West LegalEdcenter has received the “Association for Continuing Legal Education’s (ACLEA) Best” Award for Outstanding Achievement in Technology for its groundbreaking CLE Mobile app. Eligible products included any electronic media or technology applied to the delivery of CLE, or to the development of the resource materials.

The adoption of mobile technology by attorneys is growing nearly as fast as the iPhone’s popularity. At West LegalEdcenter, we view it as our obligation to enhance the availability of, and access to, legal educational products and services within platforms that are convenient and easy to use. CLE Mobile signifies West LegalEdcenter’s strategic commitment to shortening the development for technology-driven tools that our customers demand.

The ACLEA’s Best Awards, started in 1992, recognize the contributions of its professional member organizations in the fields of programs, publications, public interest, technology and marketing. The Award will be presented at ACLEA’s 46th Annual Meeting, held July 24-27 in New York.

Now available as a free download from Apple’s App Store, CLE Mobile Version 2 is West LegalEdcenter’s response to user suggestions to improve the app. The main new functions include the ability to search, purchase and delete programs from the app itself, rather than having to log on to www.westlegaledcenter.com.

You can find out more from our company’s press release, or go right to the App Store to take a test drive. 

Our plans are to issue another upgrade later this year, so keep your comments coming. We’re committed to listening to our users and incorporating your feedback. Thanks to everyone who has already shared their thoughts!

You spoke out; we listened.  The results are in and your suggestions are helping us develop the next release of CLE Mobile. Back in February, we surveyed attorneys who have used the iPhone app and were pleased to learn that:

• 93% of respondents said that it was easy or very easy to download the app
• 81% of survey respondents reported positive/neutral reactions to the program downloading process
• 73% of those who played a program were satisfied or very satisfied overall

While these results are music to our ears here at West LegalEdcenter, survey responses also provided us with important information on how we can improve the CLE Mobile experience – and you’ll see some changes with our next release, which is scheduled for early this Summer. The new release will include the ability to search, purchase and delete programs from the app itself – the enhancements most requested by survey respondents.

User input is the most valuable research tool we have to continue developing CLE Mobile so that it fits your unique learning needs. If you didn’t have a chance to share your thoughts through the survey, I encourage you to write to us on our Reviews page or send an e-mail to CLEmobile@westlegaledcenter.com.

We hit a new milestone in late February – CLE Mobile users have completed more than 1,000 continuing legal education programs using the app!

Thank you to all of our customers, especially the ones who have taken the time to review our programs or post a comment here about CLE Mobile. Your feedback is a crucial part of our product-development process as we aim to create programming and technology that best serves our customers’ needs.

Some other fun facts about CLE Mobile:

• The word is spreading – we have had almost 500 unique users complete programs.
• More than a few “power”users – 17 users have completed 10 or more CLE Mobile programs – and two have completed more than 20!
• Users are coming back for more – thirty percent of unique users have completed more than one program using CLE Mobile.
• There is something out there for everyone – we’ve had 465 unique programs completed using CLE Mobile, with 113 of those programs having been completed by more than one attorney.

If you would like to share your thoughts about your CLE Mobile experience or have questions about the future of the app, please write to us on our Reviews page or send an e-mail to CLEMobile@westlegaledcenter.com.

CLE Mobile continues to be a success!  The app has been live for just over a month and we’re already nearing 1,500 users, 1,800 program downloads and 700 program completions.  The team is already in the early stages of planning for updates to CLE Mobile. 

We’re investigating several new features for future versions of the application:
• Ability to search the West LegalEdcenter catalog
• Ability to purchase programs
• Ability to delete programs from your device (in the current version, programs are automatically deleted 180 days after purchase)
• Ability to update your West LegalEdcenter profile
• Streaming audio
• Video downloads
• Streaming video

The team is also looking at other platforms – Android and BlackBerry — for potential future expansion.  Stay tuned for more on that throughout 2010.

What would YOU like to see in CLE Mobile?  Let us know what think!  Post your comments here or send an e-mail to CLEMobile@westlegaledcenter.com.

CLE MOBILE APP WAS CHOSEN AS AN APPLE STAFF FAVORITE!

We’re thrilled with the warm reception CLE Mobile has received. Thanks to attorneys across the country who are embracing mobile technology to complete their credits, CLE Mobile has seen over 600 users enrolling in more than 700 programs. More than 100 users have been busy during their holiday break by completing their courses, with a quarter of them completing multiple programs.  Some even completing all of their required credits with CLE Mobile!

To see what some others have had to say about CLE Mobile, check out the following:

• Wisconsin Law Journal
• LegalCurrent
• ABA Journal
• IPhone Source
• law/hackr

Traditionally, the only way for attorneys to earn credit on the go was with a downloadable podcast or audio or video tapes. While these methods were certainly handy, the MCLE credit available was limited to self-study in some states, with other states ruling out credit altogether.

CLE Mobile combines all of the same interactivity as listening to a program on the West LegalEdcenter website with the convenience of a mobile environment. The app tracks and ensures the program is listened to, and randomly verifies interaction with the program in states which require this feature. Attorneys also have access to a discussion forum – a way of interacting with the other attendees at each program. Whether the attendee listens through the app or online, discussion posts are synced between both systems. Attendees also have access to all program materials in the iPhone or iPod touch’s easy-to-view screen.

Several state regulators got an early look at the app as we worked through the development process. Feedback was very positive with all agreeing that the app was a recreation of the West LegalEdcenter site from an accreditation perspective. Because all of the same functionality exists on both, credit for completion on CLE Mobile will mirror credit for completion of on demand programming on West LegalEdcenter.

Once a user has purchased with a credit card or enrolled in a program through a subscription on westlegaledcenter.com, they will have access to the program on the app as well. Users will also have access to a free ethics CLE program entitled “Ethics in Client Development: Gaining Business the Right Way”, available for credit in most states.

One of the biggest technology stories of 2009 has been the incredible explosion in mobile computing and proliferation of smartphones worldwide. Tech analyst firm Frost & Sullivan projects that 250 million smartphones will be sold in 2010 and within five years, virtually all phones sold in the U.S. will be smartphones.  With well over 100,000 apps available on the iPhone, the world’s leading smartphone, workflow and productivity applications make up one of the most popular categories for this device. 

The adoption of mobile technology by attorneys has grown about as fast as the iPhone’s popularity. At West LegalEdcenter, we are obligated to enhance the availability of, and access to, our products and services within platforms that are convenient and easy to use. That’s why I’m thrilled to announce that West LegalEdcenter just got word from Apple that our new CLE Mobile app for the iPhone and iPod touch devices has been approved and is ready for download. This new app will truly take West LegalEdcenter to the next level.  

CLE Mobile allows users to listen to select CLE courses wherever they are and whenever it is most convenient. But one of the most extraordinary thing about the new CLE Mobile app is that we were able to build a superior user experience –– with all of the regulatory safeguards necessary –– in just six months. This effort signifies our strategic commitment to shortening the development time for technology-driven tools that our customers demand.  As we actively seek customer feedback, we will continue to compress our response and development time.

I am also very excited to announce that when a customer downloads the new CLE Mobile app they will get one free ethics program which will appear in “Available for Download”.  Once you’ve had a chance to take CLE Mobile for a spin, please let us know what you think by submitting a review here on this site.

The launch of CLE Mobile is just the beginning.  As we move into 2010, we will continue to look for new ways of delivering continuing legal education.  As technology continues to advance, West LegalEdcenter will evolve right alongside it, working to deliver interactive CLE programming that is convenient, effective and engaging for the customer.

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