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Continuing legal education market heats up
LUIS MILLAN
Nearly two years after mandatory professional development timidly made its first
appearance in the Canadian legal landscape,
educational offerings by law societies, in-house legal departments and non-profit legal
organizations are seemingly proving to be a
hit with lawyers, ostensibly at the expense of
the private sector who have yet to make a serious dent in the marketplace.
Widely expected to proliferate next year
after Ontario joins the ranks of British Col-
umbia, New Brunswick, Quebec and more
recently Saskatchewan as the latest jurisdic-
tion to compel practitioners to hit the books,
the market for continuing legal education is
rapidly evolving. Thanks to a long and flex-
ible list of activities that meet the criteria for
mandatory credit hours, ranging from par-
ticipation in continuing professional develop-
ment courses and study groups, to teaching,
writing and mentoring, lawyers have a bevy
of choice. And apparently, the majority are
keeping close tabs on their pocketbook.
