Many of the programs surveyed are fortunate enough to have extremely low staff turnover and do not need a standardized training program for new staff. Hotlines that use a lot of students and volunteers will need to provide frequent training sessions.

LACM, with its heavy reliance on students, has to train new batches every semester. They also provide pro bono training for the local bench and bar in many subject areas. The Georgia Senior Hotline has enlisted the help of the Georgia Bar Elder Law committee to provide some training. As new hotlines open up around the country the need increases for good training procedures. There is also a perceived need for good generic training materials. On all hotlines staff are expected to keep up on legal issues and . Many programs have regular meetings that include legal updates.

More comprehensive training programs include software training, client interviewing skills, mini-bar review sessions on applicable areas of law, and policy and procedural training. The length of training time varies from one day to two weeks. CARPLS has a two-week training session, but it hires in groups so that the sessions have an average of six participants.

On-the-job training is provided by all survey participants. The managing attorneys spend extra time reviewing new employees’ work. Another good practice is to give new attorneys a tour of the courthouse to show them how cases move through the system. The same approach works for social security cases and other agency matters. It is very helpful to hotline attorneys to have actually seen the various offices and agencies to which clients may be referred. Similarly, hotline attorneys should be familiar with various legal documents. For instance, they should know what color Medicare cards are and what food stamps look like, etc. It is standard practice on some hotlines to keep a file of common forms along with the other resource materials.

B. Research Materials

Most hotlines have readily available copies of useful reference materials that may include statutes, regulations, referral listings, and self-help brochures. Some programs, such as LASH, CLEAR, Pittsburgh, CARPLS, Michigan, and Puerto Rico, have developed a desk manual that covers legal topics and procedural information that is specific to their jurisdiction. Similarly, CLEAR, Pittsburgh, Kansas, West Virginia, and Texas use the format of Frequently Asked Question-and-Answer Books. LASH uses a similar manual with "scripts" that cover over 30 areas of law. CARPLS developed a Frequently Asked Questions list but its staff were resistant to using it because they felt it took away from the attorney’s professional judgment. Most hotlines now use CD ROM research tools also and have access to the internet for legal research.

If resources are to be developed in-house it is advisable to do it before the hotline is in operation. Once the program is up and running it becomes more difficult to divert staff from taking calls to preparing manuals. However, it is fairly easy to add new questions and answers to an existing manual.

A new and extremely useful set of materials have been created by AARP Legal Services Network. AARP is making these materials available to non-profit hotlines at no costs. These include State-by-State Frequently Asked Questions, Attorney and Client versions, and a library of state specific self-help materials. Approximately 30 state’s materials have been completed (2000) with the rest to come shortly. These can be accessed at www.povertylaw.org. Go to the Legal Hotline Technical Assistance Library there. The LSN materials are located in the substantive law section of the library. The Maryland Senior Legal Hotline has a link to the LSN materials for Maryland on its website for its hotline lawyers to refer to as they are speaking with the client. There materials are copyrighted but their use by non-profit hotlines is permitted. If you duplicate and/or circulate these materials you will need to acknowledge AARP LSN and refrain from charging any fees for their use.

Hotlines should be making much more use of the resources available on the Internet. So far, it does not appear that hotlines are taking much advantage of the Internet, or even of their own computer’s storage capacity. Julia Gordon, Senior Counsel for the Project for Future Justice in Washington, D.C., points out that all the manuals and materials currently used by hotlines can easily be updated and stored on their computers. Access to the Internet provides a ready source of information on almost any topic and frequently used websites can be bookmarked for quick retrieval. Useful websites range from government agencies to local service providers and can instantly supply the hotline with the text of a regulation or the address of a referral. Websites of particular interest to hotlines and the legal services community are printed in every issue of the Legal Hotline Quarterly.

C. Continuing Legal Education

Continuing education comes in the form of traditional CLE credits as well as in-house seminars, meetings, and memorandums. In jurisdictions where there is no mandatory CLE, attorneys are encouraged to attend appropriate courses sponsored by the local bar associations or other legal groups. Some programs have found it valuable to conduct joint training courses for hotline and non-hotline staff. It promotes better understanding and facilitates communications.

CLEAR, AARP LCE in D.C., Kansas, SALA, Michigan, Maine, Texas, and West Virginia programs pay for at least a portion of their attorneys' CLE courses. Puerto Rico does not have CLE requirements so attorneys keep current through the training division of the Puerto Rico Legal Services.

Quarterly seminars on various topics are provided by LASH and CARPLS. Washington, D.C. and LASH rely on regular meetings for information-sharing, while Kansas communicates through e-mail. CARPLS also assigns staff attorneys to be “experts” in certain legal areas. The attorneys are required to read all publications received on their area of expertise and write updates for the monthly staff newsletter. The Georgia Senior Hotline holds a weekly staff luncheon for which one attorney is assigned the task of reporting on all new information and materials collected in the past week.