days' notice. We will notify you if the price or benefits change. You will not receive a renewal notice.

3. How much does the Partnership cost per year?

It depends on the number of lawyers in your firm:

4. How do we know which firm size category we fit in?

Include all attorneys associated with the law firm, including employees and contract attorneys who spend a significant amount of time on the firm's clients' matters or will have access to the firm's computer resources. You must also count law school graduates who will take or have taken the Michigan Bar exam, but not law students or summer associates.

5. Do we need to pay for the entire Partnership year when we sign up?

No. If you authorize us to charge your credit card each month, you can pay in equal monthly installments. However, if you elect to pay monthly, you are committed to pay for the first 12 months. After the initial 12 months, we will continue to charge your credit card each month unless you cancel your subscription in writing with 30 days' notice. We will notify you if the price or benefits change. See the chart above for the monthly fees. The annual fee is slightly higher if paid on a monthly basis, and you must pay by credit card.

6. Can I cancel at any time?

Whether you choose annual payment or monthly payment, you commit to 12 months of service. Your access to the Partnership remains good for the entire year of your subscription. You may cancel but there are no refunds. If you elect the monthly payment option, after the initial 12 months we will continue to charge your credit card each month unless you cancel your subscription in writing with 30 days' notice. We will notify you if the price or benefits change. You will not receive a renewal notice.

7. How do I sign up?

Online:

Go to the demo page and follow the instructions. You will be asked to agree to the subscriber agreement online. We suggest you print out a copy for your records. We'll then send you your permanent Partnership User Name and password by e-mail and in the mail, along with other information.

By phone: call us toll-free at 877-229-4350

By mail or fax:

Send or fax us your order to:

ICLE
1020 Greene Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Toll-free fax: 877-229-4351

with your payment and information (if a firm, include a complete list of all the attorneys in your firm and their P numbers). We'll fax you a subscriber agreement to sign. Fax or mail it back to us, and we'll send you a Partnership User Name and password information, along with other information about your Partnership.

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1. What do I get as a Partner?

In general, attendance at ICLE Partnership seminars, unlimited access to ICLE's Online Resources, weekly email alerts, and discounts on other ICLE products and seminars. The number of permitted registrants per seminar location varies with firm size and the corresponding Partnership fee. See the more specific descriptions below.

2. As a Partner, which seminars can I attend free?

ICLE Partnership seminars are free to Partners. There are limits on seminar attendance. ICLE holds about 40 Partnership half- and full-day seminars and 1-2 hour webcasts during any 12-month period (subject to ICLE's scheduling). Seminars not included in the Partnership which are subject to a fee are generally limited-enrollment seminars (such as hands-on skills training), ICLE's Annual Institutes/Seminars, and non-ICLE seminars (ICLE co-sponsors another entity's seminar).

3. What are the Online Resources, and what can I do with them?

They include:

• Access to live and archived webcasts of most Partnership seminars. Archived webcasts are retained for approximately 12 months after the live webcast. MP3 files of the seminars are available free to Partners too.
• Seminar materials for most Partnership seminars starting September 1, 2000 (unless copyright restrictions prevent us from posting them). You can search, print, download, or read them on your computer screen.
• Over 2,200 drafted documents and checklists contributed by Michigan attorneys. You can view them on the screen, print them, or download them in word processing format.
• ClauseBank for divorce judgments and settlement agreements. You can view the clauses on the screen, print them, or cut and paste them for use in your word processing software.
• 650 SCAO forms in PDF format that you can fill in on your computer.
• Over 160 How-To Kits -- packages of forms and advice that tell you how to handle a particular transaction or issue (for example, forms and advice for handling a residential real estate closing).
• Legal updates in 12 major practice areas.
• New Law Centers

4. How do I get the Online Resources?

You need to have Internet access. We'll issue you (or each attorney in the firm) an ICLE User Name and password. Go to the ICLE Web site at www.icle.org and log in to the Partnership area. It's all there!

5. I understand the seminar attendance and online benefits. What additional savings are available to Partners?

Attend any of ICLE's popular Institutes at a discount, including:

• Annual Advanced Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Institute
• Annual Business Law Institute
• Annual Family Business Institute
• Annual Family Law Institute
• Annual Health Care Law Institute
• Annual Intellectual Property Law Institute
• Annual Labor and Employment Law Institute
• Annual Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Institute
• Annual Probate and Estate Planning Institute

Save when you attend hands-on training, including:

• Advanced Mediator Training
• Deposition Skills Workshop
• 40-Hour Domestic Relations Mediation Training
• 40-Hour Civil Mediation training
• Hands-on Technology training
• Trial Skills

Save when you attend other special training, including:

• Certificate program limited-enrollment seminars
• Business Boot Camp
• Litigation Boot Camp
• Wayne County Assigned Counsel Training - Domestic Relations
• Wayne County Assigned Counsel Training - Juvenile

Save 30% off any seminar-related product

• Seminar handbooks
• Audio CDs

Save 10% off on any books or disk products (supplements or disk updates excluded)

6. Does the Partnership automatically renew at the end of the year?

For annual payment, your subscription lasts 12 months and you will receive a renewal notice before the end of the year for your next year's subscription.

For month payment, you must pay by credit card and you are committed to pay for the first 12 months. After the initial 12 months, we will continue to charge your credit card each month unless you cancel your subscription in writing with 30 days' notice. We will notify you if the price or benefits change. You will not receive a renewal notice.

7. Do I need to pre-register for seminars even though I'm a Partner?

We strongly encourage pre-registration. This guarantees you a spot and lets us know how many seminar handbooks to order, what size room we need, etc. Walk-ins will be accommodated if space and printed handbooks are available. If you sign up and find you cannot attend the seminar, please let us know. There is no financial penalty for Partner cancellations at Partnership seminars.

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1. What are the Online Resources, and what can I do with them?

They include:

• Access to live and archived webcasts of most Partnership seminars. Archived webcasts are retained for approximately 12 months after the live webcast. MP3 files of the seminars are available free to Partners too.
• Seminar materials for most Partnership seminars starting September 1, 2000 (unless copyright restrictions prevent us from posting them). You can search, print, download, or read them on your computer screen.
• Over 2,200 drafted documents and checklists contributed by Michigan attorneys. You can view them on the screen, print them, or download them in word processing format.
• ClauseBank for divorce judgments and settlement agreements. You can view the clauses on the screen, print them, or cut and paste them for use in your word processing software.
• 650 SCAO forms in PDF format that you can fill in on your computer.
• Over 160 How-To Kits -- packages of forms and advice that tell you how to handle a particular transaction or issue (for example, forms and advice for handling a residential real estate closing).
• Legal updates in 12 major practice areas. Includes summaries of new laws, rules, and significant cases.
• New Law Centers - for major new developments affecting Michigan lawyers.

2. How do I access the Online Resources?

You need to have Internet access. We'll issue you (or each attorney in the firm) a Partnership User Name and password. Go to the ICLE Web site at www.icle.org. Enter your Partnership user name and password in the "Login Now" box.

3. What if I lose my Partnership User Name or password?

If you are an individual subscriber (i.e., solo practitioner), please call ICLE toll free at (877) 229-4350 and ask for Partnership Help or you may visit the User Name and Password help page to have your user name and password sent to you.

If you are a member of a firm that has a subscriber agreement, please ask the contact person for your firm to call our toll-free number above.

Note: If you change your user name or password, ICLE will not know what that user name or password is. We can only give you the user name and password that was originally assigned to you. If you forget your user name and password, we will reset them to the ones originally assigned to you.

4. Can I change my Partnership User Name or password?

You may change your user name or password at any time by clicking on "Change your user name and/or password" on the top of the My ICLE page.

5. What equipment and software are needed for using the Online Resources?

To get the best use of the Partnership, we recommend the following equipment:

1. Computer. At a minimum either a PC with at least 128 MB of RAM, running Windows 98 or higher (a Pentium running Windows 2000, XP or Vista is recommended) or an Apple computer with at least a 68030 processor, with 128 MB of memory (any new Apple computer selling today is recommended).
2. Modem or faster online connection. At least a 56 Kbps modem or higher speed connection is recommended.
3. Internet access. Dial-up or faster service (like cable, DSL or ISDN) with a graphical Web browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Note: to receive e-mail alerts, you only need an e-mail account.
4. Word Processing Software. The drafted forms available in the Partnership are compatible with the following word processing programs:
   * WordPerfect for Windows (version 8 or higher); and WordPerfect for Macintosh
   * MS Word for Windows (version 97 or higher) and MS Word for Macintosh
   * any other word processing program that can read or convert WordPerfect or Word files
5. Adobe Reader. To view and print the SCAO approved forms and seminar materials, you must have a copy of the Adobe Reader, a free software program, for Windows 2000 SP2 and higher.

6. Can I fill out the forms that are included in the Online Resources?

Yes. Drafted forms can be edited inside your word processor. SCAO-approved forms can be filled out in Adobe Reader. Once you've filled in a form's blanks inside Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can then print the form for submission to the court. Previously you were unable to save completed SCAO forms unless you purchased and installed Adobe Acrobat Professional. You may now save completed SCAO forms if you fill them out with Adobe Reader 7 or higher (a free download) or Adobe Acrobat Professional (a purchased program).

7. I'd like to have other resources in the Partnership. Can I send in requests?

The Partnership is a growing, dynamic collection of materials that could not exist without the generous contributions of practicing Michigan lawyers. We welcome your suggestions and contributions. If you have a suggestion or would like to contribute forms, please contact us by phone or e-mail. All contributions must be accepted by ICLE before they are included in the Online Resources.

8. What format will my weekly e-mail alerts come in?

The weekly alert is available in HTML format. The HTML format uses formatted text that looks just like a Web page delivered to your e-mail inbox. If you use version 4.0 or higher of Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape Communicator/Messenger or Eudora, you can use the HTML version.

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1. What do I get for a Solo Partnership?

You can attend as many ICLE Partnership seminars during your Partnership year as you wish at no additional charge. Only one person from your firm (you or a paralegal) can attend each seminar location. You also receive one year of unlimited access to online resources -- live and archived webcasts, MP3 files, searchable online seminar materials for Partnership seminars (unless restricted by copyright), over 2,200 drafted documents and checklists, SCAO forms that you can fill out on the computer, How-To Kits (online packages of advice and forms on practical topics), weekly e-mail alerts sent to your e-mail address, New Law Centers, and discounts on ICLE products and non-Partnership seminars.

2. What do you mean by "solo practitioner"?

You are a solo practitioner only if you practice by yourself either 1) in a one-lawyer office, or 2) if you share office space with other nonassociated lawyers, you do not share a computer system, software, or computer program access with those lawyers or their staffs. We've been able to price the Solo Partnership so low because the benefits won't be shared.

3. I share office space, a computer system, support staff, and a library with another attorney, but we aren't formally partners. Am I eligible for the Solo Partnership?

No. The Solo Partnership is intended for attorneys who don't share computer systems or online research resources with another attorney. If you're not sure if you qualify, give us a call.

4. I'm with a firm, but I want to sign up for a Solo Partnership. Can I?

No. Our prices are based on anticipated use, making it impossible to provide the online resources to firms for the price of a Solo Partnership. We believe our pricing structure is fair to all our customers and that the benefits reflect what attorneys and firms will use.

5. Are there other requirements to join the Partnership?

You must be an active member of the State Bar of Michigan.

6. I have a Solo Partnership. Can my paralegal attend seminars?

Yes. Your Solo Partnership allows either you or your paralegal to attend Partnership seminars--but only one of you may attend a particular location. If you both want to attend the same seminar, you will need to attend different locations at which that seminar is offered.

7. What do I have to do to register for a seminar?

Send in your normal registration materials or register online.

8. What do I need to present when I attend a seminar?

Just pre-register for the seminar and sign in at the registration table when you arrive.

9. What if I just want the seminar handbook for a Partnership seminar?

You have choices.

• Right at your office, connect to the Internet and use your password to sign on to the Partnership area of ICLE's Web site. Locate the seminar material you want. Just print it on your office printer or download it to your computer.
• Order the printed seminar handbook from ICLE after the seminar. Partners receive 30% off the regular price. Please be sure to include 6% sales tax and $9.00 shipping per order.

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1. What do we get for a Firm Partnership?

All attorneys or paralegals in the firm can attend Partnership seminars free of charge, subject to the limits listed below on the number of registrants at a particular seminar location. In addition, each attorney receives a User Name and Password that allows unlimited access for one year to the Online Resources -- live and archived webcasts, MP3 files, searchable online seminar materials for Partnership seminars (unless restricted by copyright), over 2,200 drafted documents and checklists, SCAO forms that you can fill out on the computer, How-To Kits (online packages of advice and forms on practical topics), weekly e-mail alerts sent to your e-mail address, New Law Centers, and discounts on ICLE products and non-Partnership seminars.

2. Are there other requirements to join the Partnership?

The firm's attorneys must be active members of the State Bar of Michigan (or law school graduates who will shortly take or have taken the Michigan Bar exam).

3. How many attorneys or paralegals from our firm may attend a particular seminar?

The number depends on the size of your firm. If you are a 2-4 attorney firm, you may send 2 attorneys or paralegals to each seminar presentation at a single location. If your firm has 5-10 attorneys, you may send 3 to each location, and if you are a firm of 11 or more attorneys, you may send 5 to each location. Additional attorneys or paralegals pay the general fee. Additional attorneys or paralegals can attend the same seminar on other dates or at other locations, as long as no more than the permitted number attend any one presentation location. There are no limits on the number of lawyers who may attend live webcasts.

4. What if more than the permitted number of attorneys or paralegals want to attend the same seminar on the same date at the same location?

The number specified above are free; the rest must pay the general fee. We recommend attending at another location whenever possible.

5. Do we need to show a Partnership card at the seminar?

No. There are no longer any Partnership cards. Just pre-register for the seminar and sign in at the registration table when you arrive.

6. Can all our attorneys have access to the Online Resources?

Yes. We will issue each attorney a unique Partnership User Name and password, which may be used only as long as the attorney is employed by the law firm.

7. What if one of our attorneys leaves, or we hire someone new?

You must promptly tell us that the attorney left, so that we can cancel his or her Partnership User Name and password. If you hire a new attorney, let us know his or her name and P number, so that we can issue a new Partnership User Name and password.

8. What if we just want the seminar material for a particular seminar?

• Right at your office, connect to the Internet and use your password to sign on to the Partnership area of ICLE's Web site. Locate the seminar material you want. Just print it on your office printer or download it to your computer.
• Order the printed seminar materials from ICLE after the seminar. Partners receive 30% off the regular price. Please be sure to include 6% sales tax and $9.00 shipping per order.

9. What are the weekly email alerts? Do you send them to each attorney in the firm, or to one email address?

Each week we send out an e-mail alert, summarizing the most significant Michigan reported cases, statutes, and court rule changes, with links to the full text. We send the alerts to the firm's contact person (designated when you firm joins the ICLE Partnership) and all firm lawyers that we have e-mail addresses for.

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