Continuing Legal Education - United States

United States

Legal education in the United States
Stages
  • Pre-law
  • Law school
  • Trial practice
  • Legal clinic
  • Juris Doctor
  • Master of Laws
  • Doctor of Laws
Exams
  • LSAT
  • Bar examination
  • Continuing legal education
Organizations
  • Law School Admission Council
  • American Bar Association
  • Practising Law Institute

In the United States, CLE accreditation is given on a state-by-state basis. There is no nationwide accreditation since CLE programs are administered by the state supreme courts through special CLE Commissions or Boards.

CLE credit usually have set hour requirements over a period of years, sometimes with specific hour requirements for special topics including, but not limited to, ethics, diversity training, elimination of bias, professional responsibility, basic skills, substance abuse, professional, prevention of malpractice, attorney-client disputes and other topics. Credit towards fulfilling CLE requirements is obtained by attending classes, courses, seminars and self-study.

CLE activities are offered throughout the year by state bar associations, national legal organizations such as the American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, law schools, and many other legal associations and groups such as non-profit CLE providers Practising Law Institute (PLI), American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education (ALI CLE), The Center for American and International Law (CAIL), and The Institute of American & Talmudic Law (IAT Law), as well as other private, for-profit enterprises, such as CLE International, CLECenter.com, Continuing Legal Accreditation Seminar Services (CLASS, LLC), CLE-NJ, National Academy of CLE, Lawline.com and West LegalEdCenter. Activities are usually open to all lawyers (and sometimes non-lawyers), but organizations often offer discounts to their own members. A recent trend is toward the provision and promotion of free CLE programs from services like 4 Free CLE and Lexvid.com.

Uniquely, Kentucky allows all licensed attorneys in the state to complete their annual CLE requirement without a registration fee through a two-day program known as Kentucky Law Update, offered annually in at least seven locations throughout the state.

In recent years, many states allow CLE activities to be taken on-line as part of distance education courses or by listening to audio downloads. Often, a portion of CLE requirements may be satisfied through reading and other self-study as well. CLE activities are usually taught by attorneys and cover legal theory as well as practical experiences in legal practice. Classroom materials can be extensive and may represent the most current and advanced thinking available on a particular legal subject. Competency testing is usually not required as part of CLE.

Experienced attorneys may receive credit for speaking or teaching at an accredited CLE program; for moderating or participating in a panel presentation at an accredited CLE activity; for teaching law courses at an American Bar Association-accredited law school; for preparing students for and judging law competitions, mock trials and moot court arguments, including those at the high school or college level; for published legal research-based writing; and for providing pro bono legal services.

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