Commission for CLE > Accreditation for Providers > Continuing Legal Education Courses and Sponsors Continuing Legal Education Courses and Sponsors

Associated Rules

Ethics Credit Policy

The ethics portion of a course shall be directed to the ethics of attorneys as opposed to the ethical or moral behavior of other professionals or of people in general. Such courses shall include instruction focusing on the Rules of Professional Responsibility as they relate to law firm management, malpractice avoidance, attorneys fees, legal ethics, and the duties of attorneys to the judicial system, the public, clients and other attorneys. Although ethics can be integrated into the program (as opposed to a freestanding, single-issue program), it still must appear as a separate agenda item and must be at least thirty minutes in duration to be given credit. Sponsors must separately certify attorney ethics credits on the sponsor's attendance reports.

Applications

Before submitting the following applications to the Commission for consideration, please check the following:

  1. Determine whether you wish to apply for a non-legal subject matter course, or for total or partial accreditation of a CLE course. These are explained further below.
  2. Form is complete: signed and properly verified.
  3. The required course enclosures are provided.
  4. CLE (or non-legal subject) minutes have been computed correctly:
    1. Only time of actual instruction counts toward credit hours.
    2. Credit is not given for introductory remarks, breaks, or business meetings.
    3. If credit is requested for a dinner or luncheon speaker, minutes will be deducted for service of the meal.
  5. Sponsors are encouraged to plan activities that are at least 60 minutes long.
  6. In order to receive ethics accreditation, a topic must have ethics for attorneys as its main focus and must be at least 30 minutes long.
  7. No credit is given for in-house activities (except for government attorneys).
  8. No credit is given for self-study activities.
  9. For Internet courses or computer skills courses, complete course materials must be submitted with the application form.

Non-Legal Subject Matter (“NLS”) Courses. NLS courses are those that enhance an attorney’s competence in his or her individual practice. Attorneys only (Sponsors cannot apply for NLS accreditation) can receive accreditation on a course by course basis. Attorneys can report a maximum of twelve hours toward the three-year 36-hour requirement using NLS courses. Complete the “Application for Accreditation of a Non-Legal Subject Matter Course.”

Total Accreditation. Complete the “Application for Accreditation of Continuing Legal Education Activity.”

Partial Accreditation. An applicant must apply separately for accreditation of the legal portions of a seminar, where the substance of a seminar is not entirely legal. The Commission may deny accreditation for an entire program where separate application is not made and where a significant portion of the program is not continuing legal education. Complete the enclosed “Application for Accreditation of Continuing Legal Education Activity,” and identify those topics for which you request accreditation.