What are the CLE requirements for inactive attorneys in Hawaii?

No — Hawaii does not explicitly permit late CLE reporting under its rules; attorneys must certify CLE compliance via annual registration and, if noncompliant, cure within a short “grace period” or face suspension. RSCH Rule 22 provides for good-cause modification or exemption but does not create a general late-reporting path.

Details under Hawaii’s CLE / MCLE framework:

• Active members must complete 3 CLE credit hours (including 1 ethics every three years) by December 31 of each reporting year.
• Attorneys certify compliance via their annual registration (due after year-end).
• The MCLE FAQs state that if an attorney fails to complete CLE in time or falsely certifies, they will receive a notice with a short grace period and a late compliance fee, with possible administrative suspension if not remedied.
• An attorney suspended for noncompliance must submit proof of completed CLE plus pay the late compliance fee and any reinstatement fees to regain active status.
• Rule 22 also allows a member to apply for good-cause exemption or modification of CLE obligations due to illness, disability, or extraordinary hardship.

Key Takeaway
In Hawaii, there is no open-ended mechanism to report CLE late; instead, noncompliant attorneys must act during the grace period, pay fees, or seek a good-cause modification to avoid suspension.

Yes — Hawaii requires full-time state judges to undertake a separate judicial education obligation in addition to the usual attorney CLE regime.

In Hawaii, full-time state judges must participate in a judicial education program approved by the Committee on Judicial Education; those hours may also count toward the standard CLE requirement for attorneys. (RSCH Rule 22(h))

RSCH Rule 22(h) exempts full-time federal judges, magistrate judges, bankruptcy judges, U.S. Court of Federal Claims judges, and administrative law judges from CLE, but mandates that full-time state judges attend at least 3 hours of approved judicial education annually.

Key Takeaway: Judges in Hawaii must meet a separate judicial education requirement (minimum 3 hours annually) under Rule 22(h), which is distinct from but may overlap with the attorney CLE obligation.

Attorneys in Hawaii self-report CLE by certifying their credit hours on the annual attorney registration form; they do not submit certificates routinely.

Key Details:

• Under RSCH Rule 22, active members must complete at least 3 CLE credit hours per calendar year.
• There is no requirement to file certificates with the Bar unless requested for an audit or status change.
• The certification occurs on the annual registration statement (reporting deadline is January 31 following December 31).
• Attorneys must keep certificates and logs for three reporting periods in case of audit.

Key Takeaway: In Hawaii, CLE reporting is self-certified via the annual registration form, and attorneys retain records rather than submitting each certificate.

No — Hawaii’s CLE rules do not differentiate based on part-time vs full-time status; all active attorneys must satisfy the same requirement (unless exempt).

Under RSCH Rule 22, active members must complete at least 3 CLE credit hours per calendar year, and at least once every three years they must include 1 credit hour of ethics or professional responsibility.

Details:

• The CLE cycle is each calendar year (January 1 through December 31).
• New admittees are exempt for the year of admission.
• If an attorney changes from inactive to active status, they must complete 3 hours (including 1 ethics) within three months of electing active status.
• Credits must be self-certified annually; records are subject to audit for the prior three reporting periods.
• There is no statutory or regulatory text indicating a reduced requirement for attorneys practicing part-time.

Key Takeaway: Part-time status carries no special CLE relief in Hawaii — all active attorneys are held to the same 3-credit annual requirement (with ethics every 3 years).

There is no formal grace period in Hawaii beyond the December 31 compliance deadline — attorneys must complete and report CLE by year-end. Noncompliance triggers a certified notice and potential suspension under RSCH Rule 22.

Hawaii CLE Requirements & Reporting

• December 31: Deadline to complete all required CLE credits.
• Reporting is done via the attorney registration form, certified at that time.

Enforcement & Noncompliance Procedure

• Within 60 days after the registration deadline, the HSBA sends a certified notice of noncompliance to attorneys who failed to meet CLE requirements.
• Recipients of the notice have 15 days to submit proof, contest it, or resign their license.
• Failure to respond or comply leads to automatic administrative suspension until full compliance and proof are accepted.

Key Takeaway: Hawaii requires CLE compliance by December 31 with no additional grace period; noncompliance leads to a formal notice and possible suspension under Rule 22.

No — Hawaii does not offer a system for directly submitting CLE credits online; instead attorneys self-report CLE compliance via the annual attorney registration form.

Hawaii requires active attorneys to claim their CLE hours on their registration and retain supporting records in case of audit. ([hsba.org](https://hsba.org/HSBA_2020/Events_Programs/MCLE/MCLE_FAQs.aspx))

Details:

• The MCLE requirement is 3 credit hours per year, with 1 ethics/ professional responsibility credit every three years.
• Attorneys certify compliance with the CLE requirement when completing their annual Bar registration.
• CLE providers (for approved programs) may report attendance to the Bar, but this does not replace your registration-based compliance certification.
• You must maintain your own records (such as certificates) for the last three reporting periods in case of a CLE audit.
• The compliance and reporting deadline is December 31 of each year.

Key Takeaway:
Hawaii does not allow a standalone online CLE submission — you fulfill CLE compliance by certifying your CLE hours on the annual registration, and you must maintain supporting documentation for audit.