ALI-ABA
About ALI-ABA
In 1947, the American Bar Association (ABA) asked the American Law Institute (ALI) to undertake the first national program of post-admission legal education. The need to refresh returning WWII lawyer-veterans on the law underscored the necessity to offer continuing education to all lawyers. ALI accepted the challenge, and the two organizations formed ALI-ABA.
The mission of this new, national continuing legal education (CLE) venture was to educate the bar in general, to work with state and local bar groups to meet lawyers' CLE needs and to assist in establishing organizations that would develop their own CLE programs. ALI-ABA remains a cooperative not-for-profit undertaking of its parent entities, the ABA and the ALI, with its own operations, governing board and distinguished reputation.
In the early years, ALI-ABA produced hundreds of live programs, and by 1958 brought CLE to communities in 44 different states. ALI-ABA's publications also flourished during this time and included the creation of handbooks spanning a range of subject areas. Today, ALI-ABA is renowned for its extensive programming in practice areas including business/corporate, employee benefits, employment, environmental, estate planning and real estate/land use law, as well as in ethics, skills and law practice.
Over the years, ALI-ABA embraced new technologies and pioneered the delivery of CLE via satellite TV to a network of sites throughout the country hosted by state and local bar associations, law schools and law firms. More recently, ALI-ABA added MP3 downloads to its delivery media that includes live webcasts, online courses, on-demand electronic publications, DVDs and telephone seminars. In addition to its national curriculum, ALI-ABA offers consulting, training and accreditation assistance to law firms, corporate law departments and government agencies for their in-house professional development programs.
Thousands of the most prominent lawyers, judges and legal academics in the United States and abroad have volunteered to speak and write for ALI-ABA. Through this diverse group, ALI-ABA has enhanced the continuing professional education of countless practitioners.
ALI-ABA is distinguished for its work to promote continuing professional education for lawyers throughout the United States and to create standards to ensure quality and relevance in CLE programs. The Association of Continuing Legal Education, an international organization of CLE providers, has repeatedly recognized ALI-ABA for its unique contributions.
Today, ALI-ABA continues to evolve and transform itself to meet the needs of the legal profession. In 2010, ALI-ABA introduced the ALI-ABA Knowledge Portal, a subscription-based, online legal content, research and education resource designed to help attorneys balance their professional careers and become more efficient in their everyday practice. Furthermore, the Knowledge Portal enables law firms and legal departments to streamline operations and attract, retain and advance top talent. As evidenced by the Knowledge Portal, ALI-ABA remains a leader in legal professional development and continues to deliver CLE to lawyers at every stage of their careers.
