THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!

MCLE Credit - Now on Your iPhone

by Tina J. of the San Diego County Law Library.

Introducing West's new CLE Mobile - a free iPhone app for downloading West LegalEdcenter CLE programs for credit. Now you can get MCLE credit on the go, anytime, anywhere using your iPhone.

Simply download the free West CLE Mobile app onto your iPhone, create a free account if you don't already have a LegalEdcenter account, sign in, and you're off. You receive one free CLE just for downloading the app, Ethics in Client Development, a one-hour program immediately available.

If you need more credits, West offers over 2,000 audio CLE programs, and according to Jeff Richardson, Esq. of "iPhone J.D.," a site for lawyers using the iPhone, most offerings appeared to be "Mobile Compatible," meaning available for download to your iPhone. He reports that prices vary for programs, but that a majority of the one-hour courses cost approximately $135.00.

Purchasing a course makes it instantly available for download to your iPhone, including the audio and all offered materials. Downloading takes just a minute or two, but there is an expiration date posted that requires you to play the program any time before then.

Playing the programs is fairly straightforward with many familiar features of most audio programs. West, however, has added a "verification" feature assuring that you're actually paying attention to the course. Throughout the program, you will hear a bell ring requiring you to tap the "Now Playing" button, then the "Verify" button to ensure you're still conscious. This means that if you think you can try to skip over the course without really listening by simply moving the slider to the end, you'd be wrong. The slider will only go as far as the last "verified position" marked.

You can also review the program materials while listening to the course, stop and resume your play at a later time, rate the program when you finish, and electronically "Submit for Credit" any programs you complete. West will then email you a link for a "Certificate of Completion" that you're able to forward to your state bar if required to do so.