From our travels on the Net it seems that there is currently a real potpourri of Web-based learning solutions. Some sites are purely text based, offering a scholarly paper to read, followed by a short quiz. Successful completion of the quiz allows participants to print out a course certificate. Other sites offer audio and or video clips of legal experts sharing advice on topics as diverse as communication skills and workplace diversity to the how-tos of cross examination and estate planning. A few CLE sites offer proprietary software to complete a course.
Some companies sell an unlimited use pass.
The American Bar Association offers one hour of free online education in exchange for filling out an evaluation of their pilot project. While the convenience of anytime, anywhere course offerings cannot be denied, the design of current courses merely scratches the e-learning surface. Some of the audio-delivered courses, for instance, include no supplementary text material. The quality of the audio varies considerably, as does the speed of the lecturer's delivery. Online CLE is in its infancy.