Broke Urban Lawyer Does CLE

Being a lawyer is expensive, and I'm not just talking about the six figures of student loan debt we end up with after graduation.

There are bar dues, fees for those dull networking events where we stand around with mediocre hors d'oeuvres listening to some bloviator prattle on about something or other, and, of course, CLE.

For people fortunate enough to work for a firm that pays for or provides CLE for its attorneys, the only cost is the time. For the rest of us, it's a hit to the wallet, too.

In Arizona, we have to do 15 hours per year. That kind of adds up. A half-day seminar sponsored by the bar can run about $250 or more. A breakfast or lunch meeting sponsored by a bar section can be as little as $20, but even that can be a bit much for the broke. I'm on a rice and beans budget over here!

I come from Silicon Valley, where information wants to be free. CLE is a form of information, and it wants to be free, too.

Truly free CLE:

• Depending on your state, you can get some CLE hours for providing certain kinds of pro bono service.
• Also depending on your state, you can get some CLE hours for writing law review articles or presenting CLE seminars.
• The blog 4FreeCLE lists free CLE seminars. Some of them are in-person, but most of them are online.
• Fastcase, the provider of a cheaper Westlaw alternative (provided as part of bar dues in some states), conducts free training webinars that qualify for credit in some states.

Cheap CLE:

• MCLEZ offers state packages of CLE for a reduced rate. A whole year's worth of webinars, including ethics, can be as low as $40 with a coupon code. (Check retailmenot.com for a code.) You don't get to pick your courses, but it's a good deal if you don't have the time/energy to cobble together stuff on your own.
• LexVid offers the first CLE webinar for free, and then the others range in price. I did the free course a few years ago because I was one hour short and didn't want to pay anything. It was fine; it got the job done.
• If you're a member of the American Bar Association, you can attend a free webinar once per month, and there are some paid ones at a reduced rate as well. I did this when I got my first year of ABA membership for free after I got licensed, but I dropped my membership when the free year expired. The webinars I attended were timely and interesting.
• Your state or local bar association may have occasional CLE events at a reduced rate.

I did once pay for a full-on two day bar-sponsored seminar called "New Lawyer Boot Camp", which was geared toward new solo practitioners. It was useful and worth every penny I paid for it. I learned a lot and made some great connections with other lawyers in the area. Beyond that, however, I see CLE as another hurdle I have to jump through to keep my license, so I'm going to get through it in the cheapest, most painless way possible.