Riding the Tech Wave: North Carolina State Bar Adds a Technology Component to its CLE Requirements

Technology is advancing at an ever-increasing rate, and the legal field is no stranger to its implementation. From billing services to electronic filing systems, technology is continuing to revolutionize the practice of law while making the hectic day-to-day routine a bit more manageable. However, with the benefits of evolving technology comes the dreaded challenge of learning how to use something new. Luckily, The North Carolina State Bar has taken steps to address this issue.

As of 2019, all attorneys licensed in North Carolina must complete one hour of technology training as part of the annual, twelve hour Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements. Time will tell how the technology requirement evolves, but there’s a few things we know for certain:

How does the NorthCarolina State Bar define “technology training”?

Technology trainingis a “program, or a segment of a program, devoted to education on information(IT) or cybersecurity . . . including education on an information technologyproduct, device, platform, application, or other tool, process or methodology.”

Is the requirementlimited to technology as it applies to the legal field?

Yes. Even though it’stempting to spend an hour learning how to download your favorite Netflix show,this requirement strictly focuses on technology’s overlap with the legal field.Accredited programsare designed to increase an attorney’s competence and proficiency withtechnology. Examples includetraining regarding e-discovery, online filing, and office managementsoftware. 

How can you fulfill thistechnology requirement? 

If you’re a busyattorney who already travels more than you’d like, the North Carolina BarAssociation has got your back. It offers a variety of optionsthat fulfill the technology requirement, with most all of them being in theform of webinar or downloadable program. For example, a webinar on e-filingwill be held on September 10 from 12:00-1:00PM. If you can’t commit to aspecific time, don’t worry. You can also download on-demand programs tocomplete on your own time such as Going Paperless: How to Turn Magical Thinking into aReality.

What is the breadth ofprogram types currently available? 

Despite the recency ofthe technology requirement, the North Carolina Bar Association offers a largevariety of topics from which to choose. From e-discovery andlitigation management to cybersecurity’s impact on legal ethics, the availablesubject matter is quite expansive. 

Following Florida’slead, North Carolina became the second state torequire its attorneys to complete technology training as part of its CLErequirements. Due to the novelty of adopting such a requirement, an inevitablequestion arises: Is the requirement necessary? According to the Chair of theAmerican Bar Association’s Center for Innovation, Andrew Perlman, the answer isyes. He echoed his support for North Carolina by stating, “The changesends an important message: that lawyers need to understand how technology isaffecting the delivery of legal services.” 

Perlman’s point iscertainly worth nothing. Among other legal technology developments last year, Harvard Law completed an extensive project inwhich it digitized 6.4 million United States cases dating back to 1658. Coupledwith ever-growing research tools such as the AI-supported Westlaw Edge by Thomas Reuters, technology is booming in the legal field. And despite theoccasional headaches it produces, technology ultimately makes the workplacemore efficient, capable, and interconnected. 

So, regardless of practice field or career path, the newly refined CLE program will benefit all North Carolina attorneys; even if you’re one who despises technology, you can content yourself with the fact that you’ll have a ‘tech savvy’ conversation starter for your next social gathering.

Boone Aiken IV

September 4, 2019