§ 5.01 Course Approval Administration
5.01. Course Approval Administration
(a) Application for Course Accreditation. To apply for course accreditation, the sponsoring organization shall submit an application to include, but not limited to, a course description, an outline of all topics addressed, a detailed time schedule, and the requisite accreditation fee(s). Copies of any course materials, i.e. books, audio or video tapes or handouts included in the course presentation may be requested.
(b) Incomplete Applications. A course will not be evaluated if the sponsor does not submit all of the information required in the application or meet the requirements set forth in these policies. Incomplete applications will be returned to the sponsor with a request for the necessary information.
(c) Submission Deadline. An application for course accreditation must be submitted at least 30 days in advance of the first scheduled presentation or be deemed late and subject to a late fee. The fee amount shall be set by the budget committee of the board of governors.
(d) Rush Processing. Applications for course accreditation submitted with a rush fee will be processed within 5 days of receipt. The fee amount shall be set by the budget committee of the board of governors. If, pursuant to policy 5.01(h), the staff refers the course to the BLSE for review but processing cannot be completed within 10 days, the applicant's rush fee will be returned and the course will be approved in accordance with policy 5.01(c).
(e) Course Accreditation Fees. Courses submitted for accreditation shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee. The fee amounts as to each of the following shall be set by the budget committee of the board of governors:
(1) state bar associations
(2) local bar associations;
(3) federal, state, and local governmental agencies and law firms that offer courses for employee attorneys at no cost to the attendees
(4) sponsors that offer courses at no cost to attendees; and,
(5) all other sponsors.
(f) Co-sponsorship. A course sponsored by 2 or more organizations shall not be eligible for accreditation at no charge unless all sponsoring organizations meet the criteria for accreditation at no charge.
(g) Revenue and Expense Distribution. All accreditation fee revenue and all related expenses shall be allocated and charged to the course approval cost center. Two-thirds of the year end net profits shall be distributed to the CLER program and one-third to the certification program.
(h) Authority of Staff. Staff shall evaluate all submissions for accreditation and grant or deny credit in accordance with BLSE policies and/or certification committee policies approved by the BLSE. Staff shall refer novel questions or matters of first impression to a certification committee and/or the BLSE. The BLSE may waive any policy if it finds the waiver would be in the best interest of the program.
(i) Notice of Accreditation. If accreditation is granted, staff shall advise the course sponsor of the assigned course number, credit hours awarded, the categories to which the credit hours may be applied, and the accreditation period and expiration date. If accreditation is not granted, staff shall notify the sponsor of the basis for such determination.
(j) Accreditation Period. The accreditation period of a course with multiple dates and locations shall not exceed 18 months from the date of the first course offering.
(k) Audio or Video Tapes, CDs, DVDs, and On-Line Courses.
(1) Continuing legal education credit for study involving audio or video tapes, CDs, DVDs, or on-line courses may be given in the same manner as for live CLE courses.
(2) The “life” of an audio-video tape, CD, DVD, or on-line course is 18 months. Upon reapplication, that period may be extended if the subject matter represents the current status of the subject matter covered.
(l) Interactive CLE Activities. A CLE activity that allows attorneys to participate or interact with one another and thereby fosters the free exchange of information and ideas is creditable. Interactive CLE credit may be claimed for activities in which attorneys participate through some type of electronic medium, such as:
(1) teleconferencing seminars; or
(2) other CLE activities as may be developed through advanced technology.