Are any attorneys exempt from CLE in Hawaii?

No — Hawaii does not explicitly permit late CLE reporting under its rules; attorneys must certify CLE compliance via annual registration and, if noncompliant, cure within a short “grace period” or face suspension. RSCH Rule 22 provides for good-cause modification or exemption but does not create a general late-reporting path.

Details under Hawaii’s CLE / MCLE framework:

• Active members must complete 3 CLE credit hours (including 1 ethics every three years) by December 31 of each reporting year.
• Attorneys certify compliance via their annual registration (due after year-end).
• The MCLE FAQs state that if an attorney fails to complete CLE in time or falsely certifies, they will receive a notice with a short grace period and a late compliance fee, with possible administrative suspension if not remedied.
• An attorney suspended for noncompliance must submit proof of completed CLE plus pay the late compliance fee and any reinstatement fees to regain active status.
• Rule 22 also allows a member to apply for good-cause exemption or modification of CLE obligations due to illness, disability, or extraordinary hardship.

Key Takeaway
In Hawaii, there is no open-ended mechanism to report CLE late; instead, noncompliant attorneys must act during the grace period, pay fees, or seek a good-cause modification to avoid suspension.

Yes — Hawaii requires full-time state judges to undertake a separate judicial education obligation in addition to the usual attorney CLE regime.

In Hawaii, full-time state judges must participate in a judicial education program approved by the Committee on Judicial Education; those hours may also count toward the standard CLE requirement for attorneys. (RSCH Rule 22(h))

RSCH Rule 22(h) exempts full-time federal judges, magistrate judges, bankruptcy judges, U.S. Court of Federal Claims judges, and administrative law judges from CLE, but mandates that full-time state judges attend at least 3 hours of approved judicial education annually.

Key Takeaway: Judges in Hawaii must meet a separate judicial education requirement (minimum 3 hours annually) under Rule 22(h), which is distinct from but may overlap with the attorney CLE obligation.

Attorneys on inactive status in Hawaii are exempt from the CLE requirement.

Upon electing active status, they must complete and report 3 hours of approved CLE (including 1 hour of ethics) within three months.

Details:

• Hawaii’s MCLE rules classify inactive members as exempt from CLE obligations.
• Upon status change to active, the attorney must complete 3 CLE credit hours, of which 1 hour must cover ethics or professional responsibility, within three months.
• CLE credit earned within the three months prior to reactivation may count toward this requirement.
• Inactive attorneys must not practice law; reactivation triggers CLE obligations.

Key Takeaway:
In Hawaii, CLE obligations are suspended during inactive status, but returning to active status triggers a requirement to timely complete and report 3 CLE hours (including ethics).

Attorneys in Hawaii self-report CLE by certifying their credit hours on the annual attorney registration form; they do not submit certificates routinely.

Key Details:

• Under RSCH Rule 22, active members must complete at least 3 CLE credit hours per calendar year.
• There is no requirement to file certificates with the Bar unless requested for an audit or status change.
• The certification occurs on the annual registration statement (reporting deadline is January 31 following December 31).
• Attorneys must keep certificates and logs for three reporting periods in case of audit.

Key Takeaway: In Hawaii, CLE reporting is self-certified via the annual registration form, and attorneys retain records rather than submitting each certificate.

There is no formal grace period in Hawaii beyond the December 31 compliance deadline — attorneys must complete and report CLE by year-end. Noncompliance triggers a certified notice and potential suspension under RSCH Rule 22.

Hawaii CLE Requirements & Reporting

• December 31: Deadline to complete all required CLE credits.
• Reporting is done via the attorney registration form, certified at that time.

Enforcement & Noncompliance Procedure

• Within 60 days after the registration deadline, the HSBA sends a certified notice of noncompliance to attorneys who failed to meet CLE requirements.
• Recipients of the notice have 15 days to submit proof, contest it, or resign their license.
• Failure to respond or comply leads to automatic administrative suspension until full compliance and proof are accepted.

Key Takeaway: Hawaii requires CLE compliance by December 31 with no additional grace period; noncompliance leads to a formal notice and possible suspension under Rule 22.

No — Hawaii’s CLE rules do not differentiate based on part-time vs full-time status; all active attorneys must satisfy the same requirement (unless exempt).

Under RSCH Rule 22, active members must complete at least 3 CLE credit hours per calendar year, and at least once every three years they must include 1 credit hour of ethics or professional responsibility.

Details:

• The CLE cycle is each calendar year (January 1 through December 31).
• New admittees are exempt for the year of admission.
• If an attorney changes from inactive to active status, they must complete 3 hours (including 1 ethics) within three months of electing active status.
• Credits must be self-certified annually; records are subject to audit for the prior three reporting periods.
• There is no statutory or regulatory text indicating a reduced requirement for attorneys practicing part-time.

Key Takeaway: Part-time status carries no special CLE relief in Hawaii — all active attorneys are held to the same 3-credit annual requirement (with ethics every 3 years).