CLE Developments
In March 2020, it was hard to predict how the coronavirus would impact businesses and lives across the globe throughout the coming year. As more and more state CLE boards started lifting their in-person requirements and encouraging attorneys to earn their CLE virtually, we were faced with the challenge of how to provide our customers with the state-specific training they have come to rely on from us. Our solution was to create a new online state-specific course format, Live Online Seminars!
NBI has always been dedicated to providing practical, skill-based CLE courses and our Live Online Seminars are no exception. These events are live-streaming video presentations featuring state-specific content presented by expert local faculty who understand the current issues you’re facing. They also include a Q&A Discussion module where you can comment on the presentation, respond to other attendees, and ask the speaker questions in real-time.
Don’t forget…we also have a large and diverse catalog of more than 3,500 OnDemand courses so you can fulfill your continuing legal education requirements anytime, anywhere.
If you are looking for course content specifically relating to the coronavirus, we have more than 150 upcoming and OnDemand Coronavirus Courses available in our course catalog.
CLE Updates by State
Please note that some states have updated their MCLE requirements in response to the coronavirus. Check your state below for updates. We will continue to update this page as we receive more information.
This post was last updated on November 11, 2021.
Alabama: No changes.
Alaska: No changes.
Arizona: The deadlines for both the completion of MCLE hours and the required affidavit of compliance for the 2019-2020 compliance year have been extended through 12/30/2020. Note: The deadlines for the 2020-2021 MCLE year remain unchanged.
Arkansas: No changes.
California: The rule change from the Board of Trustees modifying the final deadline for licensees in Compliance Group 3 to comply with their MCLE requirements by 09/30/2020 or be administratively enrolled in Involuntary Inactive status has expired. No further rules changes have been issued at this time.
Colorado: No changes.
Connecticut: The Rules Committee of the Superior Court has suspended the MCLE requirement for the entire calendar year 2020. All CLE credits taken in 2020 shall apply in full towards the 2021 MCLE requirement, even if the amount exceeds the two hour carryover cap.
Delaware: The requirement for at least 12 of the 24 CLE credit hours to be earned by attending in-person, live CLE approved courses has been waived for the two-year periods ending 12/31/2021 and 12/31/2022. All 24 CLE credit hours for those two-year periods may be satisfied by approved courses that do not require an in-person, live appearance.
Florida: The reporting deadline for justices and judges whose three-year reporting cycle terminates on or before 12/31/2020 is now extended to 12/31/2021.
The rule changed issued by The Florida Bar extending the deadlines for members with three-year cycle CLE reporting ending February through November 2020, including the Basic Skills Course Requirement to December 31, 2020 has expired.
The rule changed issued by The Florida Bar extending the deadlines for members with three-year cycle CLE reporting ending February through November 2020, including the Basic Skills Course Requirement to December 31, 2020 has expired.
Georgia: For reporting periods 2021 forward, the Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency (CCLC) permanently changed the regulation related to distance learning. Going forward lawyers can complete all or any portion of their CLE requirement through approved distance learning programs.
Hawaii: No changes.
Idaho: No changes.
Illinois: Attorneys with last names beginning A-M who reported “Not Yet Complied” to the Board by 7/31/2020 have until 9/30/2020 to complete their credits and report compliance to the Board.
Indiana: The Indiana Supreme Court has waived the credit-hour limitations on distance education courses until further notice by the Court.
Iowa: The 6 credit hour maximum for unmoderated activities has been lifted. You may now earn all 15 credit hours through unmoderated activity.
Kansas: Kansas attorneys can complete their entire 12 credit hours via live or prerecorded programming.
Kentucky: The 2019-2020 CLE deadline has been moved to 6/30/2021, in effect combining the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 CLE reporting years. Kentucky attorneys are required to complete 24 CLE credits, 4 of which must be ethics, by the 6/30/2021 deadline. In addition, the reporting deadline for the combined 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 educational years has been extended to 8/10/2021.
Louisiana: Considering the continued need to take measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, the Louisiana Supreme Court has issued an Order lifting the online MCLE limit for 2021 from 4 hours to 12.5 hours. Excess hours earned in the 2019 compliance year can be carried forward to compliance year 2020 or 2021. Louisiana attorneys are required to complete 12.50 credit hours every year. Members must fulfill at least 8.50 credit hours of their CLE requirement with activities approved for Live CLE credit.
Maine: The rule change by The Board of Overseers of the Bar suspending the in-person requirement for harassment and discrimination credit is expiring July 1, 2021 at 12:00 AM.
The rule change issued by The Supreme Judicial Court extending the automatic grace period established by Maine Bar Rule 5(l)(1) for attorneys to comply with their MCLE requirements ending at 4:30 PM on April 30, 2021 has expired.
Maine attorneys are required to complete 12.00 credit hours every year. Members must fulfill at least 7.0 credit hours of their CLE requirement with activities approved for Live CLE credit.
The rule change issued by The Supreme Judicial Court extending the automatic grace period established by Maine Bar Rule 5(l)(1) for attorneys to comply with their MCLE requirements ending at 4:30 PM on April 30, 2021 has expired.
Maine attorneys are required to complete 12.00 credit hours every year. Members must fulfill at least 7.0 credit hours of their CLE requirement with activities approved for Live CLE credit.
Minnesota: The 15 credit hour limit for on-demand continuing legal education for Category 3 lawyers due to report August 31, 2020 for the July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020 reporting period has been suspended. If you have any issues with reporting your credits through OASIS, please contact the state board office via email at clestaff@mbcle.state.mn.us.
Mississippi: For the 2019-2020 CLE reporting year, attorneys may complete their CLE obligations set forth in Rule 3 through online webinars or live in-person programs. At this time, the Commission reporting extensions have expired. Any attorney who is unable to comply with the temporary amendments may seek a hardship exemption and/or extension from the Commission.
Missouri: The rule change issued by the Supreme Court of Missouri extending the 2019-2020 reporting year to 9/30/2020 and extending the reporting deadline to 10/31/2020 has expired. There are no further rule changes at this time.
Montana: The extended deadline for completion and reporting of CLE credits has passed. The Supreme Court of Montana Commission on Continuing Legal Education has not issued any further extensions or waivers at this time.
Nebraska: The temporary waiver of the requirement for live CLE credit for the 2020 compliance year has expired.
Nevada: No changes.
New Hampshire: Attorneys have been granted an automatic extension to file their certification of NHMCLE compliance without incurring a delinquency assessment or fine. The deadline is now 9/1/2020 instead of 7/1/2020.
New Jersey: The Supreme Court of New Jersey has issued a rule change waiving the requirement for live CLE credit until further notice. You may now complete all 24 credit hours via live online seminars, webinars and other alternative verifiable formats.
New Mexico: The extended 2019 reporting deadlines for delinquent attorneys have now expired.
New York: The New York CLE Board has issued an order temporarily allowing Newly Admitted Attorneys to complete their live Skills requirement via live webcast, teleconference or videoconference. The deadline for this requirement has been extended to 12/31/2021.
North Carolina: No changes.
North Dakota: The rule change issued by the North Dakota Supreme Court for attorneys in Reporting Group 3 who report in 2020 allowing all or a portion of the required 45 credits to be earned through self-study; and granting an extension to 9/1/2020 to complete their CLE requirements and until 10/1/2020 to submit their report of compliance has expired. There are no further rule changes at this time.
Ohio: The 12 credit hour maximum for self-study credit has been waived for attorneys and judges with last names beginning with M-Z for the 2019-2020 compliance period ending 12/31/2020. All credits may be completed through approved self-study courses.
Oklahoma: No changes.
Oregon: The Oregon Supreme Court amended the MCLE Rules and Regulations to change the deadline to complete MCLE credits from December 31, 2020 to April 30, 2021; and the deadline to report credits from January 31, 2020 to May 31, 2021.
Pennsylvania: Group 3 reporting 12/31/2021 can still take all credits as live or pre-recorded and can carry any Distance Learning credits forward 2 years (no change). As of 1/1/2022 all reporters for 2022 and 2023 will have a 6 hour cap on pre-recorded courses, and only Live courses can be carried forward up to 2 years.
Rhode Island: Attorneys and judicial officers are relieved of the obligation to complete CLE credits for the 2020 reporting year. All CLE credits earned in the 2020 reporting year as well as excess credits set to expire in the 2020 reporting year may be used to satisfy legal education requirements for the 2021 report year.
South Carolina: Following consultation with the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, and based on the continued development of issues caused by COVID-19 and a potential lack of available in-person courses, the limitation on distance learning hours is waived for the 2021-2022 annual reporting year. Accordingly, lawyers and judges may earn all or any portion of the CLE credit they are required to obtain for the 2021-2022 annual reporting year through online or telephonic programs.
South Carolina attorneys are required to complete 14.00 credit hours every year. Members must fulfill at least 6.00 credit hours of their CLE requirement with activities approved for Live CLE credit.
South Carolina attorneys are required to complete 14.00 credit hours every year. Members must fulfill at least 6.00 credit hours of their CLE requirement with activities approved for Live CLE credit.
Tennessee: In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and state of emergency, this Court again extends the temporary suspension of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 21, sections 3.01(c) and 4.02(c) through 2022 and removes the eight-hour limitation on Distance Learning for the required continuing legal education hours for 2022 for licensed Tennessee attorneys and for those lawyers seeking reactivation or reinstatement in 2022 pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, section 30 and Rule 21. Effective immediately, and continuing through December 31, 2022, lawyers may earn all or any portion of the required continuing legal education hours for 2022, or for purposes of seeking reactivation or reinstatement in 2022, through approved Distance Learning completed through December 31, 2022.
Texas: The State Bar of Texas MCLE Department has granted the following compliance deadline extensions for the 2021 reporting cycle: attorneys with a January 2021 compliance deadline have been granted an automatic 60-day extension with a final deadline of March 31, 2021. Attorneys with a February 2021 compliance deadline have been granted an automatic 60-day extension with a final deadline of April 30, 2021.
Texas attorneys are required to complete 15.00 credit hours every year. Members must fulfill at least 12.00 hours of their CLE requirement with activities approved for Accredited CLE credit.
Texas attorneys are required to complete 15.00 credit hours every year. Members must fulfill at least 12.00 hours of their CLE requirement with activities approved for Accredited CLE credit.
Utah: The traditional live in-person credit requirement for lawyers reporting in 2021 has been suspended, allowing all required CLE to be fulfilled with online self-study with audio or video presentations, webcasts or computer interactive telephonic programs for the compliance period ending June 30, 2021.
Vermont: The Vermont Supreme Court has issued an order lifting all format limitations/requirements for the 2019-2021 reporting period. Vermont attorneys with a reporting period ending on June 30, 2021 can complete their entire requirement through any combination of approved formats. The credit limitation for activities claimed under Rule 6 has also been lifted for the 2019-2021 reporting period.
Virginia: The Supreme Court of Virginia has issued an order that extends the deadline to complete CLE requirements to 12/31/2020. In addition, the deadline for Virginia attorneys to file their Form 2D certificates has been extended to 2/15/2021.
Washington: The due date for reporting MCLE credits earned in the 2018-2020 compliance period has been extended by one year. Lawyers must earn their credits by 12/31/2021 and complete the certification of their credits by 2/1/2022. As part of this extension, lawyers are authorized to carry over an additional 15 credits towards the next reporting period for a total of 30 carryover credits, 4 of which may be ethics.
The next reporting period will be a shortened two year reporting period: 2022-2023.
The next reporting period will be a shortened two year reporting period: 2022-2023.
West Virginia: The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has granted a request from the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Commission for a temporary waiver of current CLE rules and regulations which limit the CLE credits for online and in-house credits to 12 credits, or half of the mandatory continuing legal education requirements. Attorneys will now be able to earn all or any portion of the required 24 CLE credit minimum through video, audio, correspondence, telephone seminars, computer-based training courses and in-house instruction, so long as the courses otherwise satisfy the requirements of the CLE rules and are approved for CLE credit in West Virginia. This temporary waiver is limited to the 2020-2022 reporting period ending June 30, 2022.
West Virginia attorneys are required to complete 24.00 credit hours every 2 years. Members must fulfill at least 12.00 credit hours of their CLE requirement with activities approved for Live CLE credit.
West Virginia attorneys are required to complete 24.00 credit hours every 2 years. Members must fulfill at least 12.00 credit hours of their CLE requirement with activities approved for Live CLE credit.
Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Supreme Court extended the rule change temporarily suspending the cap of 15 credit hours taken via OnDemand for attorneys with a 12/31/2021 deadline. There are no further rule changes at this time. WI Supreme Court Extends Order Allowing Attorneys to Obtain 30 CLE Credits of OnDemand through 2021.
Wyoming: No changes.
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