What happens if I miss the CLE deadline in Maine?

Yes — in Maine, you can submit certain CLE credits online (or electronically), but only under certain conditions.

The general rule is that sponsors report live course attendance; attorneys may self-report self-study and non-accredited course credits in some cases.

Details:

• Under Maine Bar Rule 5(k)(1), sponsors of accredited programs must submit attendance rosters to the Board no later than 30 days after the program.
• According to Maine’s CLE FAQ, “generally, you don’t” need to submit your certificate from a live course — the sponsor does it.
• But for self-study courses, you must send your certificate of completion to the Board (via email or mail).
• If you attend a live program that was not previously approved, you may need to self-apply for accreditation and submit the certificate yourself within 60 days.
• The Maine CLE system (MyCLEAccess / MECLE) allows attorneys to track credits, but the reporting of live program attendance is handled by sponsors.

Key Takeaway
You cannot always submit all CLE credits online by yourself in Maine; sponsors must report live program attendance, but you may self-report self-study or unaccredited courses (within prescribed deadlines).

Yes — Maine law (via the Bar Rules / CLE rules) provides for a number of explicit exemptions from the CLE requirement for certain categories of attorneys, and allows discretionary exemptions upon showing hardship.

In Maine, Rule 5(d) lists attorneys exempted (e.g. judges, law professors, emeritus, nonresidents, elderly non-full-time practitioners, new admittees), and the CLE Committee may grant exemptions or reductions for good cause.

Details / Exceptions

• The following are explicitly exempt under Rule 5(d):
  
  • Full-time judges in any state, federal, or tribal court
  
  • Active retired state court judges and senior status federal court judges
  
  • Full-time law school teachers at ABA-approved schools
  
  • Members of the U.S. armed forces on active duty outside Maine
  
  • Residents of another country unless actively practicing law in Maine
  
  • Attorneys age 65 or older with ≥ 40 years of practice who are not engaged in full-time practice
  
  • Legislators / U.S. Congress members
  
  • Maine-licensed attorneys who maintain their principal office in another jurisdiction and comply with that jurisdiction’s CLE requirement
  
  • Nonresident attorneys admitted pro hac vice in Maine
  
  • Attorneys serving as judicial law clerks
  
  • Emeritus attorneys
  
  • Attorneys admitted for less than three months in the year
• New admittee exemption: An attorney admitted in Maine who completes the approved “new attorney program” in that year is exempt both in the admission year and the following calendar year.
• Hardship / good cause: The CLE Committee may, in its discretion, exempt all or part of the requirement for a particular individual upon showing hardship, disability, or other good cause (but not for successive years under the same claim).
• License fee / CLE exemption policy: Maine’s Board has a policy that an attorney may request in affidavit form an exemption from CLE (or a reduction) based on undue hardship or disability, subject to review.

Key Takeaway
Maine’s CLE regime provides for numerous built-in exemptions (judges, emeritus, law professors, new admittees, age + long practice if not full-time, nonresidents, etc.), and also allows limited discretionary exemptions for hardship. Attorneys claiming exemption must follow the rule’s procedural requirements.

Yes — Maine mandates that at least 7 of the 12 required CLE credits each year must be earned via “live” formats (in-person, live webcast, teleseminar, etc.).
That live-credit requirement is separate from the in-person harassment/discrimination hour and the live ethics hour.

Format & Live Credit Requirements

• Attorneys must complete 12 MCLE credit hours annually.
• No more than 5 credits may come from self-study (recorded / on-demand) formats.
• At least 7 credits must be obtained via live or interactive formats (including in-person, live webcast, teleseminar).
• Among those live credits:
  • One live credit must address ethics and professionalism.
  • One in-person credit must address harassment and discriminatory communication or conduct, unless waived by the CLE Committee for good cause (e.g. approval to attend by live-stream).

Temporary Waiver & Adjustments

• The in-person requirement for the harassment/discrimination credit may be waived for good cause, allowing live online attendance with prior approval from the CLE Committee.
• The rule emphasizes that the live ethics credit can’t be fulfilled via self-study formats.

Key Takeaway

Maine requires a minimum of 7 live-format CLE credits each year (in-person, webcast, or equivalent). Within those, one must be a live ethics hour, and one must be an in-person harassment/discrimination hour (unless waived for good cause).

Maine attorneys must complete 12 CLE credit hours each calendar year. Among those, at least 1 hour must cover ethics and at least 1 hour must address harassment/discrimination, and at least 7 hours must be earned live.

Annual CLE Requirements in Maine

• Total requirement: 12 credit hours per calendar year
• Ethics requirement: 1 live hour
• Harassment/discrimination requirement: 1 in-person hour (unless live hybrid permitted)
• Live credit minimum: at least 7 hours
• Self-study cap: up to 5 hours may be self-study
• Carryover: up to 10 hours may carry into next year (no more than 5 of those may be self-study)
• Compliance deadline: December 31
• Reporting deadline: Last business day of February (certify previous year)

Provider Support

• Sprout Education tracks your Maine CLE credits and helps with reporting to the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar

Key Takeaway: Maine requires 12 CLE hours annually, with specific ethics and harassment/discrimination live credit rules, a live minimum, self-study limits, and up to 10 hours carryover.

No — Maine’s CLE rules do not reduce obligations based on part-time vs full-time status; all active attorneys must satisfy the same minimum requirement unless exempted by other rules.

Maine Bar Rule 5 requires every attorney with an active license to complete 12 MCLE credit hours per calendar year, with restrictions on self-study credits and required live ethics and harassment hours.

Details:

• No more than 5 of the 12 hours may be earned via self-study or non-live formats.
• At least one live hour must address ethics/professionalism and one must address harassment/discrimination (in person, unless otherwise approved).
• Attorneys may carry over up to 10 credit hours (general) into the next year (subject to the self-study cap).
• Exemptions exist (full-time judges, full-time law faculty, attorneys with 40+ years of practice & age 65 not in full-time practice, etc.).

Key Takeaway: In Maine, practicing part-time does not entitle you to fewer CLE obligations — all active attorneys are subject to the 12-hour annual requirement (unless exempted).

The CLE reporting deadline in Maine is the last business day in February, following the calendar-year compliance period.

Maine attorneys must complete their CLE requirement by December 31 and then certify compliance by the end of February.

Maine CLE Reporting & Compliance

• Compliance Deadline: December 31 (all CLE must be earned by this date)
• Reporting / Certification Deadline: Last business day of February (Annual Report Statement due)
• Grace Period: Automatic grace until the close of business on the last business day of February to correct deficiencies
• Credit Requirement: 12 credits annually; must include 1 ethics and 1 harassment & discrimination hour; those specialty credits generally cannot be carried over
• Reporting Method: Certification is made via the Annual Report Statement in bar registration filings

Sprout Education delivers CLE programming aligned with Maine’s MCLE rules and supports attorneys in meeting their February reporting deadline.

Key Takeaway: Maine attorneys must finish CLE by December 31 and certify their compliance by the last business day in February.