Yes — Arizona does impose a separate continuing education requirement for judges, distinct from the attorney CLE regime.
Under Arizona law and court rules, judges (termed “judicial members”) are exempted from the State Bar’s mandatory CLE program and instead must satisfy judicial education through COJET (Council on Judicial Education and Training).
Meanwhile, active attorneys must complete 15 CLE hours per year under Rule 45, of which 3 hours must be in professional responsibility.
Details
- Under Rule 45, “judicial members” (full-time appellate, superior, and limited jurisdiction judges) are not considered “active members” of the bar and thus are exempt from the CLE requirements applicable to attorneys; instead COJET governs their continuing judicial education.
- COJET requires each judicial branch member to complete a minimum number of continuing judicial branch education hours (often cited as 16 hours per year) in programs accredited by COJET.
- Judges may receive COJET credit for programs that also count toward attorney CLE, but the obligation is structurally separate and enforced through the judicial branch education system.
- In some local jurisdictions, part-time or pro tempore judges (e.g. in certain superior courts) are required to complete a smaller number of judicial education hours (e.g. 8 hours per year) including ethics.
Key Takeaway: Judges in Arizona are governed by a distinct judicial education regime via COJET, not by the CLE rules for attorneys.