Program Types & Tips Lunch 'n' Learn the Law Programs Action Steps 1. Set up a project committee Committee will hold planning meetings, contact potential corporate sponsors, target audiences, select topics, recruit attorney speakers, send thank-yous and follow up correspondence. 2. Designate a project coordinator Coordinator will be primary link between sponsoring corporations and attorney-speakers. Coordinator will handle logistics for each presentation, organize handouts and evaluation forms, contact and schedule speakers with corporations, introduce speakers at presentations, collect and tabulate evaluation forms. 3. Recruit corporate sponsors Assemble a list of companies by consulting your local Chamber of Commerce or business organization. Business pages in the newspaper can also be useful. Targeting larger companies means a larger audience. Call the corporation to get the right contact name and send a mailing (a sample letter can be found here or in the Lunch ‘n’ Learn booklet available through the ABA). 4. Follow-up on your initial approach After the mailing has been sent, call each company to ascertain their interest in the program. Remind the corporate contacts that the Lunch ‘n’ Learn program is cost-free. 5. Select a topic In consultation with the corporate contact, choose one or more topics from the "Top Ten List" or consider issues of specific interest to your locale. Remember your target audience. Younger people might prefer a presentation on tenant laws. Older audiences may want to hear about estate planning. Review your list of potential topics with corporate contacts who are aware of employee demographics. 6. Recruit volunteer speakers Presenters should be well-versed in the chosen topic’s area of the law and be ready to volunteer four hours per event. This includes time for preparation, travel and the presentation. Check with your association’s lawyer referral service or speaker’s bureau for knowledgeable, friendly lawyers who are able to translate legalese into plain English. 7. Schedule program dates Have corporate hosts and volunteer speakers provide a list of possible dates. Send confirmation letters to both. Facts & More about Lunch 'n' Learn The Lunch ‘n’ Learn the Law Project can be produced on a very small budget. Costs for a 12-month project including 40-50 sessions should not exceed $2000. In an ABA pilot Lunch ‘n’ Learn project, 54 firms were contacted and 20 percent responded, resulting in the launching of 15 programs. "Lunch ‘n’ Learn the Law," a humorous 7-minute videotape showing the benefits of these workplace education programs, is equally good for building bar support, recruiting lawyer volunteers and attracting corporate hosts. Copies of the videotape are available online from the Division for Public Education's Products Catalog. Copies of "Lunch ‘n’ Learn the Law: a Guide to Project Planning," a step-by-step booklet that will walk you through the process of planning these programs, are also available from the link given above for the products catalog. >>Lunch 'n' Learn the Law Programs >>Action Steps >>Short Cuts & Tips >>Top 10 Program Topics >>Sample Letter to Corporation Reaching the Community Home | Program Types & Tips Home