How many CLE hours are required every reporting cycle in Nebraska?

In Nebraska, CLE credits are reported as soon as they are earned: accredited providers must submit attendance after each educational activity.

The formal certification/reporting window opens on December 1 of each year. Attorneys may submit their Annual CLE Report beginning December 1 and must complete it by January 20 following the compliance year.

Key Details

• Nebraska attorneys must complete 10 CLE hours per year, including 2 in professional responsibility.
• Accredited providers are required to report attendance after each program.
• The reporting system (online MCLE portal) becomes active December 1 for the past year’s credits.
• The deadline for attorneys to file the Annual CLE Report is January 20.
• Attorneys are discouraged from submitting the Report too early (before December 1) because any later credits will not count once the report is filed.
• Excess CLE hours may carry over (within limits), but professional responsibility credits may not.
• Sprout Education ensures timely reporting of your earned credits so they appear in the portal when your reporting window opens.

Key Takeaway
In Nebraska, you can start reporting earned CLE credits immediately (via provider submissions), and the formal reporting period for attorneys opens December 1, with the Annual CLE Report due by January 20.

If you miss Nebraska’s CLE deadline, you face formal noncompliance proceedings that can result in suspension if not cured. Nebraska attorneys must complete 10 CLE credits each year (including 2 in professional responsibility) by December 31 and file a compliance report by January 20.

Nebraska CLE Deadline & Reporting

• December 31: Final date to complete required credits for the year.
• January 20: Deadline to submit the annual CLE compliance report.

Sanctions Under Rule 3-401.11

• The Director issues a notice of noncompliance if CLE requirements are not met or the report is missing.
• You have 45 days from notice to provide proof of compliance, submit corrections, or pay fees.
• If you fail to cure within 45 days, a statement of noncompliance is submitted, and the Supreme Court may suspend your license until full compliance is achieved.

Key Takeaway: In Nebraska, missing the CLE deadline triggers a formal process with a 45-day cure period. If you do not resolve the deficiency, the Supreme Court can suspend your license to practice law.

In Nebraska, attorneys may apply for an extension of up to six months beyond the calendar year’s end when they cannot meet CLE requirements. This serves as a built-in “grace window” for extenuating circumstances.

Extension Rule & Conditions

• Must file extension request with the Director by December 1 of the reporting year.
• Extension may last no more than six months after the year ends.
• Eligible circumstances include disability, hardship, or other extenuating factors; “press of business” is explicitly excluded.

Key Takeaway: Nebraska doesn’t offer a free pause — but attorneys can seek a six-month extension past year’s end by applying by December 1 for qualifying reasons.

In Nebraska, approved CLE credit includes live attendance, distance learning, teaching, in-house programs, and other educational activities, subject to rules and caps.

The Nebraska Supreme Court Rule § 3-401.4 sets the types of qualifying CLE and limits for carryover and distance learning.

Qualifying CLE activities

• Attendance at accredited live or interactive programs hosted by accredited sponsors—must be reported by the sponsor.
• Distance learning (computer-based, online, prerecorded) programs, up to 5 credit hours annually.
• Teaching or presenting at approved CLE events (limited credit for teaching time).
• In-house CLE programs (for a lawyer’s employer) offered by qualified providers, subject to a cap.
• Attendance at educational activities not already approved (attorney may apply for credit for those).

Limits, special rules & carryover

• Total requirement = 10 CLE hours per calendar year, including 2 hours in ethics.
• Only 5 hours may come from distance learning in a year.
• Carryover: credits in excess of 10 may be carried into the next year, limited to 5 hours. Professional responsibility / ethics credit may not be carried over.
• Credits must be reported via the MCLE online system by January 20 following the calendar year.
• New attorneys are exempt in the calendar year of admission and become subject the following year.

Key Takeaway: In Nebraska, live programs, limited distance learning, teaching, in-house programs, and submitted educational activities qualify for CLE credit—10 hours total with 2 ethics, distance cap, and up to 5 hours carryover (excluding ethics) under Rule § 3-401.4.

Yes — Nebraska permits carryover of excess CLE credits, but under specific limits and conditions.

Under Nebraska Supreme Court Rule 3-401.4, attorneys may carry over excess hours, but professional responsibility (ethics) credits cannot carry over.

Details & nuances

• For CLE credits earned on or before December 31, 2023: only in-person credits in excess of the 10-hour requirement could carry over, up to a maximum of 5 hours, and ethics credits were excluded. (§ 3-401.4(C))
• Effective January 1, 2024 and thereafter: attorneys may carry over excess CLE credits (in-person or distance learning), so long as carryover does not exceed the next year’s full requirement (10 hours). (§ 3-401.4(D))
• Carried credits must retain their original class type (in-person or distance learning). (§ 3-401.4(D))
• Ethics (professional responsibility) credits remain an annual requirement and do not roll over. (§ 3-401.4(C), (D))
• A rule change announcement by the Nebraska State Bar emphasizes that up to 10 hours may be carried over (post-2024), including up to 5 hours of distance learning (subject to limitations).

Key Takeaway

Nebraska allows carryover of excess CLE credits (excluding ethics) under a cap: historically up to 5 in-person hours, but from 2024 forward up to the full 10-hour requirement (with class-type retention) may be carried into the next year.

Yes — Nebraska requires that at least 5 of the 10 annual CLE credits be earned through live in-person programs. The remainder (up to 5 credits) may be satisfied through approved distance-learning or online methods.

Nebraska CLE Requirements

• Total requirement: 10 credit hours per calendar year, including 2 in professional responsibility.
• Live in-person requirement: At least 5 credits must come from live in-person programs.
• Online allowance: Up to 5 credits may be earned by computer-based/distance learning, subject to approval.
• Carryover rules: Carryover of excess credits is permitted only for live in-person credits (not for ethics or distance learning credits).

Key Takeaway: In Nebraska, a minimum of 5 CLE hours each year must be live and in-person; only half of the total CLE requirement may be satisfied via distance-learning formats.