What is the grace period for CLE reporting in Louisiana?

In Louisiana, you cannot “report” CLE credits (i.e. file your compliance) until after the calendar year ends on December 31. After year-end, attorneys must submit their credits or exemption by January 31.

Credit accumulation is ongoing during the year, but the reporting “window” only opens after December 31 when the MCLE Committee accepts submissions.

Key Details

• The MCLE compliance period in Louisiana is the calendar year (January 1 to December 31).
• Attorneys must complete 12.5 CLE hours each year, including at least 1 hour in ethics and 1 hour in professionalism.
• Course sponsors must submit attendance records (via attendance cards or certification) to the MCLE Committee within 30 days of the activity.
• For self-study (technological transmission) courses, attendees must submit certification to the provider within 14 days, and then the provider must forward it to MCLE within 14 days.
• The deadline to file your CLE credits or an exemption is January 31 following the compliance year (i.e. after Dec 31).

Key Takeaway
In Louisiana, you can only report CLE compliance after the December 31 deadline — the reporting “window” opens in January, and your submission must be made by January 31.

Louisiana attorneys are required to complete 12.5 CLE credit hours per year, including at least 1 hour in ethics and 1 hour in professionalism.

All credits must be earned by December 31 and reported by January 31 of the following year.

Details

• Maximum self-study/computer-based limit: 4 hours annually.

• Live requirement (for most attorneys admitted prior to recent changes): At least 8.5 hours must be in live or in-person programs.

• Carryover: Attorneys may carry over up to 8 credits (but not ethics or professionalism credits) to the next year.

• Newly admitted attorneys: They must complete 12.5 hours between admission year and next calendar year, and 8 of those hours must concern ethics/professionalism/law office management.

• Reporting: Sponsors submit attendance to the MCLE Committee; attorneys must verify their transcript and file any exemptions or corrections by January 31.

Key Takeaway: Louisiana requires 12.5 CLE hours annually, with 1 in ethics, 1 in professionalism, limits on online hours, carryover of general credit only, and special rules for newly admitted attorneys.

You report CLE credits in Louisiana by reviewing your preliminary MCLE transcript and submitting any missing records to the Louisiana State Bar Committee on MCLE by January 31.
Completion of the required 12.5 credit hours (including ethics and professionalism) must be done by December 31 to qualify for that year’s submission.

Overview of Louisiana MCLE Reporting

Louisiana attorneys must complete 12.5 MCLE credits each calendar year, including at least 1 hour in ethics and 1 hour in professionalism.
Up to 4.0 hours may be earned through computer-based (technologically assisted) courses; at least 8.5 hours must be in live, in-person instruction.
Sponsors must issue attendance cards and submit them to the LSBA MCLE Committee; you cannot submit your own attendance card.
The MCLE Committee sends each attorney a preliminary compliance transcript by early December. Attorneys must review and, if necessary, report missing credits or request corrections by January 31.
If noncompliance or deficiency is not corrected, disciplinary or administrative actions may follow.

How to Report CLE in Louisiana

• Complete 12.5 credit hours (including 1 ethics hour and 1 professionalism hour) by December 31.
• Retain your CLE attendance records, program names, dates, sponsors, and attendance cards.
• Sponsors will collect your attendance card at the program and submit it to the LSBA MCLE Committee—do not send cards yourself.
• As the year ends, check your preliminary transcript (mailed or accessible online) and confirm it accurately reflects your completed credits.
• By January 31, notify the MCLE Committee of any missing credits or corrections using the designated form.
• If you earned credits through Sprout Education, verify that we have submitted the necessary attendance data (when permitted) and confirm that those credits are included on your MCLE transcript.

Key Takeaway: In Louisiana, complete your 12.5 required CLE credits by December 31, rely on sponsors to submit attendance cards, and confirm your preliminary transcript. Any corrections to your record must be reported to the MCLE Committee by January 31. Sprout Education supports accurate reporting where allowed, but final reconciliation is your responsibility.

Louisiana attorneys must complete 12.5 CLE credit hours each calendar year. That includes at least 1 hour in legal ethics and 1 hour in professionalism.

Annual CLE Requirements in Louisiana

• Total requirement: 12.5 credit hours per year
• Ethics requirement: 1 credit hour
• Professionalism requirement: 1 credit hour
• Credit delivery limits: maximum of 4 credit hours may be earned via computer-based formats annually
• Live requirement: at least 8.5 hours must be obtained live (in-person)
• Carryover: up to 8 excess credits may carry over to the next year (ethics/professionalism credits may not carry as specialty)
• Reporting period: calendar year (January 1 – December 31)
• Compliance deadline: December 31
• Reporting deadline: January 31

Special Rules for Newly Admitted Attorneys

• Newly admitted attorneys must complete 12.5 hours of CLE during their admission year through the following calendar year
• Of those, 8 hours must concern ethics, professionalism, or law office management

Provider Support

• Sprout Education tracks your Louisiana CLE credits and assists with accurate reporting to the Louisiana MCLE Committee

Key Takeaway: Louisiana requires 12.5 CLE hours annually, including 1 in ethics and 1 in professionalism, with limits on computer-based credit, a live minimum, carryover rules, and reporting by January 31.

No — Louisiana’s CLE (MCLE) rules do not differentiate based on part-time vs full-time practice; all active attorneys must meet the same CLE standard.

Louisiana requires all active attorneys to complete 12.5 CLE credit hours each calendar year, including 1 hour of ethics and 1 hour of professionalism.

Details:

• At most 4 hours per year may be earned via computer-based courses; the rest must be live or interactive.
• Up to 8 general CLE credits (not including ethics or professionalism) may be carried over into the next year.
• Newly admitted attorneys must complete 12.5 credits by December 31 of the calendar year following their admission, with at least 8 hours in ethics, professionalism, or law office management.
• Credits must be earned by December 31 and reported by January 31 of the next year.
• There is no rule or provision reducing a practicing attorney’s CLE requirement because they work part time.

Key Takeaway: Being part-time does not yield CLE relief in Louisiana — all active attorneys must satisfy the full 12.5-credit annual requirement (unless they fall under specific exemptions).

Yes — in Louisiana you can report CLE late by paying a delinquency penalty and submitting the missed credits, subject to fixed deadlines. Late reporting triggers a $150 delinquency fee (plus additional penalties if you have prior noncompliance).

Here is how Louisiana handles late CLE reporting:

• CLE credits must be earned by December 31, and attorneys must report them to their transcript by January 31.
• If you fail to report by January 31, you will be assessed a delinquency penalty of $150.
• If you have been noncompliant in prior years (within five years), an additional $50 per prior noncompliant year penalty may apply.
• You must make up any missing credit hours as soon as possible.
• If noncompliance continues, the MCLE Committee forwards your noncompliant status to the Supreme Court; after 60 days, if no compliance is shown, you may be certified as ineligible to practice law.
• An attorney certified ineligible may later seek reinstatement by submitting required CLE documentation and paying a nonwaivable reinstatement fee of $100 (in addition to delinquent fees).

Key Takeaway
Yes — Louisiana permits late reporting of CLE if you pay the delinquency fee and submit the missing credits by the cure deadlines, but persistent noncompliance may lead to ineligibility to practice until reinstated.