What are the CLE requirements for inactive attorneys in Vermont?

Yes — Vermont permits carryover of CLE credits, but only those earned in the second year of a biennial cycle.
Under Vermont’s MCLE Rules, credits earned in Year 2 that exceed the required total may roll into the next cycle; credits from Year 1 may not carry over.

Details & nuances

• Vermont’s “Rules for Mandatory Continuing Legal Education” do not explicitly state the carryover rule in the published text, but Vermont CLE policy summaries confirm: “Credits may be carried over from the second year of an attorney’s reporting period.”
• Vermont requires 24 credit hours every two years, including at least 2 ethics, 1 wellness, and 1 diversity & inclusion credit.
• The carryover only applies to credits earned in the second year (i.e. after satisfying the first year’s requirement).
• Vermont Bar Association’s CLE tracking and policy pages mention the carryover practice via their CLE tracking tools.

Key Takeaway
Vermont allows carryover only for excess CLE earned in the second year of a two-year cycle — first-year credits never carry forward.

Vermont allows a grace period until November 15 for attorneys who miss the June 30 CLE deadline, during which they must complete a Makeup Plan and file proof of compliance.

Vermont CLE Deadlines & Grace Period

• June 30: Deadline to complete required credits and certify compliance.
• November 15: Final date to complete the approved Makeup Plan and submit certification.

Makeup Plan & Suspension Risk

• If you miss the June 30 deadline, you must submit a Makeup Plan and pay a $50 plan fee.
• You must complete the deficiency and file certification by November 15.
• Failure to comply by November 15 may lead to administrative suspension until full compliance is shown.

Key Takeaway: Vermont gives attorneys until November 15 to cure CLE deficiencies under a Makeup Plan — that is the functional grace window beyond the standard reporting deadline.

Yes — Vermont requires that most CLE credits be earned through live or interactive formats. Attorneys must complete 24 CLE hours every two years, of which at least 18 must be from moderated or interactive programming (in person, webcast, teleseminar); only up to 6 may be non-moderated/self-study.

Vermont CLE Format Requirements

• Total requirement: 24 credit hours every two years, including 2 in ethics, 1 in attorney wellness, and 1 in diversity & inclusion.
• Live/interactive minimum: At least 18 hours must be “moderated programming or non-moderated programming with interactivity as a key component” (this includes in-person, live webinars, teleseminars).
• Non-interactive cap: Up to 6 hours may be non-moderated programming without interactivity (i.e. pure self-study).
• First-year attorneys: Of the 15 CLE hours required for new admittees, at least 9 must be from moderated or interactive formats.

Key Takeaway: In Vermont, attorneys cannot satisfy the majority of CLE by pure self-study — at least 18 of 24 hours must be earned via live or interactive formats (which include in-person or live webcast).

No — Vermont does not impose a separate mandatory continuing education requirement exclusively for judges; judges (in most cases) are either exempt or covered under the same MCLE rules as attorneys.

Under Vermont’s MCLE framework, judges and inactive attorneys are not required to comply with the standard CLE obligations.

Details

• Vermont’s Mandatory Continuing Legal Education rules explicitly state that “attorneys on judicial and inactive status are not subject to MCLE requirements.”
• The Rules for Mandatory Continuing Legal Education govern CLE for attorneys generally, with no separate judicial-only section.
• Vermont statute imposes a training responsibility on assistant judges, requiring that they “identify … training needs … and design, organize, and implement training … including training required by law.”

Key Takeaway

In Vermont, judges are generally exempt from MCLE, and there is no distinct mandatory CLE regime for judicial officers — aside from local training obligations for certain judicial roles such as assistant judges.

Vermont attorneys must complete 24 CLE credit hours every two years, including 2 hours in ethics, 1 hour in attorney wellness, and 1 hour in diversity & inclusion.

In their first year, newly admitted Vermont lawyers also must complete 15 credits in Vermont practice & procedure by the end of that year (some may be counted toward the general 24-hour requirement).

Details

• Reporting period: 2 years, ending June 30.
• Specialty credits: 2 hours in ethics; 1 hour in wellness; 1 hour in diversity/inclusion.
• Moderated / interactive requirement: At least 12 credits must be from programs that are moderated or include interactivity.
• Carryover: Credits earned in the second year of the reporting period may carry over.
• First-year requirement: Newly admitted attorneys must complete 15 hours on Vermont practice/procedure within one year of admission; at least 9 of those must come from moderated or interactive programs.

Key Takeaway: Vermont requires 24 CLE hours biennially, with core ethics, wellness, and diversity requirements, interactive content minimums, and a special 15-hour requirement in the first year for new lawyers.

In Vermont, attorneys earn CLE credit through Board-approved educational programming, writing, service, and self-study under Vermont’s MCLE rules.

The requirement is 24 credit hours every two years, including mandated hours in ethics, wellness, and diversity/inclusion, and a required portion must be “moderated” (interactive) programming.

Qualifying CLE activities

• Attendance at moderated programming — in-person, live webinars, teleconferences, or other courses with real-time interaction.
• Non-moderated programming that includes interactivity as a key component (e.g. on-demand courses with quizzes, live Q&A, or interactive elements).
• Teaching, lecturing, or presenting in accredited CLE programs (when approved).
• Authorship of approved legal writings or educational materials (when certified).
• Service in CLE-related roles (e.g. serving on the Board of Bar Examiners) may yield credit.
• Out-of-state CLE, when it meets Vermont’s accreditation and interactivity standards.

Mandatory credit allocations & format rules

• At least 2 hours must be in legal ethics.
• 1 hour in attorney wellness.
• 1 hour in diversity and inclusion.
• 12 of the 24 hours must be earned via moderated programming or programming with interactivity as a key component.
• The other 12 hours may be from non-moderated, interactive self-study formats (approved) or the teaching/writing/service credit types.
• All 24 credit hours may be satisfied through online or web formats, as long as they comply with moderation/interactivity rules.

Special requirement for newly admitted attorneys

• Within one year of admission, new attorneys must complete 15 hours of CLE on Vermont practice and procedure, with at least 6 hours via live/moderated programming.
• These 15 hours count toward the 24-hour biennial CLE requirement in the first reporting period.

Key Takeaway: In Vermont, you can count moderated live coursework, interactive self-study, teaching, writing, service, and out-of-state CLE (if approved)—so long as you satisfy required ethics, wellness, and diversity credits, and ensure at least half your credits come from interactive/moderated programming in each two-year cycle.