There remains no excuse for Philippine Bar members to comply with the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) now that the program is more accessible and flexible in the country.
The Supreme Court has approved the Rules and Regulations for conducting online MCLE effective February 5, 2020, or before the massive onset of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The resolution was originally aimed at enabling older, differently-abled, and offshore-based Filipino lawyers to comply with Bar No. 850, which intends to uphold the Code of Professional Responsibility by keeping abreast with the law, professional ethics, and enhanced standards of practice.
“The onset of computer technology made it necessary to adopt current trends of learning and it is relevant with the changing times that an alternative mode of delivery of the MCLE is made available to members of the Bar through online and on-demand MCLE,” the Supreme Court stated.
The pioneer in online MCLE in the country has long welcomed this development and has been continuously raising the standards when it comes to delivering the program in the virtual setup. ACCESS MCLE started the groundwork for its online MCLE offerings in late 2018—over a year before the Supreme Court finally approved the adoption of online MCLE sessions.
“Providing MCLE online was an original idea of ACCESS so that lawyers from Visayas and Mindanao can access the lectures of Manila-based legal luminaries without having to spend on airline tickets and hotel accommodations,” said Atty. Ma. Louella M. Aranas, co-founder of ACCESS MCLE.
“The goal of ACCESS is to level up the playing field among lawyers across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Moreover, ACCESS aims to elevate the manner online education is provided by using best practices and the gold standard in the content, design, and delivery of the courses,” she added.
ACESS MCLE is also committed to making continuing education for lawyers a worthwhile experience. “We believe it is a waste of time and money for lawyers to enroll and not learn anything from the programs. MCLE should not be just ‘something to get over with.’ Thus, ACCESS aims to make MCLE fun and engaging, yet still insightful and relevant by designing and delivering the courses strategically,” Atty. Aranas assured.
Online MCLE on-demand
ACCESS MCLE remains ahead in the industry by offering the most flexible and accessible continuing education programs for lawyers. Aside from the synchronous option, which facilitates an online classroom setup, the duly recognized MCLE institution offers MCLE in the revolutionary Online On-Demand format.
The process of developing courses is a tedious and demanding one, but this does not deter ACCESS from pursuing its goals. First, the institution invites legal luminaries and subject matter experts to create original lectures on curated topics, which are carefully and meticulously deliberated and selected for the learners’ discerning interests and requirements.
Then, ACCESS’ in-house team of instructional designers create, design, and convert the course content from the experts into a fully interactive online learning module. From there, the legal luminaries are set to shoot the on-demand instructional videos with the help of professional sound, lighting, and video engineers to ensure the high quality of each video.
“We believe that the best lectures are easily absorbed and retained if they are presented in high-quality materials with clear and crisp videos. Our lecture videos integrate animations and gamification into the interactive learning modules for better appreciation and effectiveness,” Atty. Aranas said.
Flexible synchronous MCLE
For lawyers who prefer the synchronous approach to MCLE, ACCESS has again stepped up to set a new standard. It is introducing its Flexi-Synch program, which makes the online classroom setup more convenient for those with hectic schedules.
Through ACCESS MCLE’s Flexi-Synch, an enrollee can practically take the selected MCLE courses all year round. That means, if he/she misses a lesson, ACCESS will facilitate that same lesson on the same day and time in the succeeding month/s. This ensures that learners will not miss important data and insights to make the continuing learning program more relevant.
“Our courses are designed to educate. ACCESS online courses are formatted and designed for a better learning experience and knowledge absorption and retention,” ACCESS MCLE co-founder Alex Canata reiterated.
Reliable and safe online learning
To ensure undisrupted delivery of its online MCLE courses, ACCESS has even invested in online safety mechanisms—including high-bandwidth availability and encryption tools for users’ data protection. It also upholds its data retention and destruction policy and regularly audits trails and logs for added security.
For their part, online learners are required to have stable internet access, use a device with a front-facing camera during sessions, and obtain access to their chosen online courses or modules, whether in synchronous, flexi-synch, or on-demand platforms.
To learn more about ACCESS MCLE and its programs, visit https://accessonline.ph/.