On-Demand Free CLE: War in Ukraine: A Ukrainian Lawyer's Perspective
Course Description
Today's speaker, Ukrainian bankruptcy attorney Volodymyr "Wlad" Gurtovy, resided in East Ukraine in 2014, when he found himself in the middle of the Donbas War. He and his family fled to the capital, Kyiv, where, with the help of friends, they started over again. But when Russia invaded in February 2022, he was once again in the middle of war. As an able-bodied male, his obligation was to remain as part of the country's Territorial Defense. He arranged for his family to seek refuge in Poland.
In this program, he speaks of his experiences as a lawyer in a city under attack. His remarks include his observations regarding the prewar state of the legal system in Ukraine. But more importantly, his experiences during war make him a role model for how attorneys can take leadership in time of crisis.
Because of communications difficulties due to the war, the program follows an unusual format. It includes a short video recorded live by Mr. Gurtovy. The bulk of his remarks, however, were submitted in writing, and they will be read, with only very minor edits, by the program moderator. The program runs just over 38 minutes.
This 1/2 credit on-demand program was recorded on March 9, 2022. This program is being presented at no charge, and no payment is required to watch the program or receive CLE credit. However, you are strongly encouraged to make a voluntary payment to the presenter, Ukrainian attorney Volodymyr Gurtovy, who is currently in the middle of the war zone at his home in Kyiv. All money received will be forwarded to his family, who are currently war refugees in Poland. Please scroll down for instructions on how to make a voluntary payment.
To receive CLE credit, please follow these steps:
- The course materials, are available at the following link:
- Watch the 7-part video program:
(note: if this webpage is hard to see on your browser, please view The Original Announcement Page)- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
- Part 4
- Part 5
- Part 6
- Part 7
- Part 1
- If you have any substantive comments or questions about the program, you can call me or e-mail me, and I will respond promptly. You can reach me by phone at 612-378-7751, or by e-mail at clem.law@usa.net.
- During the program, you will be given two code numbers. Write down the numbers you hear. They will be in the following format:
- U ___ ___
- U ___ ___
- Send me the code numbers. You can send them to me by e-mail at clem.law@usa.net, by phone at 612-378-7751, or by U.S. Mail to: Richard Clem, PO Box 14957, Minneapolis, MN 55414. If sending by U.S. Mail, please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of the certificate of attendance.
If you are taking the program for Iowa credit, then your e-mail should be in the form of an affidavit. Simply write, "I declare under penalty of perjury under the law of Iowa that I watched at least 30 minutes of this program and heard the following code numbers." You can sign the affidavit by simply typing your name. Attorneys in other states do not need to follow any particular format.
Upon receipt of the code numbers, I will send you via e-mail a certificate of attendance. If you don't have an e-mail address, I can send this by U.S. Mail (please enclose self-addressed stamped envelope). I process these courses manually, so please allow time for me to respond. I will normally provide your certificate of attendance within 24 hours.
This program runs 38 minutes.
Minnesota: 0.5 CLE credit applied for. Minnesota event code 449572. This program is eligible for credit between ________, and _____.
Wisconsin:: 0.5 CLE credit applied for through December 31, 2022.
New York: Automatic reciprocity with Wisconsin.
Iowa: 0.5 CLE credit approved. Iowa Activity Number 377228. This program is eligible for credit between 3/10/22 and 12/31/22.
Other States: CLE credit should be available in most states that allow on-demand programs, and is the responsibility of the individual attorney. Please contact Richard Clem if you need assistance with applying.
No payment is required for this program. We occasionally offer free programs, because we realize that many lawyers need CLE credit but are unable to pay. If you find yourself in that category, feel free to take the program without paying. In fact, we're not even keeping track of who has paid and who has not. However, if you are able, please consider making a voluntary donation, all of which will go to support Mr. Gurtovy's family.
Most economic activity in Ukraine has ground to a halt due to the war. Obviously, Mr. Gurtovy is not drawing a salary. And because of wartime conditions, it's not possible to make payment to him directly for his services in presenting this program.
But in the meantime, his family--his wife and teenage son and daughter--are living as refugees in Poland, where they have the normal expenses of any family, but no income. Therefore, we are soliciting voluntary contributions to send to the family. I hope everyone taking this program considers making a voluntary payment. There are three ways to make this voluntary payment--two crowdfunding sites, or by check. All funds will be collected by attorney Richard Clem, and forwarded on a weekly or more frequent basis to the Gurtovy family in Poland.
Please consider sending a small contribution. If you are able, please consider sending the amount you would normally pay for a similar CLE program. And if you are able, please consider making a large donation to a family separated by, and suffering from, a war in which they are innocent victims. You can contribute in any of the following ways:
- Click Here to Donate via GoFundMe (Link will be operational soon)
- Click Here to Donate via GiveSendGo (Link is now operational)
- To contribute by check or money order, make it payable to "Richard Clem Trust Account" and write "Gurtovy Family" on the memo line. Mail to: Richard Clem, PO Box 14957, Minneapolis, MN 55414.
Ukrainian attorney Volodymyr Gurtovy is a member of the Bankruptcy Committee of NAAU, the National Association of Attorneys of Ukraine. He has presented programs for the Association's Higher School of Advocacy, including a 2020 program, Liability of Arbitration Trustees. He resides in Kyiv, where he has remained to resist the Russian invasion. His family is currently in Poland.
Richard P. Clem is an attorney and continuing legal education (CLE) provider in Minnesota. He has been in private practice in the Twin Cities for 30 years. He has a J.D., cum laude, from Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul and a B.A. in History from the University of Minnesota. His reported cases include: Asociacion Nacional de Pescadores a Pequena Escala o Artesanales de Colombia v. Dow Quimica de Colombia, 988 F.2d 559, rehearing denied, 5 F.3d 530 (5th Cir. 1993), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 1041 (1994); LaMott v. Apple Valley Health Care Center, 465 N.W.2d 585 (Minn. Ct. App. 1991); Abo el Ela v. State, 468 N.W.2d 580 (Minn. Ct. App. 1991). You can visit his web pages at RichardClem.com and w0is.com and his blog at OneTubeRadio.com.
This course has an interactive component in that the course moderator is available by telephone or e-mail for any questions or comments regarding the substantive content of the course. The course moderator may be contacted by telephone at 612-378-7751 or e-mail at clem.law@usa.net. Questions are usually answered within 24 hours. During the course, all attendees must make a note of the code numbers given during the program and submit them by e-mail to the course sponsor. If possible, the moderator will forward questions to Mr. Gurtovy. The sponsor provides a certificate of attendance only upon recipt of the code numbers.
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