Bar members looking for paralegal continuing ed credit

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More than a dozen State Bar of Wisconsin members are seeking permission from the state’s highest court to earn Continuing Legal Education credit for teaching a legal specialty course in a paralegal program.

Attorney Richard Opie, coordinator of the paralegal program at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wis., filed a rules petition on July 28 to amend Supreme Court Rule 31.05(3) to expand the authority of the Board of Bar Examiners to award CLE credit.

Currently, the rule allows the BBE to award two hours for each hour of presentation of the approved continuing legal or judicial education activity and one hour for each hour of presentation for teaching a course in a law school. The rule does not address credit for paralegal programs, something which Opie wants to change with the proposal.

The petition amends the rule to allow for one hour for each hour of presentation for teaching a legal specialty court in an ABA-approved paralegal program.

Opie could not immediately be reached for comment, and the court has yet to schedule the petition for a public hearing.