Real-World Learning for Lawyers: PLI’s Award-Winning Legal Courses

Overview

Kaleidoscope Learning partnered with Practising Law Institute (PLI) to help them reimagine the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) experience to better engage and equip today’s legal professionals. Recognizing the limitations of traditional seminar formats, PLI aimed to create courses that were interactive, practical, and better aligned with the fast-paced demands of modern legal practices. Beginning in 2012, we worked closely with PLI to design and develop a new generation of online legal education—interactive, hands-on, grounded in real-world challenges, and built for busy professionals. Through deep collaboration with subject matter experts, we introduced simulations, scenario-based activities, and self-paced formats that prioritize learning by doing. Over a decade later, this partnership has produced a growing library of over 20 interactive courses that continues to evolve with the profession, delivering measurable value to legal practitioners nationwide.

Challenge

Practising Law Institute (PLI) had long delivered high-quality in-person and online seminars, where participants could listen, discuss, and network. In 2012, PLI set out to create something different: a new kind of learning experience that was more interactive, hands-on, accessible, and reflective of the real-world challenges legal professionals face. The core challenge was designing a learning experience that met the needs of a time-strapped, high-performing audience: attorneys who expect concise, practical, high-value education they can access anywhere and anytime, without disrupting their demanding schedules.

Project Details

Client

Practising Law Institute (PLI)

About the Client

Practising Law Institute (PLI) is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing the professional development of attorneys and other legal and allied professionals by equipping them with the diverse, practical skills needed to thrive in a dynamic legal landscape. Founded in 1933 by Harold P. Seligson and chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York, PLI offers high-quality, accredited continuing legal and professional education programs delivered by over 4,000 volunteer faculty members, including prominent lawyers, judges, corporate counsel, and regulators. These programs are offered in a variety of accessible formats—live, online, and on-demand—and are supported by a comprehensive library of legal resources available through the PLI PLUS platform.

Timeline

Our first two courses were rolled out in 2013, and courses have been rolled out every year since.

Our Solutions

Our partnership with Practising Law Institute began in 2012, with the rollout of our first interactive course, How to Compete for Business in Changing Times, coming in 2013. We worked closely with attorney Peter Brown as our expert to shape the course, ensuring the content was intellectually rigorous, engaging, and relevant. The course introduced a more hands-on learning experience through simulations, decision-making activities, and our signature “Watch, Rate, and Compare” model. This learning-by-doing approach helped the audience to better understand and respond to the competitive dynamics in sales and marketing in the legal industry.

The next course we created was Effective Communications with the Legal Services Client, featuring Alicia Aiken as our expert. The initial format launched as a five-day “interactive MOOC (Massive Open Online Course),” following a new model we created that combined self-paced content with live daily video sessions and active discussion forums. While this format fostered meaningful peer interaction, the time demands proved challenging for both the instructor and participants. In response, we transitioned the course to a fully self-paced model—retaining its depth and interactivity while offering greater flexibility for busy legal professionals. This approach proved both successful and scalable. Since then, PLI has continued to expand its library of interactive courses, releasing new titles and updates each year. To date, our partnership has produced more than 20 courses that deliver measurable value to today’s legal professionals.

Our Approach

Our work with PLI followed a collaborative, iterative process that blended strategic design, deep subject matter expertise, and real-world insight:

1

In-Depth Content Analysis

We began by working closely with subject matter experts—not just to capture best practices, but also their lived experience. Through in-depth conversations, we gathered real stories, examples, and common misconceptions from the field.

These insights helped us ground the learning in authentic scenarios, ensuring it was deeply relevant to how legal professionals work and learn in their day-to-day practice.

2

Design Concepting & Prototyping

Next, we translated content into interactive learning concepts, using storyboards and prototypes to visualize how key ideas could be delivered through simulations, scenarios, and other practical, decision-making activities.

3

Video Production

From scripting alongside subject matter experts to on-location filming and post-production editing, we managed the entire video production process in-house. Our videos blend expert knowledge with relatable, real-world scenarios, helping to ground each course in practical experience.

4

Beta Version & Testing

We launched beta versions of our early courses to gather feedback, test engagement strategies, and fine-tune interactions. This allowed us to make data-informed improvements before full release.

5

Launch & Impact

With an emphasis on usability, flexibility, and real-world application, each course launched as a high-value learning tool. Today, PLI’s interactive library has grown to 20+ courses that continue to evolve alongside the legal profession.

Our Impact

Through our new interactive courses, Practising Law Institute (PLI) transformed the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) experience—achieving industry recognition and success across key areas:

Award-Winning Excellence

  • Our partnership with PLI has produced a series of highly acclaimed courses, recognized repeatedly for outstanding instructional design, innovative video use, best custom content, and professional excellence.
  • Some of the honors include multiple Brandon Hall Gold Awards, ACLEA Awards of Outstanding Achievement and Professional Excellence, and the annual Telly Awards.
  • These awards reflect the strength of our learning approach and the value it brings to both the legal community and the field of online learning.
Logos of awards including ACLEA, Brandon Hall Group, and Telly Awards received for excellence in instructional design

Outstanding Learner Feedback

  • Attorneys consistently offer excellent feedback, emphasizing the realism of the experience, the real-world application, and the tangible impact on their daily practice.
  • From simulated scenarios to decision-making challenges, learners have praised the courses for helping them develop practical skills they can apply immediately.
Learner watching an online training video on a laptop and taking notes

Growth of PLI’s Interactive Learning Center

  • PLI’s Interactive Learning Center continues to grow steadily—expanding its course library while becoming a more integral part of the organization’s long-term digital learning strategy.
  • Its success underscores the ongoing demand for engaging, hands-on legal education.
Screenshot of PLI’s Interactive Learning Center website showing a professional meeting and digital learning interface

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