Much has been said in the legal community about the necessity for Continuing Legal Education requirements. Generally, the debate has shifted as much as people will admit that CLE does help keep certain standards of ethics and professional knowledge among practitioners. However, Online CLE, considered self-study and distance learning in many states, brings up an entirely different debate.

Some states, such as New York and California, allow all of the mandatory credit requirements to be fulfilled on the internet, through websites like Lawline.com. However, others are not as quick to admit that Online CLE platforms offer the right type of learning environment. Some allow partial fulfillment of credits online, and others still do not allow online courses to be taken at all.

But recently, the push toward Online CLE has been helped by two states. First, Illinois introduced its first round of Continuing Legal Education requirements (the first deadline is June 30, 2008) and decided to allow all 20 credits to be fulfilled online. Then, in March, Tennessee increased the amount of credits accepted through online platforms from 6 to 8.

As states continue to realize that Online CLE is every bit as informative and educational as live CLE programs, the trend will continue toward the internet as the main arena for CLE compliance. Not only are online courses comprehensive and interesting, they offer a simple, low cost solution to attorneys who have difficulty attending live events.

To view Tennessee CLE options on Lawline.com, you can use the following links:

Tennessee CLE Bundles

Tennessee CLE Courses