A few months ago I encouraged CLE providers to make their online audio courses available in MP3 format so that lawyers could listen to them anywhere. I also suggested that permitting us to share these files with others would boost business.
A number of people contacted me to tell me about various bar associations and other nonprofits that offer CLE courses in MP3 format, including podcasts.
Today, I'd like to add two more nonprofits to the list — the ABA along with the ALI. As an aside, I find it ironic that nonprofits have taken the lead in providing MP3 CLE courses. Then again, for profit companies often get themselves tripped up by being overly concerned about intellectual property, which probably explains why so many continue to cling to streaming media. But I digress.
For many years, the ABA via its ABA Connection has provided one hour of free CLE every month via teleconference, which is great since many states require exactly that amount or less. However, like all live events, if you can't dial in at the appointed time, you're out of luck.
Perhaps recognizing this problem, the ABA has embraced the Internet by making these lectures available for one month from its Web site in MP3 format. Even better, you can subscribe to these lectures via podcast. While you'll need an ABA membership to download the lectures, you don't need one for the podcast, which is your best bet anyway thanks to its time- and place-shifting attributes. Just search for "ABA CLE" in the iTunes store.
If you don't use iTunes, the ABA has a Web page featuring its podcast. Interestingly, on this page, you can buy an iPod preloaded with a few hours of CLE courses. I don't recommend doing so as the iPods carry a premium price, presumably for the CLE content. I do, however, like the concept of preloaded CLE courses, but the ABA should offer state-specific iPods with all the courses you would need for a CLE cycle (2-3 years in most states). That would be worth a premium price, especially for techno-phobic lawyers (an iPod would provide a friendlier introduction to computing than a PC).
If you really care about actually learning something useful as opposed to just fulfilling your credits, you might want more variety than ABA Connection provides. Once again, the ABA can help thanks to its partnership with the ALI — known as ALI-ABA.
This joint venture just launched a new Web site without any of the old Arabian Nights imagery, but chock full of CLE courses. Among the notable features, well over 100 of the courses are available in MP3 format for immediate download. You can locate them quickly thanks to a solid search engine.
So congratulations to the ABA and ALI. If you know of any other forward-thinking CLE providers, please let me know.
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