Free Continuing Legal Education On Demand: Predictions for 2012

2011 was the year in which free, on-demand continuing legal education began to really take off, both as a business model for the sponsors and as a real choice for practitioners. I'll list a couple dozen below for the sake of those who need a few credits quick, but first let me make a few predictions:

Predictions for 2012:

• There will always be a market for paid, premium CLE. Just as free books and images on the internet have not destroyed the market for books and art IRL, so too free CLE on the internet will not destroy the older market. It'll just change the, possibly shrink its overall dollar value but by increasing the need to prove value, it'll improve quality. And higher-quality items usually command a better mark-up.
• In 2012, at least 1 percent of the market for CLE in general will be satisfied through free CLE, and most of that will be on-demand via the internet.
• Although economic issues may encourage some lawyers to exit the profession, the overall demand for CLE will increase, as on-demand access makes it practical to use it as a resource for problem solving. For example, if an ethical issue involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act occurs to you while you're stuck at the airport with your cellphone; you can take a quick, short on-demand ethics CLE to help you now!
• 4freeCLE is going to do a *lot* more in 2012 to radically improve free continuing legal education. If you have any special requests, contact us!

OK, enough predictions. Here's some links for those who have waited until now to earn credit. Let's have an educational 2012!

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Intellectual Property Colloquium (IPC)

Most IPC recordings have been granted credit in CA, FL, IL, NE, NY, PA, TN, TX, WA

• The Bilski Oral Argument
• Can You Hear Me Now? - fireside chat with Verizon executives
• A Conversation with Chief Judge Paul Michel
• A Conversation with Fred von Lohman
• Derivative Work
• Everyone Hates DRM
• Patent Reform: Damages
• Privacy in Networked World
• Statutory Damages and the Tenenbaum Litigation
• You Tube, My Take - (Viacom/Google litigation)
• Many More Hours of AV CLE on intellectual property!

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Lexvid

• Attorney-Client Privilege and the Duty of Confidentiality
• Chapter 11 Reorganizations: A General Overview of Bankruptcy and Bankruptcy Terminology 
• Hot Topics in Commercial Leasing
• Insurance Law Fundamentals
• Getting In, Getting Out, Getting Paid: Fee Agreements, Withdrawal as Counsel, and Fee Arbitrations - by Lexvid
• Legal Considerations When Assisting a Client Form a Business
• Navigating the Immigration Jungle: Immigration Visas
• Short Sales & Other Options to Avoid Foreclosures 
• Lots more - I'll catalog them soon!

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Practising Law Institute

• Advocating for Veterans - the Basics on Benefits, Discharge Upgrades and Cultural Competency
• Debt Ceiling Debate Raises Legal, Regulatory and Financial Issues 2011 
• Defending Unlawful Detainers: Training Pro Bono Attorneys to Help Families Avoid Homelessness 
• Diversity in Law Practice 2011: Legal Update, Inclusion Strategies, and Work-Life Balance
• Expanding Your Practice Using Limited Scope Representation

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Trial.Com

• Catastrophic Loss Cases - How They Are Different
• Changing In-House/Outside Counsel Relationships
• Compliance: In-house Counsel’s New Challenges
• Copycat Liability
• Counsel Selection: A Trial Lawyer's Guide to the Universe
• Effect of Corporate IT Politics on Otherwise Privileged Communications (ethics credit!)
• Guilt By Association: You Didn't Design, Make or Sell It, But You Could Be Liable Anyway
• In-House Counsel On The Hot Seat
• Internal Investigations Done Right - The Nuts and Bolts of Who and How to Conduct Them
• Preparing Your Client to Testify 
• Privilege and In-House Counsel (ethics credit!)  
• Protecting Your Brand from Social Network Abuse
• Trials, Tribulations and Travails
• What’s Your Story? It’s Simply the Key to Winning Your Cases 
• Lots more - I'll catalog them soon!

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Black Duck Software

• The Impact of Visualization Technology on Open Source License Obligations
• Insights and Lessons learned from the Top OSS Legal Cases
• An Introduction to Open Source Software and Licenses
• Managing Open Source Software: Legal Issues in M&A
• The Open Source Community vs. Patent Trolls 
• OpenSource Due Diligence in M&A and Financing
• Open Source Exposure via Your Software Supply Chain
• Trademarks and Open Source Licenses
• Understanding the Top 10 Open Source Licenses

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See also: "Why Free CLE? Because it’s a commodity and because “interesting CLE” is oxymoronic"  by The Irreverent Lawyer

Anytime/Web - Learning to Advocate for #Veterans

Persons eligible for Veterans Administration benefits sometimes require professional assistance in staking their claim. A well-structured claim can also assist the VA in efficient administration. Now you can pick up the basics while earning credit:

• Introduction to Veterans Benefits - by Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. This one-hour program is a good place to start.
• Advocating for Veterans - the Basics on Benefits, Discharge Upgrades and Cultural Competency - by Practising Law Institute. This is a longer, more detailed program.
• More at http://4freecle.blogspot.com/p/veterans.html

Seeking More Resources

If you have free CLE in support of our military and veteran families, or are interested in developing them, please contact us so we can post them here and/or assist in development.

On Demand: Webcast - Get One Free CLE For Registering With NACLE.com !

The National Academy of Continuing Legal Education is offering on its website one free CLE program (1 credit) just for registering. Simply go to https://www.nacle.com/Register and follow directions.
One thing I like about this site is that you can go partway through a course, stop it as needed, and resume when you can. Another feature that is may or may not be useful is that, when you log in, NACLE presents you with a list of courses applicable to your state; it doesn't show other courses. This doesn't waste your time with programs that you can't get credit for, but if you're just looking to learn information, it can keep you from potentially useful courses.  For example, practice management courses seem to have a hard time being granted credit in Washington State but may be credited in states such as Florida; I can certainly use the information even if I don't get credit for it. However, that's a quibble. I can't think of any reason not to go and try NACLE's free offer.
Title:
NACLE.com's free CLE credit offer
Credit:
One free credit; more credits for a fee. Courses offered for most but not all states.
By:
NACLE.com
More:
https://www.nacle.com/Register

Jan 25/Stillwater, MN - Minnesota Supreme Court Update on Case Law

The Washington County Law Library (http://www.co.washington.mn.us/info_for_residents/law_library ) presents this program in coordination with the Washington County Bar Association (http://wcba-mn.org/ ), but membership in the Association is not required for attendance. 
Title:
Minnesota Supreme Court Update on Case Law
Date/Time/Place:
Jan 25, 2012
Noon-1pm
Conference Room 21 (lower level) of the Washington County Government Center
14949 62nd Street North
Stillwater, MN 55082-0006
Credit:
One standard CLE credit will be applied for
Speaker:
The Honorable Paul H. Anderson
Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court

Suggestions for programs are always welcome and should be directed to the County Law Librarian, who may be reached at 651-430-6330
MORE:
http://www.co.washington.mn.us/info_for_residents/law_library/continuing_legal_education

Attorney-Client Privilege and the Duty of Confidentiality

Luis E. Ventura

Luis E. Ventura graduated from California Western School of Law in January of 1994 and is a member of the California Bar Association. He represents a number of homeowner associations in homeowner association governance, litigation, monthly assessment collection, and transactional matters. He also handles general civil litigation matters including malicious prosecution and defamation related cases, among others. He has served on the San Diego County Bar Association’s Legal Ethics Committee since 2003.
This program instructs viewers on how to ethically handle matters concerning client communications and avoid breeches of the duty of confidentiality.
Title:
Attorney-Client Privilege and the Duty of Confidentiality
Speaker:
Sponsor:
Lexvid
Running Time:
1:15:50
Credit:
WA:
1.25 Ethics AV (Activity ID 296556)
Other Jurisdictions: 
Check with your credit-granting authority.
More:
http://www.lexvid.com/clevideos/view/17