Practising Law Institute

Practising Law Institute
Name	Practising Law Institute
Formed	1933
Type	Nonprofit educational organization
Headquarters	San Francisco, California; New York City, New York
Region served	United States; international
Products	Continuing legal education, publications, conferences, online courses

Practising Law Institute

Practising Law Institute is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1933 that provides continuing legal education and professional development for lawyers, judges, and allied professionals. It produces live programs, on-demand courses, treatises, and legal forms, and operates offices in San Francisco and New York City while serving national and international participants. PLI is known for combining expert faculty drawn from prominent law firms, corporations, and courts with practical materials used by practitioners, scholars, and bar associations.

History

Founded during the Great Depression era amid shifts in legal practice and bar regulation, PLI's early programs responded to evolving practice areas and regulatory frameworks exemplified by cases such as Brown v. Board of Education and statutes including the Securities Act of 1933. Its mid‑20th century expansion paralleled developments in federal jurisprudence like Marbury v. Madison jurisprudential legacies and the rise of administrative law exemplified by Administrative Procedure Act. In the 1960s and 1970s PLI broadened offerings as the legal profession engaged with issues in Civil Rights Act of 1964 litigation, Roe v. Wade debates, and regulatory responses to Clean Air Act enforcement. During the late 20th century, faculty frequently included judges from the United States Supreme Court, partners from firms such as Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and general counsels from corporations like General Electric and AT&T. Into the 21st century, PLI addressed topics arising from decisions such as Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and statutes like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, while integrating digital delivery amid trends initiated by institutions like American Bar Association and law schools including Harvard Law School and Yale Law School.

Programs and Publications

PLI publishes treatises, practice guides, and course materials authored by practitioners associated with firms such as Latham & Watkins, Baker McKenzie, and Jones Day. Signature publications have covered transactional work influenced by deals like the RJR Nabisco takeover and litigation practice informed by precedent from Miranda v. Arizona and Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.. PLI’s program slate includes taxation materials reflecting statutes such as the Internal Revenue Code and cases like Commissioner v. Glenshaw Glass Co., securities programming tied to rulings from the Securities and Exchange Commission and corporate governance guidance resonant with rulings from Delaware Court of Chancery. It also produces specialized content on intellectual property grounded in precedents like Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International and technology transactions paralleling innovations from Silicon Valley firms such as Apple Inc. and Google LLC. PLI’s practitioner‑oriented treatises join a corpus alongside works published by firms including Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press authors.

Educational Formats and Delivery

PLI offers live seminars in cities including New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and virtual instruction comparable to platforms used by institutions such as Coursera and edX. Formats include half‑day workshops, multi‑day conferences, and intensive institutes modeled after programming at Columbia Law School and Stanford Law School. Course delivery leverages on‑demand video, downloadable outlines, and interactive Q&A with faculty drawn from federal courts including judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. PLI’s hybrid model echoes shifts seen at professional bodies like the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and bar associations such as the New York State Bar Association.

Accreditation and Continuing Legal Education

PLI is a recognized provider of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits and works with state regulatory authorities such as the New York State Unified Court System and the State Bar of California to meet mandatory CLE requirements. Programs are accredited under credit rules similar to those promulgated by the American Bar Association standing committees and reflect subject areas tracked by specialty bars like the Federal Bar Council and the American Intellectual Property Law Association. PLI certificates and attendance records support compliance with jurisprudential mandates arising in contexts such as mandatory ethics reporting tied to disciplinary authorities including the Office of Bar Counsel.

Governance and Funding

PLI operates as a nonprofit governed by a board of directors comprising partners from law firms such as Sullivan & Cromwell and Morrison & Foerster, general counsels from corporations like Microsoft and Pfizer, and former judges from appellate courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Funding sources include program tuition, subscription revenues, sales of treatises, and philanthropic support from foundations such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Ford Foundation. It has collaborated with bar groups like the American Bar Association and state bars including the California Lawyers Association for joint events.

Impact and Notable Alumni/Faculty

PLI’s alumni and faculty roster features prominent figures from the bench and bar, including jurists who served on the United States Supreme Court, academics from Harvard Law School, and partners from firms such as Kirkland & Ellis. Notable lecturers have included former prosecutors associated with offices like the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and corporate counsel from Amazon (company) and IBM. Its materials have been cited in briefs submitted to tribunals including the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and have been used by litigators in matters before regulatory agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. PLI programming has influenced continuing professional development practices at institutions such as Georgetown University Law Center and New York University School of Law, and its alumni network includes leaders who became general counsel at firms like Goldman Sachs and judges on state supreme courts such as the New York Court of Appeals.

Category:Legal education organizations in the United States