December 27, 2017
Explore the Different CLE Course Formats
For someone with a busy and thriving law practice, one thing you most likely never have enough of is free time. Some days, it can be hard to squeeze in all your work, let alone things like your family or personal time.
This extreme busyness means it can feel almost impossible to find time for things like your continuing legal education credits, or CLE. In the past, these continuing higher education programs forced you to travel to the physical site of a classroom or seminar, making the task even more time-consuming and inconvenient to fit into your busy schedule.
These protocols have begun to change, however. Now, most states allow you to complete this training in more convenient ways that are simpler and easier to fit into your day. The easiest way is to obtain these training credits is through online programs and classes.
At Lorman Education, we offer a broad array of classes and continuing legal education seminars in an entirely online format. This means you can complete them from your office, the comfort of your own home or anywhere else that’s convenient for you.
Of course, with training courses as with everything else, one size does not always fit all. That’s why we have multiple course and credit formats. Each format has different strengths and weaknesses and it is our hope that you can use a combination of these unique formats to create a training and education course that will best serve you.
To help educate you along these lines, let’s review our different CLE course formats now as well as the multiple pricing options. With this information, you’ll be able to pick the course formats that are best for you and the pricing option that’s best for your budget.
Pricing Options
When it comes to budgeting for the fantastic CLE courses and resources at Lorman, there are several different options:
1. Individual Programs
Each program comes with its own separate price tag. While prices can vary, they typically fall somewhere between the range of $99 and $249. As you browse our selection of courses, you’ll see the price clearly listed for each one.
Because each course has its own price, one option is to pay for each class on its own. This is a great choice if you’re looking to only take one class at a time and pursue your CLE credits at a slower pace. This allows you the more leisurely route of taking one course at a time with no pressure to get through courses and credits as fast as possible.
2. All-Access Pass
The All-Access Pass is a one-time purchase at the beginning of a year that allows you full access to all of Lorman’s CLE courses and offerings. By only paying $699 at the beginning of the year, you’ll receive access to as many courses as you can complete as well as all the additional resources you might want.
While paying for an individual program is a good option if you’re only interested in one course, the All-Access Pass is unquestionably the more cost-effective option if you want to take multiple courses. Whereas paying for three individual courses could cost almost $750, $699 will grant you a year’s worth of access to as many courses as you want.
This makes the All-Access Pass the more sensible solution — especially if you plan on trying to complete many courses and credits in a short amount of time. Help your budget out a bit as you continue your education.
Course Format Options
Everyone’s schedule is different and everyone has a different learning style. That’s why, at Lorman, we believe in creating different course formats. With our assortment of course formats, there’s something that fits everyone — no matter how busy you are or what your learning style is.
Let’s look at some of our options for continuing your legal education online now.
1. CLE Live Webinar Courses
The live webinar format is almost as similar to a live classroom experience as any online format can be. It is a live training course where the user streams the audio over the internet. In other words, the student is listening to the teacher speak in real-time.
In addition to this, written materials can also be accessed by the user via the internet. For example, some webinars may utilize an online PowerPoint presentation, which the user will be able to see the instructor manipulate in real-time.
While this may sound less personal than an in-person experience, there are many ways to bridge the gap between you and the instructor. For example, at the end of webinars, the instructor will explain the process for asking a question if you would like a point clarified or if you have any other questions.
Each individual webinar must be signed up for and paid for separately unless you have chosen the All-Access Pass. Once you’ve registered for your webinar courses, you’ll receive emails with the link that will enable you to access the course and any supporting materials. You’ll also receive a PIN number that will grant you access.
One of the fantastic pros of the live webinar course is the interactivity allowed. You are listening to the instructor explaining things live. If you need to ask a question, you will have the opportunity. This will automatically smooth out some of the speed bumps that naturally come with any learning experience. If you have a more flexible schedule and seek a high level of interactivity in your online classes, these live webinars are an excellent option.One of the cons, however, is that the webinars are live. This means they must be accessed at a specific time. You will not simply be able to attend the session whenever is easiest for you. This means you may have to rearrange your schedule a bit. If adjusting your calendar isn’t an option, you may need to look into other course formats.
2. OnDemand Webinar Courses
An OnDemand webinar has many similarities with the live webinars, but it has several notable differences that make it more suitable for individuals in certain situations. Whereas live webinars are held at a specific time and users must attend sessions at the time they are being held, OnDemand webinars are more flexible. They’re self-paced and users can attend pre-recorded sessions at their own pace and on their own time.
In addition to the pre-recorded materials, each OnDemand webinar also includes a PDF with any reference or written materials needed for the course. This is the downloadable equivalent of the PowerPoint that would be used in a live session.
However, although the timeframe for the OnDemand webinar for CLE course credits is much more flexible, it isn’t indefinite. Users will only have access to the course materials for a period of 90 days after purchasing them. Therefore, users will need to complete the course before this time limit is up or risk having to buy it a second time.
Unlike the live webinar, which is accessed by a link sent through a confirmation email, the OnDemand webinar is accessed online with an ID sent to the user upon purchase. After purchasing access, the user can then visit the course as many times as needed or desired as long it’s within the allotted 90-day window.
There are many advantages of this format. Because the lectures are not live, users can pause, rewind or fast-forward as needed. They can also repeat them if needed. Furthermore, users can listen to the session whenever fits their schedule best. They can do it in the morning before work, in the evening after work, over lunch or whenever else is right for them. If you’re seeking a high level of flexibility in your CLE courses, these OnDemand sessions might be the best solution for you.
The downside of this course format is the 90-day timeframe. Although most users should not have any difficulty completing the course in this number of days, the flexibility invites the potential for it. Users may feel they can do the coursework whenever they want and thus may put it off indefinitely until they suddenly realize they’re too late. If you are aware of tendencies to procrastinate things that lack hard deadlines, this may not be your best course format.
3. Audio and Manual Package Courses
The audio and manual package is a very different approach to the course format. Unlike the Webinars, where you gain web access to pre-recorded lessons and materials, you’ll receive a physical copy of the audio.
What this means is that after purchasing a specific course, you’ll receive a USB flash drive in the mail which will contain audio recordings taken directly from one of the live courses. You’ll also receive a PDF of any reference and written materials. Using these materials, you’ll be able to listen and follow along with the course material exactly as if you were attending the course live, except that you can do it at your own pace.
In most cases, the flash drive will arrive at your door within five to seven business days after the date of purchase. However, the delivery will not be as prompt if the course has not even taken place yet. If the program has yet to happen, you should expect to receive your USB flash drive several weeks after the program takes place.
The benefits of the audio and manual course format are similar to the benefits of the OnDemand format. You get to experience the course on your own time. You don’t have to worry about reworking your schedule to make time for a web seminar in the middle of the workday. And since you receive a physical flash drive in the mail, there’s no worry about running out of time to complete the program in. If you have a busy schedule with little room for adjustment, this course format might be perfect for you.
The drawback of the program, however, comes with its lack of interactivity. Because the sessions are all pre-recorded, users will lose the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification on certain points. Because of this, if you know you learn best through in-person discussion and interaction, consider a live class format.
4. MP3 Downloadable Courses
The MP3 download is similar to the audio and manual course format except that the course materials are delivered digitally instead of physically. While the audio and manual format mails a hard copy of the audio directly to you, the MP3 download sends you the audio via a downloadable link. In addition to the course audio, you’ll also receive a reference PDF with any written materials to supplement the audio. This, too, will be sent to you as a downloadable link.
The pros and cons of the MP3 download are virtually the same as they are with the Audio and Manual course. The pro is that you can listen to the course session and complete the coursework whenever you choose, with no compulsion to do it at a specific time. The con is that there is little in the way of interactivity with an instructor. When deciding if this is a course option that will work for you, assess both your calendar and your learning style and decide accordingly.
Additional Resource Formats
In addition to the many valuable course offerings available, Lorman also provides excellent resources to users and students. While none of these are courses in their own right, all of them are excellent supplemental resources that will help improve understanding and expand knowledge.
Just as there is no one course format that works well for every single student, there is also no single best format for these resources. That’s why we provide them in several different formats.Here are the different formats for the additional CLE resources available:
1. Slide Decks
The slide decks are like a virtual set of flashcards that provide you with additional training in a variety of different subjects and areas. They don’t comprise an entire course by themselves, but they make wonderful supporting materials for many other courses or even just for general knowledge. Another way it’s unlike the other regular course formats we’ve mentioned is that it isn’t something you can purchase individually. Rather, the slide decks are something you can gain access to only by purchasing our All-Access Pass.
Because these slide decks aren’t complete courses, they aren’t necessary to complete your CLE training. This means that if you aren’t interested in purchasing the All-Access pass, you don’t have to. You can complete your training without it or these decks. However, the slide decks provide a wealth of extra knowledge, practice and training that will make you continuing education much easier and smoother. Because of this, we highly recommend looking into them.
2. Videos
In terms of their format, videos fall somewhere in between the more traditional formats we first looked at and the more non-traditional slide decks. Like slide decks, videos are not an entire course designed to educate you on all facets of a single subject. Instead, they’re smaller snapshots and smaller informative chunks of information. Some videos are on important legal information, some are on how-to processes and others are on more general life and work advice, such as how to maintain a clean and tidy email inbox.
Unlike slide decks, however, they can be purchased individually. If you find a single video that you’re interested in viewing, you can purchase this video separately. Of course, you’ll also gain access to all the videos you want by purchasing the All-Access Pass.
3. White Papers
White papers are another option that are a supplementary resource designed to help you in your continuing education. The topics are similar to the topics you might find videos about, ranging from highly technical and detailed information to more general information about how to streamline life in the business world.
White papers are slightly different regarding their pricing, however. As long as you are registered with Lorman, you have access to the white paper resources. This means you’ll have access to information regarding a broad swath of topics and subjects. While not courses that will count towards CLE credits, these white papers nonetheless make wonderful resources to accompany your studies.
4. Reports
Reports have much in common with white papers. These are written resources that are not full courses, but are instead supplements to the complete courses or just reports on different subjects and pieces of information. They might relate directly to certain courses and some might also be on more general topics of interest.
They are in no way required for any CLE courses, although they are a highly beneficial extra resource.As is the case with white papers, these reports are accessible by anyone who is registered with Lorman. They aren’t individually priced and are instead generally available to anyone working towards their CLE credits.
Begin Studying With Lorman Education Services Today
Are you or your office considering continuing your legal education? If so, there’s no better place to do it than at Lorman Education Services.
Here at Lorman, we’ve been helping professionals continue their education for over thirty years. We understand that skilled workers are in high demand and don’t always have a lot of free time on their hands. That’s why many of our courses are designed to fit into the flexible gaps in your schedule as handily and efficiently as possible.
We’ve helped over 1.4 million professionals just like you as they continue on their educational journey. Through our innovative course designs and accurate, fast information, we’ve made your education much more practical and painless.
Not only are our courses designed to fit into your busy life and full-time career, but we also employ some of the most knowledgeable staff members and faculty in the industry. We take great care when it comes to hiring instructors so we can confidently tell our prospective students that they are receiving the very best education.
Our variety of available coursework is also at the very top of the pack. We provide over 70 live webinars every month so you don’t have to wait for the courses you want. And we do all this at an affordable cost to you. Most notably, our All-Access Pass allows you access to all the courses and resources you need for an entire year.
Browse our individual course listings to see what courses might be helpful to you or learn more about our All-Access Pass to see if it might be the right option for you as you continue your legal education.
Sources:
- http://www.lorman.com/CLE
- http://www.lorman.com/contact/faqs.php
- http://www.lorman.com/training/?products=live-webinars&s=tdd
- http://www.lorman.com/training/?products=ondemand-webinars&s=tdd
- http://www.lorman.com/training/?products=manuals;audio-download;audio-flash&s=tdd
- http://www.lorman.com/training/?products=audio-download&s=tdd
- http://www.lorman.com/resources/?products=slide-decks&s=tdd
- http://www.lorman.com/resources/?products=videos&s=tdd
- http://www.lorman.com/resources/?products=whitepapers&s=tdd
- http://www.lorman.com/resources/?products=reports&s=tdd
- http://www.lorman.com/pricing/?s=header