Facing Increased Competition, NY Bar Associations Reveal New Incentives (New York Law Journal)
New York Law Journal, June 1, 2018
Facing Increased Competition, NY Bar Associations Reveal New Incentives
“At a time of rapid change in the legal profession, New York bar associations have come up with an offer that they’re hoping will lure members back to the fold: CLE classes for free and at steep discounts. The New York City Bar announced Friday that most of its hundreds of CLE classes will be free for new graduates, newly admitted lawyers, in-house/corporate counsel, academics, nonprofit lawyers, judges and their staffs. The rest of the association’s more than 24,000 members can choose to pay an annual fee between $399 and $499 for unlimited classes….Despite the low or no-cost options, few bar associations have made classes free and none on the scope of New York City….Bret Parker, executive director of the New York City Bar, said he’s been thinking about revamping the CLE fee structure for the last couple of years because of the lower-cost competition. Although some lawyers can meet all their CLE requirements for free without leaving their offices, ‘That’s not enough to make you a well-rounded fully engaged lawyer,’ Parker said.'”
