Most states require a certain number of CLE hours each year to maintain a law license, but it can be hard to find quality courses that fit members’ busy schedules. And–let’s be honest–most CLE courses aren’t exactly the most exciting things around!

Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be this way! By following a few simple steps, bar associations can start building better CLE courses with ease.

1. Harnessing the Power of Niche Content

When it comes to CLE courses, one size does not fit all. Attorneys will often look for courses specific to their particular area of practice, so the more specialized the content you provide, the better!

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples. An attorney who works in criminal law will not be interested in a course on tax law; likewise, a corporate lawyer will not want to sit through a course on family law.

This much may seem obvious, but it can go a step further. Your association should search for interesting, relevant, and unique topics for its courses. Yes, you should have more general courses–these are perfect for introductory programs!–but if you want to really bring value to your membership, try thinking outside the box.

Try to make your content timely. Is there a precedent-setting case in the news? Perhaps you’ll want to do a deep-dive webinar on the details. Are there laws being reexamined or updated? You could cover these, as well!

Additionally, by partnering with experts in various niche areas, bar associations can offer courses that are tailored to specific practices. This will ensure that attendees get the most relevant and useful information possible.

Not only will this make your CLE courses more interesting for attendees, but it will also make your audience more likely to return in the future. You want to capture their intention with insightful, valuable content. After all, why would an attorney take an irrelevant, useless course from their bar association? It’s all about quality!

Once you’ve made your content, make sure to categorize it thoroughly. You want your members to be able to actually find your courses! Keep everything as organized and accessible as possible.

If your bar association is looking to build better CLE courses, consider harnessing the power of tailored content. It’s one surefire way to interest and engage new members! Now, let’s look at a few more:

2. CLE for the Next Generation: Attracting New Members

As the legal profession evolves, so must the way bar associations provide Continuing Legal Education. The needs of lawyers are changing, and bar associations must adapt to continue to meet those needs. In particular, there is a need to engage new lawyers in CLE programs.

First, you have to let your audience know what’s available. Make sure to promote your programs across your association’s social media channels. To spice things up, try offering seasonal packages, keeping things timely and relevant. Remember to be consistent; if you only post rarely and sporadically, you won’t stay in the minds of your members for long!

Next, you want to make things interesting. You can try incorporating gamification into your programs; by making them interactive and offering digital badges as achievement-style rewards, you’ll be upping the excitement factor of your courses. You could even incorporate–selectively!–a few choice memes to amuse your audience.

Third, it’s important to make sure the programs you offer are affordable. New lawyers often have large student loan debts and may be working in jobs that do not pay high salaries. Discounts on CLE programs for new members can make them more accessible to new lawyers.

By offering relevant, convenient, and affordable CLE programs, bar associations can better engage new lawyers with their educational offerings. This, in turn, will help to ensure that your members’ careers–and your association’s membership base–continue to thrive!

3. Two Birds, One Stone: the Value of the Hybrid Events 

As the world becomes increasingly mobile and virtual, it can be difficult to know how to best engage your members; is it better to do in-person or online sessions?

The answer is simple: host a hybrid event!

Hybrid events are a combination of in-person and virtual courses, and they offer several benefits to both bar associations and their members. There are a number of ways to make your event hybrid, like livestreaming the session on your association’s website, or else recording and posting it online after the event–or, even better, both!

Hybrid CLE courses allow members who cannot attend in-person to still participate and receive credit. This is especially beneficial for members who have busy schedules. Livestreamed courses take care of geographical limitations, and on-demand recorded courses open the field up to everyone.

Hybrid CLE courses allow bar associations to further their reach and increase their earning potential at the same time. You’re making your session accessible to an entire second audience–without losing the first–and bypassing the most common barriers to entry for in-person events. This means you can earn more revenue than from an in-person event alone!

The use of hybrid CLE courses is a win-win for both bar associations and their members. By offering these courses, bar associations can ensure that their members are able to receive the education they need–while simultaneously expanding their reach and non-dues revenue!

You may also like: The Top 5 Strategies for Bar Associations to Increase CLE Revenue in 2021 and Beyond

When it comes to building better CLE for your bar association, it’s best to pay attention to the basics: focus on tailoring your content, attracting new members, and increasing accessibility. You want solid, quality courses that no one else offers; you want to attract new members with your value and ease of use; and you want to reach as wide an audience as possible. Follow ACLEA’s footsteps and “Adjust, Collaborate, and Elevate”!

The post Building Better CLE: Tips for Bar Associations appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

From new legislation and amended statutes to precedent-setting cases and revised codes of conduct, the legal profession is in constant motion.

For tomorrow’s lawyers, technological innovation has the greatest consequence. The digital and mobile revolution, ushering in an internet of things, is making it more critical than ever for these professionals to understand why and how innovation is changing their work. Lawyers must keep up with technology in order to thrive.

Technology is creating new legal challenges

Experts in data, privacy and the law have all been discussing how technological innovation is changing legal rules and their enforcement. For example, the internet can offer an anonymous environment for criminals to conduct online crime, such as identity theft, as well as new ways for law enforcement to conduct surveillance. While trials have struggled with the use of technology in jury deliberation, as heard in the Georgia Court of Appeal, some experts warn that wearable technology is raising legal questions on the admissibility of evidence and note that hackers could manipulate digital evidence to alter the outcome of cases.

Innovation in the legal process

Technological innovation has started (and will continue) to change the business of law. In some areas, legal representation might no longer be necessary. The development of apps like JustFix, which helps New York City residents resolve housing issues, is just one example of how technology is increasing access to justice for people who might consider traditional legal counsel out of reach. Nevertheless, as discussed at a recent conference attended by international legal and innovation experts, “technology does not make lawyers obsolete. It just changes the role of the lawyer.”

Technological innovations like machine learning and artificial intelligence have the potential to improve litigation decisions and research, and will change how lawyers bill as well as give value to their clients. This is increasingly important given concerns over the high cost of legal representation.

More obviously, cloud computing has altered how law firms ensure the secure filing of confidential information, while mobile technology has changed the dynamic of client-lawyer communication and digital media raises issues of advertising and the fiduciary relationship.

Embrace tech to learn

Lawyers are being asked to find new ways to be efficient. In 2012, the ABA’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct were updated to reflect the need for lawyers to maintain competence, through continuing legal education (CLE), in technological advancements, risks and uses. Close to 30 jurisdictions have adopted the revised standard, but as former American Bar Association (ABA) President William Hubbard explained, there are still lawyers who consider technology as “a backdoor of disrupting a system they’re very comfortable with.”

To overcome this education challenge, the American Bar Association, in addition to the work of its Standing Committee on Technology and Information Systems, has put forward several resources, such as technology webinars, buying and user guides, and commentaries that address key security issues involved in implementing cost-efficient technology for client services.

The competent use of technology has and will continue to improve productivity in online research and issues analysis, document and database management, communication and accounting. Though there are several benefits to running a paperless law office, lawyers and firms need to make informed decisions on how to be not only efficient, but also ethical and secure. The North Carolina State Bar is the latest among an increasing number of bar associations that are requiring members’ CLE to include technology training.

Indeed, bar associations can use CLE, including mobile-friendly interactive lessons to communicate best practices and important new ethical and security guidelines to their members. For example, learning modules can be gamified with reward and competitive elements to motivate and encourage better learning. Scenario-based CLE puts learners into real-world situations, which makes lessons feel more authentic and enriching. And story-based learning embeds lessons into a narrative that increases retention by connecting important concepts to characters and their challenges.

We can’t assume that recent graduates or current law school students (digital natives) are any more savvy in using law-focused technology than lawyers approaching retirement. All individuals in the legal profession should have the technical skills and inventiveness to adopt new tools that can help them and their clients. Law associations and societies should support technology adoption along the way. Promisingly, current ABA President Hilarie Bass spoke at Stanford Law School on how new technology should be adopted into the legal profession in a “bold, adventurous and creative” way.

Lawyers and their staff understand that professional ethics, integrity and sound judgement are of the utmost importance when representing the interests of a client — the fiduciary responsibility is supreme. But the world is a changing place, and major advancements in technology — from automation to social media — are creating new challenges and opportunities.

It’s not enough to give lawyers, firms and their staff guidelines and codes of conduct on the intersection of technology, ethics and law. Technology, such as online learning platforms and resources, should be fully embraced as a vehicle to keep new, forthcoming and existing lawyers up-to-date on how to best thrive in an innovative world.

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