Overview of West Legal Education Center
The West Legal Education Center is the online home of all training and education initiatives from West, a part of Thomson Reuters, for legal professionals. It’s been designed with one goal in mind: to help you get more out of your West products, solutions and services.
The West Legal Education Center combines content and practice tools to make the learning experience efficient and effective.
Access on-demand legal education courses, live seminars, webcasts, webinars, online mentoring and more – all via your computer . The West Legal Education Center also makes it easy to access library content in several West products, including WestlawNext, Practical Law and Checkpoint.
You can track all of your education initiatives in one place – and extend your learning by viewing recommended courses for re-training, view certification progress, view credits earned after a specific course and search offerings in multiple ways.
Detailed Course Catalog
The West Legal Education Center offers a comprehensive course catalog of work that will help practitioners at all levels of practice. In addition to covering significant areas of law such as ▪ Antitrust Law ▪ Patent Law ▪ Trademark Law ▪ Copyright Law ▪ Biotech & Pharmaceutical Law ▪ Environmental Law ▪ Intellectual Property ▪ International Law ▪ Law & Business ▪ Business Law ▪ Consumer Law ▪ Tax Law ▪ Trade Secrets ▪ Emerging Technologies The catalog also features many courses on specific practice skills: ▪ CLE & MCLE Courses ▪ Practice Area & Subject Matter ▪ State Bar Exam Prep It is important to note that the subscribers to the Center are able to access any of these courses once they have paid for a subscription to the Center. Nowhere else can a practitioner get the opportunity for the breadth of knowledge and learning from some of the best legal minds in the world.
Advantages of the WLEC
At the information session, Gina Fabelo, the director of West Legal Ed significantly emphasized the value of the WLEC as a great networking opportunity. He indicated that the WLEC is not just a database of CLE software and will be working with vendors like Practical Law and Lexis. The goal for the WLEC is to become a knowledge hub where subscribers can find practice standards and sample documents for a wide range of areas.
Jennifer Bland, Senior eLearning Producer, explained that the WLEC is a portal to pre-recorded video content available anytime, anywhere. E-learning is not likely to replace live CLE presentations, but it does represent an efficient use of one’s time. Jennifer indicated that the focus was on delivering practice skills as content for attorneys at all levels. Jennifer also added that the format of the WLEC is changing from seminars with speakers to learning paths which can include video presentations, quizzes, and transcripts. One of the coolest functions of the WLEC is "Overtime," which allows up to 2 hours for lawyers to ask questions about each topic covered in a WLEC seminar. This feature is being run by the Center for Legal Studies (CLS), whose motto is "Your education is our business." This is a subscription service offered through ABA membership.
How to Register
To enroll in West Legal Education Center’s Paralegal Certificate Program, you will simply need to register online with our admissions office. If you are currently working as a paralegal, to be considered for their program you must have your current employer submit an "Employer Sponsorship Form." If you are not employed within the legal system, you can submit a notarized letter of sponsorship from a law firm with an attached copy of their certificate of incorporation. Once your application has been approved, you will receive directions on how to register for the courses. All registration is completed online, through the West Legal Education Center website.
There are no set deadlines for applying or enrolling in classes with the West Legal Education Center. As soon as you have completed the pre-requisites for your course , such as an Employer Sponsorship Form, you can register and pay your $75 non-refundable registration fee. If you plan on using financial aid, make sure that you have submitted your FAFSA with the preferred school code of E00569-S01.
As far as recommendations go, once you have your coursework planned out online, you will want to submit your forms and register as quickly as possible. Most of the courses are completed online, so by registering early, you can guarantee that the system is not full by the time that you sign up. By taking care of this as early as possible, you can get your financial aid forms and your registration out of the way so that you can focus on completing your classes and earning your degree.
Testimonials and Impact Stories
While exact numbers are hard to come by, satisfied customers of the West Legal Education Center can be found all over. For example, freelance reporter and previous legal support worker Elisa Bafford writes for her blog that "LiveLitigation.com has really opened up a wealth of information on a site for the legal professional unlike any other, and I am impressed with West Legal Education Center."
Excerpts from other testimonials:
• "I am also very thrilled to be a part of West LegalEdcenter and I must say and agree that you guys have really done a great job with the site. I am very excited to be a part of the community!"
• "I was very impressed by how simple registration process was and how quickly I was able to start watching videos. The site is very clear and user-friendly -something I am always searching for."
• "Thanks for helping paralegals and the paralegal community at large! It is about time for some good training choices at reasonable prices."
• "My experience with LegalSpan has been great! You always seem to be so far ahead of the game, in terms of the technology, speed, and availability; and at a fraction of the cost of other options. Fantastic ideas, looking forward to working with you in the future."
• "I think your service is fantastic."
• "Your site is so helpful!"
• "Thanks for this great website. I have already gotten more value than I paid for, I just had to tell you that…well done!"
• "Great concept. I can now obtain CLE while attending my job and at my convience and not interupting my schedule."
• "I recently selected West Legal Ed for online CLE based upon both the product selection and the cost. I was quite pleased with both the seminar I viewed and the cost.
• "I really like the site’s simple layout and robust library of programs. I also think it’s really awesome that you can add a program on which you would like to learn more."
• "I was pleased to see that you have so many programs to purchase on the site. Also, so much cheaper than other ways to get CLE.
Answers to Common Questions
Is West Legal Education Center free?
Many signature events at West Legal Education Center are complimentary for all, and there are also a number of courses offered at West Legal Education Center throughout the year focused on essential topics affecting you and those in your firm. Courses are cost-effective and help you earn MCLE credit.
Will there be online classes at West Legal Education Center?
Many courses in 2015 will have live webcasts, so you can attend class from anywhere. We’re also planning more options for remote attendance, so stay tuned in 2016 for more information on new ways to join us at West Legal Education Center.
Are you accredited MCLE providers in all states?
Yes , Thomson Reuters is an accredited MCLE provider in every state with required CLE except New York (which has restrictive adverting laws). This designation means that we can offer one of the broadest choices of webcasts, in-person live classes and on-demand recordings of self-study courses for your needs.
Will I get credit in other states if I take my course at West Legal Education Center in Minnesota?
Yes. In addition to being an accredited MCLE provider in every state with required CLE except New York, every course at West Legal Education Center has been pre-approved by the Minnesota MN CLE Board. When you’re attending a course and have your attendance recorded by one of our staff members, you’re covered in virtually every state (save for New York) for MCLE.