Are any attorneys exempt from CLE in Alaska?

No — Alaska’s CLE rules impose the same obligations on all active attorneys; there is no distinction between part-time and full-time status.

Under Alaska Bar Rule 65, every active member must complete and report 12 CLE credit hours per calendar year (3 of which must be ethics) regardless of how much or how intensively they practice.

• The reporting period is January 1 through December 31, with reports due by February 1.
• Inactive members and those admitted in the current year are exempt for that period.
• Carryforward credit is allowed: up to 12 credits may be carried into the next year.
• Failure to comply leads to suspension until compliance plus possible reinstatement penalty.

Key Takeaway: There is no reduced CLE requirement for part-time attorneys in Alaska — all active attorneys must meet the same annual 12-credit obligation.

Attorneys in Alaska report CLE by submitting an annual MCLE report through the Alaska Bar Association’s member portal. The report is due once per year by February 1 following the December 31 compliance deadline.

Key Details:

• Reporting is done online via the member portal on alaskabar.org.
• You may submit your MCLE report only once per calendar year; once filed it cannot be amended.
• If you made an error in the submitted report, you must email [email protected] for corrections.
• Inactive members and attorneys admitted in the reporting year are exempt from reporting.

Key Takeaway: Alaska attorneys must self-report CLE credits annually via the Bar’s online portal by February 1, and the submission is final once filed.

Yes — Alaska allows attorneys to carry over CLE credits, up to 12 credits, from the previous reporting period.

This carryover is governed by Alaska Bar Rule 65 and was reaffirmed in Supreme Court Order No. 2016.

Details & nuances

• Under the amended Rules (effective January 1, 2025), an active Bar member may carry forward a maximum of 12 credits (3 ethics + 9 voluntary) earned in the calendar year immediately preceding the current reporting period.
• The credit hours must have been earned but not claimed in the prior year.
• In the annual certification (due February 1), attorneys must report whether they met the 3 ethics and 9 voluntary CLE in the prior year or used carryforward credits.
• The carryover rule does not apply to members in the calendar year of their admission.
• Prior to the amendment, older rules also permitted carryforward, though under different credit minima. For example, Bar regulations earlier acknowledged voluntary and ethics credits subject to prior rules.

Key Takeaway

Alaska permits carryover of up to 12 CLE credits (3 ethics + 9 voluntary) into the next reporting period, provided they were earned and unclaimed in the prior year, and this does not apply in your admission year.

Alaska attorneys must complete 12 CLE credit hours each year, including 3 hours in ethics.
The annual reporting period runs January 1 through December 31, and the MCLE report must be filed by February 1 of the following year.

Details
• Annual minimum: 12 credits for each active member; at least 3 must be ethics.
• Cycle and deadline: earn credits by December 31; file the MCLE report by February 1.
• Carryover: up to 12 credits may be carried forward from the prior year if earned but not previously claimed.
• Governance: the current 12-credit requirement (with 3 ethics) is established by Alaska Supreme Court Order No. 2016 amending Bar Rules 65 and 66.
• Reporting support: Sprout Education provides completion certificates and course details to support accurate self-reporting in the Alaska Bar member portal.

Key Takeaway: Alaska requires 12 credits annually with 3 ethics, earned by December 31 and reported by February 1; up to 12 unused credits may carry over from the prior year.

No — judges in Alaska do not have a separate CLE regime; they must comply with the same CLE rules that govern active bar members.

Every active member of the Alaska Bar must complete 12 CLE credit hours annually (3 of which must be in ethics) under Rules 65 and 66, effective January 1, 2025.

Those rules explicitly allow “attending approved continuing judicial education courses” as a permissible CLE activity, but they do not carve out a distinct judicial CLE track.

Key Takeaway: Alaska treats judges as attorneys for CLE purposes — the same 12-hour obligation applies, and there is no separate judicial CLE requirement.

Inactive, retired, or emeritus members of the Alaska Bar are exempt from CLE reporting and credit-earning requirements.

Details

• Bar Rule 65 explicitly provides that inactive Bar members and individuals admitted in the current year are exempt from MCLE requirements.
• The Alaska Bar’s CLE page confirms that inactive and retired members are not required to comply with CLE.
• If an inactive member later returns to active status during a compliance year, they must satisfy the ethics credit requirement for that year.

Key Takeaway: In Alaska, inactive attorneys are exempt from CLE obligations while in inactive status — they do not need to earn or report CLE credits unless and until they resume active status.