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    Wisconsin Lawyer
    August 01, 2000

    Wisconsin Lawyer August 2000: The Impact of the Internet on CLE

    The Impact of the Internet on CLE

    The Internet offers great potential in assisting Wisconsin lawyers in their practices by providing instant and continuous access to legal resources. The State Bar is experimenting with a variety of ways to use the Internet to access Wisconsin-specific legal resources and delivering continuing legal education programming, according to State Bar CLE Seminars Director Katy Duren. The CLE department is creating an online resource library, which features a searchable database of State Bar CLE materials and practice resources, including CLE seminar and convention outlines, CLE Books, and Wisconsin Lawyer articles. These materials will be downloadable from WisBar, or may be ordered and delivered in print format.

    The CLE department also is experimenting with a variety of other Web-based and Web-enhanced projects, including Web-enhanced telephone seminars for credit (the first of which, "Wisconsin Legal Research Resources on the Internet," is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2000).

    While the potential for delivering CLE programming over the Internet is exciting, Duren notes that there are some challenges to overcome, including lawyers' comfort level with technology. While the technology exists (with some limitations, including bandwidth) to provide Internet-based resources and learning opportunities, some of the most innovative models require relatively sophisticated computer equipment and users. In addition, Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules governing continuing legal education currently do not allow credit for many forms of Web-based training. In the not too distant future, however, Duren anticipates that Internet-based CLE will be accredited in Wisconsin.

    In addition to its Internet initiatives, the State Bar offers a variety of training opportunities to assist lawyers in increasing their computer skills and efficiency. Offerings include seminars on computer-assisted legal research and specific law office computer applications for common programs such as Word® and WordPerfect®. The technology training room in the new Bar Center allows for hands-on technology courses for lawyers and law office staff. For more information, contact Katy Duren at (608) 250-6040.


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