It’s a brand new world of continuing legal education and it appeals to lawyers for all the right reasons: it’s convenient, less expensive, and far less time-consuming than the traditional in-person programs. Welcome to online CLE, which is rapidly emerging as the future of lawyer education – and the CBA is at the forefront.

The CBA’s online offerings this year have been wildly successful. A seminar on The SCC on Privilege presented by Mahmud Jamal drew 343 delegates from across North America; a repeat presentation, offered by popular demand, attracted another 244. More than 1,300 registrants in total attended online sessions offered in 2006-2007.

Online CLE, “can be suitable for any area of law,” says Marisol Miro, chair of CBA’s national Continuing Legal Education Committee and in-house counsel with the Ordre des dentistes du Québec. “It’s interactive in the sense that you can ask questions and go to web links given [by the speaker].”

A number of programs offered last year were of particular interest to law students – Surviving Your Junioring Years, Drafting Better Pleadings and Business Law Boot Camp. Although students currently represent roughly five per cent of participants, there’s no doubt online CLE appeals to young lawyers, with 55 per cent of participants called to the Bar within the last 10 years.

The benefits are huge in terms of time savings. Online CLE delegates don’t have to sacrifice billable time or fight through traffic to attend an in-person event. And lawyers outside urban centers can access top-quality presentations without giving up whole days to drive, train or fly to the nearest city. Participants simply log in from their desktops, using their phone line to access the audio portion of the program and following along with a PowerPoint presentation on screen.

Here’s what one enthusiastic participant had to say: “At the moment I am a stay at home mom and I haven’t yet articled, although I’ve completed my degree. This conference (Drafting Better Pleadings) was fabulous since I could stay somewhat in touch with the legal world AND be at home with my son. I hope there will be more like it soon!”

For more information about the CBA’s online CLE offerings, please visit www.cba.org/cba/cle.

National CLE Online
Fall 2007
TOPIC: Update on Conflicts
DATE: November 27, 2007 11:00-12:30 ET
SPEAKER: Terry O’Sullivan and Paul Michell (both from Lax O’Sullivan Scott LLP in Toronto)

TOPIC: IP Primer
DATE: December (Date and Speakers TBC)
For information, please contact Aviva Rotenberg at the CBA National office (613) 237-2925 or 1-800-267-8860, ext. 188, or by e-mail at avivar@cba.org

CBA National Fall 2007
Continuing Education Lineup
TOPIC: CBA Annual Fall Conference on Competition Law
DATE: October 11-12, 2007
LOCATION: Hilton Lac Leamy, Gatineau, Que.
For information, please contact Carole Roussel at the CBA National Office, (613) 237-2925 or 1-800-267-8860 ext. 107, or by e-mail at caroler@cba.org

TOPIC: Law Firm Leadership: Tools for the Successful Canadian Law Firm
DATE: October 14-16, 2007
LOCATION: Delta Centre-Ville, Montreal
For information, please contact Kim MacDonald at the CBA National Office, (613) 237-2925 or 1 800-267-8860 ext. 161, or by e-mail at kimm@cba.org

TOPIC: Military Law Conference
DATE: October 24, 2007
LOCATION: Ottawa
For information, please contact Tracy Antochi at the CBA National Office, by phone at (613) 237-2925 or 1-800-267-8860 ext. 186, or by e-mail at tracya@cba.org

TOPIC: CBA National Administrative Law and Labour and Employment Law Conference
Date: NOVEMBER 16-17, 2007
LOCATION: Hilton Lac Leamy, Gatineau, Que. For information, please contact Kim MacDonald at the CBA National office, (613) 237-2925 or 1 800-267-8860 ext. 161, or by e-mail at kimm@cba.org

This article was published in the October 2007 issue of BarTalk and is subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2007, all rights reserved.