Continuing Legal Education Explained
At its core, CLE refers to a variety of educational opportunities that are typically required for legal professionals to maintain admission into the profession. Though continuing legal education requirements vary by state, CLE is generally mandated by state supreme or bar courts and encompasses a broad range of opportunities to develop and sharpen legal knowledge and skills. These opportunities often take the form of courses, seminars, webinars, video lectures and publications, and they may be provided in-person, through correspondence or online .
Because CLE can cover an almost unlimited range of subjects, the courses that fall under its jurisdiction can be incredibly useful to both practicing attorneys and law students. There are also ample ways for legal professionals to fulfill their CLE obligations. Law schools can be a valuable source of CLE, and many legal professionals say that continuing education helped them achieve significant career milestones. Legal education organizations also offer free CLE and affordable CLE programs, exams and articles.
A Brief on the National Academy of CLE
The National Academy of Continuing Legal Education (NACLE), was founded in 1975 by two attorneys and a legal educator, Eugene R. Levy, Esq. and Robert S. Bernstein, Esq., with a mission to provide the nation’s legal community with educational programs and reference materials that foster high quality legal representation. They aspired to make the programs they developed and selected the best available, at the best possible price. Their clients read like a "who’s who" of America’s largest law firms and corporations." More than forty-three thousand attorneys have used NACLE’s courses as reference material for the practice of law, to fulfill MCLE requirements in all fifty states, and to satisfy bar admission requirements in most states.
Supreme Court of Justice William C. Brennan Jr. in Achieving High Quality Justice: The Challenge in 2000 (1998) noted as much, stating that "The National Academy of C.L.E. has led the field in developing quality materials, and many state bar associations have adopted these materials for their own CLE programs."
Over the past four decades, the NACLE has pioneered several innovations. The first private publisher to publish nationally distributed paper backs, multistate audio tapes, video productions, and electronic study aids.
The NACLE has published and sold over 2 million books and tapes. The NACLE also has an internet site where courses in audio, video, and CD-Rom formats can be obtained through downloads without the need for conversion. Customers appreciate this flexibility. The NACLE also remains dedicated to providing quality of the highest ethical standards by assuring that its products meet accreditation agency requirements. It assisted in adoption of Standards 24-3 and 6, developed by the American Bar Association’s Special Committee on Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) (1988), which require that "to the extent practicable," each provider of continuing legal education should:
(a) Have a credentialing system;
(b) Have a review procedure, which assures that any course materials are of adequate quality;
(c) Identify the persons who prepared the course materials and ascertain that they were qualified in the subject matter and that their credentials and backgrounds have been subjected to peer review.
The NACLE devoted significant effort toward developing a quality control program.
MULTISTATE AUDIO TAPE PROGRAMS ON ALL MAJOR LEGAL TOPICS
The NACLE was the first private CLE provider to offer its courses nationally, NACLE courses are accepted for Continuing Legal Education credit in more than 40 states, including all of the major jurisdictions. Courses are available in both multiple state tape packages and single state series. The course may be purchased as a cassette, CD, or DVD; they may be taken in seminars across the country or online through its state sponsored distance learning programs. The NACLE is the only national private CLE provider with national and multi-state certifications. It is recognized by numerous bar associations, law schools, and international organizations, its programs have been aired on CARACEN radio, the Armed Forces college of law, the IDCA and law school radio stations.
The NACLE is not a trade association, though membership is offered for purchase. It is an independent publisher, producer, and provider of continuing legal education resources for the legal profession.
Why Pick the Academy for Continuing courses
The National Academy of Continuing Legal Education stands out as an excellent choice for lawyers seeking high-quality, up-to-date legal education. With a wide variety of courses, spanning numerous topics and jurisdictions, lawyers can find the perfect program for their needs. The convenience of being able to access these courses online – or in person when preferred – is another major advantage of the Academy.
What does C.L. stand for in National Academy of Continuing Legal Education? The Academy offers a wide range of courses, including Corporate Law, Family Law and Trial Practice. For Corporate Law, there are more than 230 different CLE courses available – Family Law has more than 157 courses – and there are over 70 Trial Practice listings.
Two other benefits make the Academy particularly attractive to lawyers. It is accredited in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts and New Jersey, and it has reciprocity in Georgia and Pennsylvania.
How to Register for Courses
Enrollment in courses at the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education is simple and efficient. First, you choose from a catalog of courses, each representing a range of specializations and topics. If you are not sure what course is right for you, you can browse our instructor profiles to determine which professionals in the field of law conduct which courses.
Once you’ve selected the course that interests you, you are presented with two enrollment options. You can enroll in the course as a member of the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education, or alternatively you can pay a non-member fee to enroll. If you are an attorney who has received continuing legal education credit through the Academy, you may already be eligible for membership into our organization, and if you truly plan to pursue more continuing legal education credits with us going forward, we recommend you sign up for membership . This will give you unlimited access to a library of past course catalogs so that you can select the precise material you need for your specialization.
If there are any prerequisites for a course, they will be clearly marked, and you will have to meet them in order to enroll into the course. In addition, some of our courses have accompanying materials, which are also clearly marked, to ensure that you have all the information in advance. For example, if there is a textbook that will be used for a particular course, you will be informed of that in advance so you can download the necessary materials. If there are no extra materials needed for the course, this will also be communicated to you right away on the course description page.
Overall, enrolling in courses at the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education is a simple and straightforward process that can be completed in a matter of minutes.
Client Testimonials and Achievements
"One of the best and most beneficial things I have ever done. As a result, my practice has exploded in about 60 days. My staff is overwhelmed and has multiple demands on them. It has been fantastic. The training was first class and more than I had hoped for. Thank you." – Richard H.
"Excellent program! My law practice is almost entirely derived from legal seminars, conferences, and CE classes. A great system." – Jim B.
"Thank you for a simple yet powerful method of acquiring new clients. It is easy to set up and very affordable…a great investment." – Robert T.
"I wanted to thank you for the first time I have ever been to a seminar where I can actually see myself doing it. I hope to see you again soon." – Paul L.
"I really like the idea of targeting a specific industry and building a referral network. I also like the automated approach to lead acquisition [that] your system uses to convert qualified people to a live presentation…Great info all around. Excellent." – Fred V.
Future Directions for Legal Education
When asked about the trends in continuing legal education and the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education, whether you focus on the delivery of information, the intersection of technology and the law or how CLE affects the overall training of lawyers, the same stories come up. To us at the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education, t it is all about the changing nature of the lawyers. We are finding that more and more lawyers are part-timers. We see them moving from full-time to part-time or buying books to find answers. The newest lawyers simply are not willing or able to take a full week away from their homes to attend a seminar . We also see the lawyers, while they have education credits, do not feel that they have true professional development. I think technology and the speed in which information is delivered are changing the landscape of continuing legal education. Lawyers are no longer expensive to educate and the online method of delivering education is growing exponentially. While lawyers must be educated on certain developments in the law, they are more likely to become educated online and at their own pace so they can be available to clients and respond to the fast pace of business. It is also really interesting to see how other professions are dealing with these new issues.