Quick & Easy Continuing Legal Education
Continuing Legal Education (CLEs) provides attorneys with updates to laws and practical tips to ensure they have the tools necessary to stay informed and current on new technologies and practice methods. For these reasons and others, CLEs remain vital to the growth and development of attorneys everywhere. Unfortunately, there is no bright-line rule for choosing the best CLEs. Some choose the cheapest options, some choose the most practical, and others fall somewhere in between. With so many options to choose from, the one question that most attorneys cannot answer is: What CLEs are the most affordable and practical?
To answer this seemingly unanswerable question, we scoured the internet and polled multiple, experienced attorneys in Ohio and have compiled the following list:
1. The most common answer, and easily the most efficient and cost-effective method, is by going through your local bar association. Whether it is your local municipal, county, or state bar association, or even specialized bar associations, each bar has a plethora of great options for CLE credits, including low cost or free CLEs for members and non-members alike.
2. Another great option are specialized companies and websites that focus their attention and marketing on offering a range of CLEs at competitive rates. A few examples are:
A. Esquire CLE (esquire-cle.com) – Offering CLEs for every state with three different bundle options: 12 Credit Hours with Ethics ($85), 24 Credit Hours with 2.5 Ethics/Attorney Conduct ($110), and an Attorney Conduct Bundle ($60).
B. Quimbee (quimbee.com) – While most know Quimbee as a law school’s best friend, proving case briefs and study aids, they also provide attorneys with numerous options for CLEs. They have two bundles ($99 & $249 per year) which give attorneys unlimited access to CLEs.
C. TRTCLE (trtcle.com) – Offers different options depending on the state you practice in. For example, in Ohio TRTCLE has two different bundles, both at $199 which includes 24 Credit Hours to meet your requirements.
D. LawLine (lawline.com) – Offers unlimited access to CLEs for $299. They run sales which can save you up to $100 on sign up. Access includes up to 350+ different approved courses in Ohio.
At the end of the day, the CLE you decide to choose needs to be best suited for your practice and for your affordability. Whichever CLE you elect to take, whether a single class or a bundle, it is always the best practice to ensure that your CLE is approved by your local state bar.
In Ohio, both the Ohio Supreme Court and the Ohio Bar Association have lists for attorneys to ensure their CLE is approved for credits. If you cannot find your CLE on their lists, either find a different course or contact your local bar association for more information and your preferred course may be approved. For links to check if your CLE is approved in Ohio, go to www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/attysvcs/CLE/ActivitySearch/
