ALMOST HALF OF the active members of the NH Bar Association responded to last summer's New Hampshire Minimum Continuing Legal Education survey conducted in conjunction with the NHMCLE Board's review of the program's first 10 years. A total of 1,614 responses were received, 533 by e-mail. The responses registered almost 80 percent in support of minimum continuing legal education in NH. (For complete results to all questions, see 2002 Survey Results under Continuing Legal Education-NHMCLE Information.)

The technical requirements of Rule 53 (ethics, live programming) posed significant obstacles in meeting the annual CLE obligation for 43 percent of survey respondents. There was no mandate for a change to a transcript system (45 percent in favor, 49 percent against), but 56 percent said they would prefer to do CLE reporting electronically via e-mail and the Internet. "I think computerizing the reporting and tracking aspect of CLE courses attended would be beneficial," wrote one survey respondent. Forty-four percent of respondents felt that the NHMCLE program should continue with the same deadlines and administration.

The NHMCLE Board was concerned to learn that almost all respondents had either received a corrected copy of their Certificates of Compliance or had their certificates returned as incorrect or incomplete. Forty-three percent admitted that it took them one to three hours to complete their annual filings. The board will be looking into ways to ease the filing process, such as offering an online certificate that automatically calculates credit totals and carry-over credit.

Douglas R. Chamberlain, chair of the NHMCLE Board, said the Decade Review Committee is progressing well with its review of Rule 53, the regulations and the survey results. "The committee is developing a series of proposals for revising Rule 53 and the board's regulations, largely with a view towards simplifying administration of the rule and making it easier for Bar members to comply, without losing sight of the rule's essential purpose: to improve the administration of justice and benefit the public interest by encouraging lawyers to strengthen their skills, thereby enhancing the quality of legal services rendered to the public," said Chamberlain. Following the review process, the committee will present the proposed changes to the board for a vote. Any rule changes accepted by the board will be sent to the Supreme Court with a request for adoption.

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