Bar Associations Offer Free and Discounted Continuing Legal Education
There are quality, fee-based continuing legal education programs that lawyers can attend or view, but in this era of tightening purses, it’s prudent to check out affordable alternatives to satisfy some of your CLE obligations
Provisions for free continuing legal education for bar members are baked into the rules of some states like Florida,
5.07 COMPLIMENTARY CLE: To assist members in fulfilling the CLE requirement, The Florida Bar shall provide 10 hours of approved CLE material to each county law library or voluntary bar association in Florida each year, without charge or cost, and these recipients shall make the material available to all members without charge to such member(s).
Another option is the ABA CLE Premier Speaker Series, a monthly program where members can earn up to 18 hours of FREE CLE credit every year through ABA programs featuring today’s most influential legal practitioners.
Financial scholarships are also available, and though most are reduced fee options, some will cover the entire cost.
Some bar association also offer discounts to members of small firms, usually firms of 10 or fewer attorneys. Here’s an example from the New York City Bar Association.
Online courses and live events offer up quality programming but check also with your local and state bars for free or reduced fee CLE offerings to help offset the cost of satisfying your CLE requirement.
The ABA maintains a Directory of State and Local Bar Associations.
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