In Oregon, CLE credit counts when earned from accredited continuing legal education activities as defined by the Oregon State Bar’s MCLE rules (Rules of Licensure Ch. 8).
Attorneys must complete 45 MCLE credits every 3 years, including required hours in ethics, child abuse/elder abuse reporting, mental health/substance use, and periodic access-to-justice training.
Approved activities that count
- Attendance at Bar-accredited CLE programs: live, webinars, teleconferences, and recorded formats (no cap on distance learning).
- University or law-school courses: credit awarded at the rate of 1 CEH per 50-minute class period or via semester/quarter conversion when preapproved.
- Teaching, writing, or service credit: subject to caps, under Category II credit (e.g. teaching CLE, serving on bar committees, pro tem judging).
- Programs with content in required subject areas (ethics, child/elder abuse reporting, mental health/substance use, access to justice) count toward those mandates.
Limits, special requirements & carryover
- At least 5 credits must be in ethics per reporting period.
- At least 1 credit must cover the statutory duty to report child abuse and elder abuse.
- At least 1 credit must address mental health, substance abuse, or cognitive impairment.
- In alternate reporting periods, attorneys must complete 3 hours of access-to-justice (elimination of bias / public service) programming.
- There is no limit on the number of credits earned via distance learning (recorded or live web formats).
- Carryover: up to 15 excess credits may be carried forward to the next cycle; of those, up to 6 ethics credits can count toward the next cycle’s ethics requirement.
- Newly admitted attorneys have a special requirement in their first reporting period: 15 credits, including 9 practical skills (4 in Oregon practice and procedure), 2 ethics (1 Oregon-specific), 1 mental health/substance use, and a 3-credit introductory access-to-justice course.
- Credit is computed per 50-minute instruction period (often converted to 1 CEH).
- Courses or activities (workshops, volunteer roles, independent education) not fitting standard formats must be preapproved by the bar for credit.
Key Takeaway: In Oregon, attorneys earn CLE via accredited live or recorded programs, university courses, teaching, writing, and service—subject to required credit allocations in ethics, abuse reporting, mental health, and access to justice—with full allowance for online learning and limited carryover.