One of the main skills a lawyer should have is the skill for fact checking. If you want to make sure something happens as it should according to law, you have to first find out all the facts and decide the right path for taking action. That same principle of fact checking should be applied when you are enrolling in a continuing legal education programme.
Continuing legal education is something you cannot avoid. Therefore, you have to make sure the programme you enrol in is a good one. That can only happen if the institution providing all this to you is also a reliable one. You have to check the following facts about it.
Their Knowledge about the Requirements You Have
First of all, you need to find out whether this institution knows about the requirements you need to have. That is important because if they do not know about that they cannot be trusted to provide you the kind of education you want to have. An institution which knows a HKIAC mediation specialist has to cover a minimum of twenty hours of continuing legal education every four years is someone you can trust.
Their Knowledge about the Subject Area
You also need someone who has a good knowledge about your subject area. When it is no longer about the general laws seen in the country but something about special branches of law such as international trade or Islamic finance you need an institution which knows the value of those subjects and provides you the educational programmes you need to have.
Whether Their Programmes Are Accepted or Not
You should only follow a CPD course from an institution which is accredited by the legal authorities. If their classes or educational programmes are not accepted by legal authorities going to them to learn is not going to help with covering your continuing legal education hours.
Fees for the Programme
Each programme has its own fee. If you find out about the fee beforehand you will not get into trouble when you have to pay for it. A good institution is careful about their prices.
When and Where the Programme Is Held
Without knowing where and when the programme is held you cannot clear your schedule to go there. Therefore, you need to know that too. Usually, the institution website has all this information.
You need to do this fact checking before you enrol in any continuing legal education programme with any institution. It should be done for your own safety and comfort.