Are any attorneys exempt from CLE in Maryland?

There is no CLE deadline in Maryland because CLE is not mandatory in that jurisdiction. Attorneys in Maryland are not required to complete or report CLE hours under the current rules.

Key Takeaway: Maryland is a “hold-out” state — missing a CLE deadline has no consequence because no such deadline exists.

Maryland attorneys currently have no mandatory CLE requirement.

There is no set number of CLE credits attorneys must complete, although the Supreme Court of Maryland is considering a future rule that could establish a requirement as early as 2026.

Details

• No mandatory CLE system is in place as of 2025.

• Attorneys may voluntarily take CLE programs to maintain competence under professional conduct obligations.

• A proposed framework under review would require 12 hours annually, including ethics, diversity/inclusion, and mental health components, but it has not been adopted.

• Any mandatory CLE program will not take effect before spring 2026.

Key Takeaway: Maryland attorneys are not currently required to complete CLE credits, though a mandatory program may be implemented in the coming years.

No — Maryland has no mandatory CLE regime, so it imposes no in-person or “live” minimum requirements.

Because CLE is not required, there is currently no rule demanding classroom attendance or any specific format thresholds.

Details

• Maryland is one of a small number of states without a compulsory MCLE requirement for attorneys.
• A work group convened by the Maryland Supreme Court recommended adoption of a 12-hour annual CLE mandate (with content rules), but the court has postponed implementing mandatory CLE.
• Until (and unless) mandatory CLE is adopted, all CLE participation in Maryland is voluntary, and there is no regulatory distinction or requirement for in-person delivery.

Key Takeaway

Maryland does not require any minimum in-person CLE hours because it does not yet mandate CLE at all — no format requirements apply in a voluntary system.

Maryland does not currently require attorneys to report CLE because the state has no mandatory CLE rule in force. Attorneys have no ongoing CLE reporting obligation.

Key Details:

• Maryland has no active statutory or rule-based CLE requirement for full compliance for all attorneys.
• A workgroup has proposed introducing mandatory CLE, but as of now it remains only a recommendation, not adopted.
• Because there is no CLE mandate, there is no format (portal, affidavit, transcript) for CLE reporting in Maryland.

Key Takeaway: In Maryland, there is no CLE reporting format because mandatory CLE has not been adopted.

No — you cannot request an extension for CLE reporting in Maryland because Maryland does not currently have a mandatory CLE (MCLE) requirement for attorneys, so there is no reporting deadline or extension mechanism to begin with.

Because Maryland is one of a few jurisdictions without required CLE obligations, the issue of extending CLE reporting does not arise under the current rules.

Detailed Explanation

• Maryland attorneys are not required to complete CLE or report CLE to retain their licenses.
• A workgroup was formed and has recommended adoption of a mandatory CLE regime, but as of now it remains only a proposal and has not been adopted.
• Because there is no CLE reporting requirement in force, there is no regulatory framework governing extensions, deadlines, or late compliance for CLE in Maryland.

Key Takeaway
Since Maryland does not yet impose CLE or CLE reporting requirements, there is no extension process to request under current law.

No — Maryland currently has no mandatory CLE regime, so there is no distinction between part-time and full-time attorneys in CLE obligations.

Maryland remains one of the few U.S. jurisdictions without a requirement for attorneys to complete continuing legal education.

Details:

• In 2022, a state workgroup proposed a future CLE mandate requiring 12 credits per year (including ethics, DEI, mental health), but that is only a proposal and has not been adopted.
• Because CLE is voluntary under current rules, there is no differentiation of obligations based on practice intensity or status.
• Once (if) a mandatory CLE rule is adopted, distinctions or exemptions (e.g. for inactive status) might be considered, but none exists today.

Key Takeaway: In Maryland, CLE is optional at present — there is no part-time vs full-time distinction because no mandatory CLE requirement yet exists.