Did you know that continuing legal education (CLE) had its formal roots following World War II? This is when attorneys returning from the military needed to bring themselves current in the practice of law.

CLE is an important issue to all law firms — from the largest to the smallest. The firm manager should take stock of where the weaknesses are in its practice and assess the need for CLE. It goes without saying that firms should set policy by supporting CLE for attorneys and staff. There are many CLE programs that all members of the firm can take advantage of. In large firms CLE can be offered from within the firm by expert litigators, or office management, etc. Not all CLE must be public. Internal sources can be better received and more beneficial on the whole.

After the CLE needs of the firm are established, every effort should be made by and for the firm attorneys and staff to accept the responsibility of participating so that they can be more competent. The goal should be to insure that the firm culture fosters and rewards learning. Staying current on legal development, learning new skills and gaining additional knowledge provides an edge in serving clients. Plus, CLE represents a significant contribution to staff loyalty and helps to keep staff on board.

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