Can You Receive CLE Credit for an In-House Legal Writing Seminar?
In many states, MCLE rules allow participants to receive CLE credit for an in-house legal writing seminar. This chart sets out each state's rules, with contact information and links for each state's MCLE web site. If you have any questions, contact your state's MCLE office.
States from A-M, below | States from N-Z, page 2.
AL | AK | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT | DE | DC | FL | GA | HI | ID
IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | LA | ME | MD | MA | MI | MN | MS | MO | MT
State MCLE Contact Info |
Credit for In-House Seminar? / Provisions |
|---|---|
ALABAMA MCLE Commission |
Yes. Approval required. Applications must be sumitted at least 30 days in advance. Required: At least half the instruction must be provided by outside faculty. 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated June 2009 |
ALASKAAlaska
Bar Association |
Yes. Approval required. 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated June 2009 |
ARIZONAState Bar of Arizona MCLE Dept.
|
Yes. Arizona does not approve or accredit programs for MCLE, but certificates
of attendance should be provided for participants. Participants should keep certificates in case of audit. To qualify as a CLE activity, an in-house program must have at least 5 attorneys present. 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* |
ARKANSASArkansas
CLE Board |
Yes. Prior approval required. Application should be sent 45 days in advance to obtain pre-approval; in-house program must be approved 30 days before the scheduled event. Required: For an in-house program at a private law firm, a minimum of 3 “out-of-firm” attorneys must be allowed to attend. The firm may set reasonable limits on the total number of “out-of-firm” attendees. Any “out-of-firm” attorney who attends may be responsible for a proportionate share of the cost. Maximum of 6 CLE credit hours during any reporting period. 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated June 2009 |
CALIFORNIAMCLE Program |
Yes. Approval required. Approval can be obtained before or after the program. Required: Must be scheduled so that participants are free of interruptions; State Bar auditors must be permitted to attend or otherwise audit at no cost. Single Activity Provider Approval Form 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated June 2010 |
COLORADOBoard
of Continuing Legal
|
Yes. Approval required. Application must be filed at least 15 days before program. Upon a showing of good cause, the Board may accredit a program even if this requirement is not met. Required: Open to outsiders; outside publicity. These requirements do not apply to professional associations or to activities sponsored by an agency for the benefit of employees of a governmental unit. 50 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated June 2009 |
CONNECTICUT
|
No Mandatory CLE. Updated June 2009 |
DELAWARECommission
on CLE of the |
Yes. Approval required. Applications may be submitted before or after presentation of the program. An “in-house program” is a CLE activity sponsored by a law firm, corporation, or governmental agency for the education of its employees or members only. CLE credit for in-house programs may be approved only for live on-site instruction, not video replay or simulcasts. May earn up 12 credit hours every two years (half the minimum requirement) through in-house programs. Supplemental Application for Accreditation of an In-House Program 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated June 2009 |
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
|
No Mandatory CLE. Within 12 months after admission to the D.C. Bar, new admittees must complete the Mandatory District of Columbia Course on the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct and District of Columbia Practice. For more information, call 202-626-1315 or 1-877-33-DCBAR, ext. 315. Updated June 2009 |
FLORIDALegal
Specialization & Education Department |
Yes. Prior approval required. Application for Accreditation should be received at least 30 days before the seminar ($75 fee for late applications). An attorney's application for credit must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the attorney’s CLER reporting deadline for which credit is requested. Courses approved by other state bars are “generally acceptable” to meet Florida CLE requirements. 50 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Attorney Application for Course Attendance Credit and Continuing Legal Education Application for Accreditation available for download on Florida Bar website Updated July 2010 |
GEORGIACommission
on Continuing |
Yes. Prior approval recommended. Applications should be submitted at least 30 days, and preferably longer, before seminar. The CCLC may grant retroactive approval. Required: Open to official observers; scheduled at a time and location so as to be free of interruptions from telephone calls and other office matters; experienced attorneys must substantially contribute to the activity's development and presentation. Maximum of 6 hours (of the 12 hours required yearly) for any combination of approved in-house/self-study activities (“self-study” includes distance/online learning). Up to 6 hours may be carried forward to the next calendar year or carried back to the previous year. Guests who attend an in-house program will receive regular credit that does not count toward the 6 hour in-house/self-study annual limit. Attorney Application for Approval of a CLE Activity 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated July 2009 |
HAWAIIMCLE Board |
3 credit hours of Mandatory Continuing Professional Education (MCPE) required annually. Qualifying topics: Hawai‘i Rules of Professional Conduct, legal ethics, law office management, client trust account administration, bias awareness and prevention, access to justice, case and client management, and malpractice insurance and prevention. Active bar members encouraged to complete 9 or more hours of voluntary CLE annually. In-house programs acceptable, subject to prior approval. For CLE taken outside of Hawaii and approved by an Approved Jurisdiction, attorneys can claim credit to the same extent as in the approving jurisdiction. (If the approving jurisdiction uses a 50-minute hour, Hawaii attorneys can do likewise.) LawWriting Workshops are approved by New York, an Approved Jurisdiction, so Hawaii credit is available for programs attended outside Hawaii. No application is required. 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated June 2010 |
IDAHOIdaho State Bar |
Yes. Approval required. Must apply no later than 28 days prior to the seminar or within 14 days afterwards. 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated July 2009 |
ILLINOISMCLE Board of the
|
Yes. Approval required. For prior determination of accreditation, application should be filed at least 30 days prior to the program. Prior approval is not required. Approval must be sought no more than 60 days after the program date. There is a $25.00 late fee for applications submitted on or after the program date. Required: At least 5 attorney participants (they need not be associated with the same firm, corporation or governmental agency); scheduled at a time and location so as to be free of interruptions from telephone calls and other office matters; open to observation by members of the Board or their designates. Efforts should be made to achieve a balance of in-house and outside instructors. Application for Approval |
INDIANAIndiana
Commission for CLE |
Yes. Approval required. Applications must be received at least 30 days prior to the program. Required: Must be taught by a judge, attorney or sponsor of legal education who is not a member, employee or acting of counsel of organization or law firm. The Commission and its Executive Director or designated appointee must be able to audit the course for regulation purposes. Governmental and academic attorneys may receive unlimited in-house credits. Nongovernmental and non-academic attorneys may receive through in-house means up to 3 hours per 3-year educational period (of the 36 required hours). 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated July 2009 |
IOWACommission
on CLE |
Yes. Approval required. Must apply 60 days before seminar or within 30 days after it. Approval determined on a case-by-case basis. 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated June 2010 |
KANSASKansas CLE Commission |
Yes. Approval required. Applications must be received 30 days before seminar. Required: Open to official observers; written materials or course outline submitted by date of seminar; scheduled at a time and location so as to be free of interruptions from telephone calls and other office matters. Maximum of 5 credit hours per reporting year (of 12 required hours). 50 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated July 2009 |
KENTUCKYKentucky Bar Association CLE Commission |
Yes. Prior approval required. Must apply at least 30 days before seminar. Required: 50% outside faculty; Commission designee permitted to attend or participate at no cost. Maximum of 6 credit hours per year (of the 12.5 hours required yearly) for a combination of in-house and “technologically transmitted” credits (online, video,and audio). 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated July 2009 |
LOUISIANACommittee on
MCLE |
Yes, but only for government agency programs. Must apply at least 45 days before seminar. Retroactive approval may be granted, at the Committee's discretion, upon a showing of good cause. No credit will be given for activities sponsored by law firms or corporate law departments for the sole or principal benefit of their own members or employees. To apply for approval of an in-state seminar, a sponsor must first be approved as a provider of CLE in Louisiana. Member Application for Credit for Out-of-State CLE 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated July 2009 |
MAINE Board of Overseers of the Bar |
Yes. Approval required. Must apply at least 30 days before the seminar. Required: Must be scheduled at a time and location free of interruption. In-house credit is considered self-study credit and is capped at 5.5 CLE hours annually. 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated June 2009 |
MARYLAND
|
No Mandatory CLE. On February 3, 2010, the Professionalism Commission, set up by the Maryland Court of Appeals, asked the Court to set a minimum annual requirement of 10 hours of CLE. The Commission also proposed that a Commission on Mandatory Continuing Legal Education be set up to oversee the requirement. Proposed Rules for the Maryland Commission on Mandatory CLE. Currently, there is a Mandatory Professionalism Course for newly admitted attorneys. Contact Ms. Wanda Claiborne, Director of Meetings and Bar Liaison, The Maryland State Bar Association, 410-685-7878 or 800-492-1964, ext. 3022. wclaiborne@msba.org Updated February 2010 |
MASSACHUSETTS
|
No Mandatory CLE. Updated June 2009 |
MICHIGAN
|
No Mandatory CLE. Updated June 2009 |
MINNESOTAMinnesota State Board of CLE
|
Yes. Approval required. Approval must be sought before seminar. Required: 25% of the hours must be taught by outside faculty; outside publicity; open to 25% outside participation. These requirements do not apply if a seminar is presented by an “established continuing legal education course sponsor” (such as LawWriting.com) 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated July 2009 |
MISSISSIPPIMississippi
Commission on CLE
|
Yes. Approval required. Must apply at least 45 days prior to the seminar. Required: Open to outsiders; outside publicity. These requirements do not apply to employees of governmental departments or agencies. Full-time employees of governmental departments or agencies may earn up to 12 credit hours a year from in-house programs; part-time employees up to 6 credit hours a year. 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated June 2009 |
MISSOURIMCLE Department |
Yes. Approval required. Must apply at least 60 days before program. In-house programs may be accredited on the same basis as programs by other sponsors. Attorney Application for Accreditation of a CLE Activity 50 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated July 2009 |
MONTANAMontana
Commission of CLE
|
Yes. Approval required. Must apply before seminar. Applicant must furnish seminar schedule and curriculum materials. Required: Client-related matters and case studies must not be part of credit hours sought; course must be attended by 5 or more lawyers, including instructor; course must be scheduled at a time and location free of interruption from phone calls and other office matters; course must be open to attendance by Commission member or designee. In-house credits are classified as “Other” credits; they are limited to 5 credit hours per year and may not be carried forward. 60 min. = 1 Credit Hour* Updated June 2009 |
Continue to page 2
* In most states, introductions, welcoming remarks, breaks, and meal time are not included; some states permit credit or partial credit for a program held during a meal if the program is substantive in nature.
** In Oregon, breaks exceeding 15 minutes per 3 hours of instruction are excluded in computed credit hours.
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