A hundred attorneys sit in a hotel ballroom, awash in the glow of a PowerPoint presentation. A monotone speaker lectures on a topic with little relevance to his audience. A few attendees nod off to sleep. A dozen skillfully type away on their BlackBerrys. The rest can't wait to break for lunch.

Any attorney licensed in one of the 43 states that require continuing legal education (CLE ) credits is familiar with this scenario. CLE is often boring, it's disruptive to business and it rarely helps attorneys do their jobs better. But there is another way.

Companies such as Liberty Mutual and Viacom are revolutionizing the way in-house lawyers earn CLE credits by bringing training programs in house. At those companies, attorneys get credit without leaving the office, studying a topic that matters to them. Meanwhile, the department saves the money it would have spent on travel and registration fees for an outside program.

The following are the necessary steps to create your own in-house CLE program. From designating a coordinator to finding providers to making it fun, this step-by-step guide will help your legal department handle the burdens of CLE.