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Financial Statements Demystified

Build your financial fluency, understand what the numbers are telling you, and ask better questions to provide stronger business advice.

Person using a calculator
Format Includes Access CPD
Self-paced 3 video sessions Lifetime See the accreditation information
 

Quick links: Who should participate | What's included | Pricing 

Why this program?

You do not need to be an accountant to understand what your organization's financial statements are telling you.

For in-house counsel, financial literacy can make it easier to understand the business, identify potential issues, ask better questions and provide more strategic advice.

Financial Statements Demystified: Essential Knowledge for In-House Counsel gives you a practical introduction to financial statements before moving into more advanced concepts and the specific responsibilities involved when serving as a director of a non-profit organization.

Watch the three sessions on your own schedule, with lifetime access that lets you return to the content whenever you need a refresher on financial statements or concepts.

Who should participate?

This series is designed for in-house lawyers who want to:

  • better understand the financial information used within their organization;
  • read balance sheets and profit and loss statements with greater confidence;
  • ask more informed questions of finance professionals and business leaders;
  • understand more advanced financial concepts and terminology; and
  • better understand financial oversight responsibilities when serving on a non-profit board.

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Learn from experienced financial professionals.

Janeen Sam, CPA
Sessions 1 and 2

Angela Kaiser, CPA
Session 3

Across three sessions, experienced Chartered Professional Accountants break down financial statements and related concepts specifically for an in-house legal audience.

The series moves from foundational financial literacy to more complex accounting concepts, before examining the financial oversight responsibilities involved in serving on a non-profit board.

Three sessions. Build your financial fluency.

Start with the fundamentals, build your understanding of more advanced financial concepts, and then explore the particular responsibilities involved in reviewing financial statements as a non-profit director.

Session Focus You will learn to
Session 1 Understanding Financial Statements
Learn the basic concepts and terminology behind financial statements and how the different pieces fit together to provide a picture of an organization's financial health.
  • Read and understand a balance sheet
  • Interpret a profit and loss statement
  • Assess an organization's overall financial position
  • Ask more informed financial questions
Session 2 Advanced Financial Statements
Move beyond the fundamentals and explore more complex accounting concepts that can affect how an organization's financial position and performance are presented.
  • Understand concepts such as accruals and amortization
  • Recognize how accounting treatments affect financial statements
  • Develop a stronger understanding of more complex financial information
  • Engage more effectively with finance professionals
Session 3 Financial Statements for Non-Profit Directors
Explore financial statements through the lens of a non-profit board member, including the respective roles of the board, management and the auditor.
  • Understand the board's role in financial oversight
  • Distinguish between the responsibilities of the board, management and the auditor
  • Review financial statements more effectively as a director
  • Ask informed questions about an organization's financial position

What you'll gain:

  • Practical financial literacy — Build the foundational knowledge to understand the financial information you encounter as in-house counsel.

  • Better business conversations — Ask more informed questions and participate more confidently in discussions with finance teams and business leaders.

  • Board-level perspective — Understand the distinct financial oversight responsibilities that arise when serving as a director of a non-profit organization.

  • Lifetime access — Return to the sessions whenever you need to refresh your understanding of financial statements or specific accounting concepts.

Choose the full series or an individual session.

The three sessions can be purchased as a complete series or individually, with lifetime access to the recordings you purchase.

Option CBA In-House Members Non-Members Includes
Full Series Complimentary $150 All three recorded sessions, lifetime access
Single Session Complimentary $50 One recorded session, lifetime access

Understand the numbers behind the business.

Three practical sessions designed to help in-house counsel read financial information with greater confidence and use it to ask better questions and provide stronger business advice.

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Frequently asked questions

  • Do I need an accounting or finance background? No. The series begins with the fundamentals of reading and understanding financial statements before moving into more advanced concepts.

  • Do I need to take the sessions in order? If financial statements are new to you, starting with Session 1 will provide the foundation for the more advanced material in Session 2. Session 3 focuses specifically on the responsibilities of non-profit directors.

  • Is the series only relevant to lawyers working in finance? No. Financial information can affect strategic, operational and legal decisions throughout an organization, making financial literacy useful across a wide range of in-house roles.

  • Who should take the non-profit directors session? It is particularly relevant to lawyers who currently serve, or expect to serve, on a non-profit board and want to better understand the board's financial oversight responsibilities.

  • Can I register for only one session? Yes. The individual sessions are available separately as well as through the complete series.

  • How long do I have access? You receive lifetime access to the recordings you purchase, so you can return to the sessions whenever you need a refresher.

  • Is this series eligible for CPD credits? See the accreditation information.

Access the series