What are the CLE requirements for inactive attorneys in Minnesota?

Yes — Minnesota permits you to request a “credit deadline extension” if you cannot finish CLE by the August 31 reporting deadline, but you’ll still owe the late-filing fee and must show a plan for completion.

The Minnesota CLE rules allow attorneys to complete missing credits during July–August (without a formal extension) or formally request extra time via their OASIS account or in writing.

Detailed Explanation

• Minnesota attorneys must report CLE compliance by August 31 following the end of the reporting period.
• The rules allow completion of CLE courses from July 1 through August 31 even if they fall after the formal period, without requesting an extension.
• If you still cannot finish by August 31, you may request a credit deadline extension:
    • Via your OASIS account (under “Request Credit Deadline Extension”)
    • Or in writing to the Board office
• Even with extension approval, you will incur a $75 late fee.
• If requesting extension after December 31, you must also submit a detailed plan; otherwise, extension may be limited to December 31.
• During the extension period, your license remains in good standing so long as the request is approved.

Key Takeaway

Yes — you can request a credit deadline extension in Minnesota, but only under limited conditions, and you still must pay the $75 late fee and submit a plan if asked.

Yes — under Minnesota’s CLE rules, lawyers may elect a “restricted status” (aka partially nonpracticing) in which they are exempt from fulfilling CLE obligations, so long as they do not practice law in the state.

In Minnesota, active-status lawyers must comply with CLE rules, but a lawyer in restricted status is relieved from the educational and reporting requirements.

Minnesota’s CLE “grace period” allows attorneys to complete missing credits between July 1 and August 31 and report them by August 31 — with no formal extension required. The compliance deadline is June 30 of the reporting period, but the rules permit post-deadline CLE through August 31 before late fees apply.

Key Facts & Process

• Compliance must be earned by June 30 each reporting cycle.
• Attorneys may continue taking courses and accrue credits during July and August.
• Reporting is due by August 31 via the OASIS portal or affidavit.
• A $75 late fee is assessed if reporting occurs after August 31, even if an extension was approved.
• Attorneys can request a formal extension through OASIS or by writing to the CLE Board, though the late fee still applies.

Key Takeaway: Minnesota permits a built-in post-deadline window until August 31 to complete and report CLE; attorneys who miss that date face a $75 late fee and may seek a formal extension during that period.

No — Minnesota’s CLE rules treat all active attorneys the same; there is no special reduction or alternative for part-time status.

Minnesota requires active attorneys to complete at least 45 CLE credit hours in each three-year reporting period, including minimum credits in ethics, elimination of bias, and mental health/substance use.

Details:

• Of the 45 required credits, at least 3 must be in ethics or professional responsibility; at least 2 in elimination of bias; and at least 1 in mental health/substance use.
• On-demand (self-study) credits were capped (30 credits) for courses reported before January 1, 2024, but that cap no longer applies for credits reported in reporting periods beginning in 2024 or later.
• Attorneys are grouped into reporting categories (Category 1, 2, or 3) for CLE scheduling and deadlines.
• If a lawyer elects restricted or emeritus status, different rules apply, but those are status-based, not workload-based.

Key Takeaway: Being part-time does not reduce or change Minnesota’s CLE obligations — all active attorneys are held to the same 45-credit, three-year requirement regardless of how much they practice.

No — judges in Minnesota do not have a separate CLE requirement apart from the state’s attorney CLE system.

Judges, like all active attorneys, are subject to Minnesota’s mandatory CLE rules under the Board of Continuing Legal Education; there is no distinct judicial-only continuing education mandate.

Details

• Minnesota law imposes CLE on licensed attorneys — 45 approved credit hours every three years, including credits in ethics, elimination of bias, and mental health/substance use.
• The Minnesota Judicial Branch’s “Lawyer & Judge Regulation” materials indicate that all attorneys (which includes judges) are required to comply with CLE.
• The official Rules of the Board of Continuing Legal Education make no carve-out or separate rule for judges.

Key Takeaway

In Minnesota, judges are governed by the same CLE obligations as other attorneys — there is no special judicial CLE program or separate credit requirement.