NYSBA Leader Rises to Presidency of Continuing Legal Education Association
7.28.2025
Kathy Suchocki, associate executive director of the New York State Bar Association, was installed as president of the Association for Continuing Legal Education at ACLEA’s annual meeting this past weekend in Montreal.
Suchocki, ACLEA’s president-elect for the past year, ascended to the presidency following a successful year implementing the New York State Bar Association’s new membership model. As senior director of Continuing Legal Education and Law Practice Management for the New York State Bar Association, Suchocki oversees the production of 500 legal education courses each year.
Under the new model, NYSBA members receive free Continuing Legal Education courses. Membership in two of the association’s law practice sections such as the Trusts and Estates Law Section or the Family Law Section or demographic groups such as the Women in Law Section or the 50+ Section is included with membership as are downloadable forms and e-books.
“We are so proud of Kathy Suchocki and wish her great success in her role as president,” said Kathleen Sweet, president of the New York State Bar Association. “Our new membership model has been successful because of the high-quality programming that her department produces. It has made membership more valuable than ever.”
Suchocki elaborated on the success of NYSBA’s all-inclusive membership model.
“The future of CLE lies in creating learning experiences that are personalized, tech-forward, and immediately relevant to a lawyer’s evolving practice,” she said. “It’s about making CLE not just mandatory, but meaningful. With NYSBA’s new membership model, we have seen huge increases in viewership and registrations for webinars. We have seen more members taking advantage of all the available content, not just CLE programs but all of our books and forms.”
When asked why the bar association’s legal education courses are so popular, she pointed to her practice of using member feedback for continuous improvement.
“A strong guiding principle for deciding what Continuing Legal Education programs will appeal to members centers on relevance, practicality, and engagement. My guiding principle in coordinating and scheduling CLE topics is to focus on what’s timely, practical, and meaningful to our members. We pay close attention to feedback, emerging trends in both the law and the profession, and real-world issues attorneys are facing in their day-to-day work. Whether it’s regulatory or statutory changes, AI’s impact on legal practice, or wellness in the workplace, the goal is to offer programs that educate, equip, and engage our members — all while respecting their time and professional challenges,” she said.
