Do CLE requirements differ for part-time vs full-time attorneys in Mississippi?

Yes — Mississippi allows carryover of CLE credits, but with limits and restrictions.

The Mississippi CLE Commission’s FAQ and Rule provisions permit up to 12 credits to be carried into the next reporting period; ethics credits carried over count only as general credits.

Details & nuances

• The Mississippi CLE FAQ notes: “12.00 CLE credits may be carried over to the next reporting period.” ([courts.ms.gov](https://courts.ms.gov/cle_bccr/clefaq.php))
• The FAQ further states that “Excess ethics/professionalism credits carry over as general CLE credits and do not satisfy the ethics/professionalism requirement for the following reporting period.” ([courts.ms.gov](https://courts.ms.gov/cle_bccr/clefaq.php))
• For newly admitted attorneys, additional CLE credits earned by the end of the second CLE year after admission may be carried over. ([nbi-sems.com](https://nbi-sems.com/pages/mississippiclerequirements?srsltid=AfmBOooSvrquIfrq2UUa1Jw83l3owIKSaIJ42tjVxii2WB0a1wIKSaIJ42tjVxii2WB0a1wIKSaIJ42tjVxii2WB0a), [lawline.com](https://www.lawline.com/requirements/cle/mississippi/newly-admitted))
• Mississippi’s CLE Rules (Regulations 3.3, 4.9, 4.10) reference carryover credits in the regulatory scheme. ([courts.ms.gov](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/continuing_legal_education.pdf))
• The standard CLE requirement is 12 credits per year, including 1 in ethics/professionalism. ([courts.ms.gov](https://courts.ms.gov/cle_bccr/clefaq.php), [americanbar.org](https://www.americanbar.org/events-cle/mcle/jurisdiction/mississippi/))

Key Takeaway

Mississippi permits you to carry over up to 12 CLE credits into the next year, but carried ethics/professionalism credits count only as general credits — not toward the specific ethics requirement.

In Mississippi, you can report CLE credits only after the annual compliance period ends on July 31. The reporting (filing) window opens thereafter; your Annual Report Statement must be submitted by August 15.

You cannot formally file or certify credits mid-year. During the year, CLE hours accrue, and providers may already report attendance, but your self-reporting occurs only in August following the July 31 deadline.

Key Details

• Mississippi requires 12 CLE credit hours per year, including 1 hour in ethics/professionalism.
• Credits must be earned by July 31 of each year.
• The Annual Report Statement is mailed in June, and attorneys add any later CLE earned before August 15.
• All CLE must be reported by August 15 following the completion date.
• Providers may submit attendance records as courses are completed, but these do not substitute for your Annual Report filing.
• Sprout Education (as a provider) ensures your earned credits are timely reported so they appear on your report when you file in August.

Key Takeaway
In Mississippi, “reporting” CLE credits in a compliance sense begins only after July 31, with attorneys filing the Annual Report by August 15 — you cannot formally report credits early during the year.

Mississippi attorneys report CLE by submitting an Annual Report Statement to the Mississippi Commission on Continuing Legal Education by August 15 following the July 31 compliance deadline. Sponsors and providers may also submit attendance data, but the formal report is handled through the mailed or portal-based Annual Report.

Key Details:

• The compliance period ends July 31, and the report deadline is August 15.
• The Commission mails the Annual Report Statement to attorneys in June; attorneys add any missing credits and submit the final form.
• Attorneys retain their CLE certificates and logs in case of audit.

Key Takeaway: In Mississippi, CLE is reported via an Annual Report Statement due August 15, with the compliance period ending July 31.

Yes — judges in Mississippi are required to comply with Mandatory Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) rules, distinct from the CLE requirements for attorneys.

The state’s Rules and Regulations for Mandatory Continuing Judicial Education impose annual judicial credit minimums that apply in addition to attorney CLE rules.

Details

• The CJE rules require each judge to complete 12 hours of approved judicial education credit annually, including 1 hour in legal ethics / professional responsibility.
• Those rules are part of the “Mandatory Rules Governing Continuing Judicial Education” adopted by the Mississippi Supreme Court.
• For attorneys, Mississippi separately enforces a mandatory CLE requirement of 12 hours per year, including 1 hour in ethics / professionalism.
• Some judicial education duties for justice court judges are codified in statute: justice court judges must complete 24 hours of continuing education as part of their basic/continuing education program.
• The Mississippi Judicial College provides the infrastructure for training judges across court levels.

Key Takeaway

Judges in Mississippi must fulfill a separate continuing judicial education mandate (12 hours annually plus a specialized justice court requirement), in addition to whatever obligations apply under the attorney CLE rules.

In Mississippi, CLE credit counts when the activity is approved under the Rules and Regulations for Mandatory CLE—approved live programs, distance learning (within limits), teaching, writing, law-school courses, and service roles.

Each active attorney must complete 12 credit hours per calendar year, including at least 1 hour of ethics.

Qualified CLE activities

• Attendance at approved live in-person CLE programs.
• Distance learning (online, webinars, teleconferences, video replay) courses, subject to a 6-hour cap per year.
• Teaching or presenting approved CLE programs, with differing credit multipliers depending on depth of materials and format.
• Authorship of legal articles in recognized legal journals or law school publications.
• Enrollment in law school courses (ABA or AALS accredited), whether for credit or audit.
• Service roles: serving as a bar examiner, committee member (e.g. Ethics Committee), Supreme Court advisory committees, or grading bar exams, up to specified annual caps.

Limits, rules & special requirements

• Distance learning is capped at 6 hours per year (including the required ethics hour).
• Repeat presentations count for only half credit in the same calendar year.
• If a presenter is compensated (beyond reimbursement of necessary expenses), teaching credit is disallowed under certain rules.
• For newly admitted attorneys: they must complete a 12-hour “New Lawyer Program” (6 basic skills + 6 ethics/professionalism) by the second July 31 after admission; completion counts toward their first two years.
• Exemptions: attorneys over age 70, state/federal judges, nonpracticing licensees, nonresidents not practicing in Mississippi, and active military are exempt.
• Reporting: attorneys must report credits via the annual CLE report; noncompliance can lead to show-cause notices and potential suspension.

Key Takeaway: Approved live CLE, allowed distance learning (up to 6 hours), teaching, writing, law-school coursework, and limited service roles count toward Mississippi’s 12-credit requirement—subject to rules on caps, repeat credit, compensation limits, and exemption provisions.

Yes, attorneys in Mississippi may request an extension for CLE reporting if they face hardship or extenuating circumstances. The Mississippi CLE Commission has authority to grant extensions, partial waivers, or substituted compliance upon written application.

Deadlines & Reporting in Mississippi

• CLE credits must be earned by July 31 each year.
• The CLE Annual Report must be filed by August 15.
• Mississippi CLE Rule 3.5 specifically allows exceptions for hardship.

Extension and Hardship Authority

• Rule 3.5 authorizes the Commission to approve substituted compliance, partial waivers, or exemptions for hardship or extenuating circumstances.
• A 2022 Mississippi Supreme Court order confirmed that attorneys unable to comply may seek a hardship exemption or extension from the Commission.

Steps to Request an Extension

1. Draft a written request describing the hardship or extenuating circumstance.
2. Submit the request to the Mississippi Commission on Continuing Legal Education.
3. Specify the relief requested (time extension, waiver, substituted compliance).
4. File the request as early as possible, preferably before the deadline.
5. Provide documentation if requested (such as medical records or proof of hardship).

Limitations

• Relief is discretionary and not guaranteed.
• The rules do not define a maximum extension length.
• Attorneys remain obligated to comply unless the Commission grants the request.
• Requests must be directed to the CLE Commission, not the Bar Association.

Key Takeaway
Mississippi attorneys can request an extension or waiver for CLE reporting by submitting a documented hardship application to the CLE Commission, but approval is discretionary and must be sought promptly.