The Continuing Education Requirement is wrong on so many levels.   I can tell Professinoal Engineers that the AIA requirement is near useless, but it gives the bureaucrats (and lobbyists) job security, and it gives the legislators the ability to fool the public into thinking 'we're doing something' when it does not affect the public safety one bit. 

Let me give you an example.... I got CE units for going on a boat ride in Chicago (for the record, the AIA charged more $ to its members for the ride than the general public, it rained the whole time, and my wife was miserable). 

After 10 years of AIA-sponsored CE, I can tell you it does nothing to ensure the public is safe or protected from "ignorant" or foolish Architects.  As others have said, this simply is more money in the pockets of educators and lawyers (who get paid to teach many of the CE classes).   I am very unhappy with this sort of requirement in many occupations (my wife has similar complaints about her medical related CE requirement) and I hope that some day (before I die) this common practice will disappear when everyone realizes it is near useless.