Yes — Oklahoma imposes a separate Mandatory Judicial Continuing Legal Education (MJCLE) requirement for judges, in addition to the CLE rule for attorneys.
Judges of district courts, appellate courts, the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and certain others must complete 12 hours of approved judicial education annually.
Details
- Under the “Rules for Mandatory Judicial Continuing Legal Education,” all judges of the Oklahoma District Courts, Court of Civil Appeals, Court of Criminal Appeals, and Justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court must complete at least 12 hours annually of MJCLE.
- Generally up to 6 hours of the MJCLE requirement may be satisfied via general CLE programs; the remainder must be in judicially focused courses approved by the Administrative Office of the Courts or by the Chief Justice.
- Municipal judges (especially non-lawyer municipal judges) have a certification/education requirement tied to municipal court training: a municipal judge must complete 12 hours of OBA-approved CLE (covering municipal court law, evidence, criminal and indigency hearings, etc.) under forthcoming certification requirements effective July 1, 2026.
- The Oklahoma Bar’s MCLE rules for attorneys require 12 hours annually, including 2 hours in ethics.
- Judges who are prohibited from private practice of law (i.e. full-time judges) are exempt from the attorney CLE obligation under the MCLE rules.
Key Takeaway
Judges in Oklahoma must satisfy a dedicated MJCLE regime (12 hours annually, with judicial subject matter requirements), distinct from but partly overlapping with the attorney CLE rules.
