Washington Lawyer - January/February 2025 - 31

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SPECIAL SECTION
bers to represent the Bar outside the United States, Sobin says. He also
observed that other bar associations were hosting their own international
CLE programs and generating revenue.
" One of our great strengths is that we offer CLE credit across the United
States, to all 46 jurisdictions that require it, " Sobin says. " So, for us, it was
a no-brainer that we should leverage that into international travel. "
At a bar executives conference in 2018, Sobin connected with CLE Abroad,
a company that customizes educational travel programs around the globe.
Founded by Daniel Perez, a former attorney, CLE
Abroad hosts programs in more than 10 countries,
giving participants access to private walking tours,
five-star hotel accommodations, art and culture
outings, exquisite dining experiences, and customized
lectures involving top experts at these destinations.
" Our
focus is on the local speakers, whether they
are attorneys, academics, or [other] professionals
who can speak to the local legal system, " Perez
says. " When you are studying a foreign legal system,
you really need to understand the political
landscape,
economics,
and cultural
considerations.
It really adds a richness being able to hear
from the local speakers; it sheds light on what is
happening in the country. "
Perez started CLE Abroad in 2015, taking groups of
attorneys to Cuba. " During the Obama administration,
there was an opening up to Cuba [from the
United States]. There was a lot of interest from the
legal field. I was still practicing law at the time. "
''
The journey to Cuba was a huge success, and today
CLE Abroad works with approximately 20 state and metropolitan bar
associations. Although its services are focused on lawyers, the company
also works with universities, MBA programs, and diplomatic counsel.
" We deal with all the contracts and organize everything, " Perez says. " We
are really the only organization specializing in offering this for bar associations
to make it easy and revenue-positive for them. We mitigate and
take away all that risk, which falls on us if the program does not succeed.
If there is low turnout or whatever, that is our problem. "
Sobin feels that the D.C. Bar's CLE Abroad program stands out because
other bars tend to be smaller and more insular. " We, on the other hand,
have a huge footprint all over the world regarding members, " he says.
" And because we can offer CLE credits to everybody, we open this CLE
Abroad program to other bar associations in different places in the United
States. "
Visser found huge value in her Netherlands trip. " I think it's amazing that
the D.C. Bar is investing in something like the CLE Abroad program, " Visser
says. " It was informative and fascinating. And I made a lot of contacts,
not only on the U.S. side in our wonderful group, but also with individuals
working in international capacities as lawyers. I don't think you can
put a price on the experience. "
The freedom to have
open dialogues with
other cultures, other
races, and sexes is
invaluable because
it makes us better at
what we do because
ASSOCIATE JUDGE ROBERT R. RIGSBY
D.C. Superior Court
now we have a better
understanding.
DEEP DIALOGUES ON ISSUES
D.C. Superior Court Associate Judge Robert R. Rigsby has always wanted
to learn more about justice systems around the world, so in 2023 and
2024 he joined his wife, D.C. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby,
on both the D.C. Bar's Scotland and Portugal trips.
Before becoming a judge, Rigsby spent 33 years in the U.S. Army, deployed
in the Middle East and Asia. " I talked to other people [in those
countries] about what they thought the rule of law should look like, "
Rigsby recalls. " So, for me [the CLE Abroad program]
was a natural extension of what I did while
I was in the army. "
" I learned so much from going to other places
and hearing what their justice systems are like
and ... what their impressions of America are, "
Rigsby adds. " I just thought it was essential that
I go to Scotland and Portugal. "
In Scotland the group stayed at the Caledonian
Hotel in Edinburgh and toured major sites in the
city's Old Town district. They listened to traditional
Scottish music at the posh Le Monde Hotel,
enjoyed fine dining, and took a day trip to
Glasgow.
For professional enrichment, participants learned
about the Witchcraft Act, which became law in
Scotland in 1563 and remained on the books until
1736, as well as trademark law involving the
country's tartan designs often seen on Scottish
kilts. They also visited the Parliament building
and learned about the Scottish legal and legal
education systems.
The most memorable conversation for Rigsby involved barriers to access
to justice. " Everybody defines access to justice differently. In our case,
barriers could be about language or an issue regarding socio-economic
status, sexuality, gender, ethnicity, or race, " Rigsby says. " Access to justice
issues in Scotland have less to do with race or gender [and more about]
your economic station in life. "
In Portugal, Rigsby says there was a vigorous discussion about historic
race relations. Two presentations covered the country's trade relations
with the United States and within the European Union. The latter presentation,
which took place in Lisbon, was titled " Portuguese History: From
the Age of Discoveries to the Europeanization of Democracy. "
Rigsby noted Portugal's role in colonizing several African nations and
participating in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. " The Portuguese people
were so proud of the fact that they colonized Africa, " Rigsby says. " I said
during the discussion, 'You all colonized my people.' Their response, to
my dismay, was simply, 'Well, your country also has a history of slavery.'
I said, 'Yes, but it does not make it right. But we recognize our history.' "
" This young lady looked at me and said, 'This is part of our history, but
I do not like it,' " Rigsby recalls. " You do not have cultural exchanges like
that unless you go and interact with local people. I thought Portugal was
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 * WASHINGTON LAWYER 31
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