Exemptions & Exceptions

New York does not have a status labeled “inactive attorney” for CLE purposes; instead, attorneys who do not practice law in New York during a reporting cycle may be exempt from CLE under 22 NYCRR § 1500.5(b)(1).

If an attorney certifies as retired (under 22 NYCRR § 118.1(g)), that attorney is exempt from CLE entirely.

Details:

• All New York attorneys are presumed to practice law in the state; to claim exemption, the attorney must show they did

Yes — many jurisdictions permit attorneys on active military duty to seek a CLE waiver or exemption during their service. The specific eligibility, application process, and conditions vary by jurisdiction.

Details & Examples:

• In Illinois, attorneys serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for at least one day during a reporting period are fully

No — Arkansas’s CLE rules do not distinguish between part-time and full-time attorneys; all nonexempt attorneys must satisfy the same requirement.

Arkansas requires every attorney (unless exempt by age or years of service) to complete 12 hours of CLE annually, including at least one hour of ethics.

Details:

• Rule 3 of the Arkansas Rules for Minimum Continuing Education mandates 12 credit hours per year, with no reduced

Yes — under South Carolina’s CLE rules, certain attorneys are exempt from the 14-hour requirement, subject to conditions and certification.

The exemptions are spelled out in SCACR Rule 408 and CLE Commission Regulations.

Details / Exceptions

• Certified specialists who meet the CLE requirements for their specialty are exempt — although they must

Attorneys on inactive status in Maine are exempt from Maine’s mandatory CLE requirement under Bar Rule 5.

That exemption applies only during the period of inactive status; once reinstated to active status, CLE obligations resume.

Details:

• Maine Bar Rule 5 explicitly lists “attorneys in inactive status pursuant to Rule 6(c)” as exempt from the annual CLE

Yes — judges in Texas must comply with a distinct continuing judicial education (CJE) requirement under the Rules of Judicial Education, separate from the attorney MCLE requirement.

The CJE rules, promulgated by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals under Texas Government Code § 39.002 / § 56.006, establish mandatory instruction hours for judges and judicial officers.

Details

• In a judge’s first year on the bench, the requirement is 30 hours of approved instructional training; after the first

New Mexico attorneys on inactive status are exempt from CLE requirements while that status is in effect.

Upon reinstatement to active status, they must evaluate and cure any CLE deficits (from the year they became inactive and the year they return) and thereafter comply with the full active CLE obligations.

Details:

• Inactive status is defined under Rule 24-102.2 NMRA; members “not currently practicing law” may apply for inactive

Massachusetts does not require continuing legal education (CLE) for attorneys—active or inactive.

Since CLE is not mandatory in Massachusetts, changing to inactive status does not affect CLE obligations (because there are none).

Details:

• CLE for lawyers in Massachusetts is entirely voluntary; the state has no rule imposing mandatory CLE.
• An attorney may

Yes — Idaho allows a limited number of exemptions from CLE upon showing special circumstances, disability, or full-time military service, but not blanket exemptions by age or office.

Under Idaho Bar Commission Rules, the Executive Director may grant exemptions (total or partial) for undue hardship, disability, or military service if the attorney does not practice law in Idaho.

Details / Exceptions

• Undue hardship / special circumstances: The Executive Director may exempt all or part of the CLE requirement

Yes — Georgia provides at least one explicit exemption: attorneys aged 70 or older are exempt from the CLE requirement.

The Georgia CLE rules state that active attorneys who are 70 years of age or older are exempt from the CLE requirement. Additional exemptions (e.g. certain public officers) may be available via application or statute.

Details / Exceptions

• Age Exemption: Attorneys who are 70 years of age or older are exempt from the CLE requirement.
• Public

No — Utah’s MCLE (CLE) rules do not provide a reduced requirement for part-time attorneys; all “active status” attorneys must satisfy the same baseline.

Under Utah’s UCJA Rule 11-604, each active status lawyer must complete 12 hours of Accredited CLE in each compliance cycle (July 1 through June 30), of which at least 6 hours must be “Verified CLE.”

Details:

• Of the 12 required hours, 1 must cover Ethics CLE and 1 must cover Professionalism & Civility CLE.
• The remaining 6

No — Pennsylvania’s CLE rules do not distinguish between part-time and full-time attorneys; all active attorneys must meet the same requirement (unless exempt or prorated under special conditions).

Pennsylvania requires active lawyers to complete 12 credit hours annually under Rule 105, including required credits in ethics, professionalism, substance abuse, and substantive/practice topics.

Details:

• The 12-hour obligation applies uniformly to all active lawyers; there is no rule that reduces the requirement based on

Yes — Nebraska imposes a separate continuing judicial branch education obligation for judges under Nebraska Supreme Court Rule § 1-503, in addition to the CLE requirements for attorneys.

Judges must complete a baseline of judicial education distinct from attorney MCLE, which applies to all active attorneys.

Details

• The Judicial Branch Education program is mandated by Rule § 1-503, which sets “required continuing judicial branch

Yes — Hawaii requires full-time state judges to undertake a separate judicial education obligation in addition to the usual attorney CLE regime.

In Hawaii, full-time state judges must participate in a judicial education program approved by the Committee on Judicial Education; those hours may also count toward the standard CLE requirement for attorneys. (RSCH Rule 22(h))

RSCH Rule 22(h) exempts full-time federal judges, magistrate judges, bankruptcy judges, U.S. Court of Federal Claims judges, and

New Hampshire attorneys must complete 12 CLE credit hours each reporting year. Within those 12 hours, at least 2 must be in ethics.

Annual CLE Requirements in New Hampshire

• Total requirement: 12 credit hours per year (720 minutes)
• Ethics requirement: 2 credit hours (120 minutes)
• Reporting cycle: June 1 – May 31
• Credits must be reported through the NH Attorney Reporting Tool (ART)

Additional Notes & Exemptions

• All 12 hours may be completed virtually (live attendance is not required)
• Newly admitted attorneys must also complete the NHBA Practical Skills Course within 2 years; that is separate from the annual CLE requirement

Key Takeaway: New Hampshire’s reporting year requires 12 CLE hours including 2 in ethics or professionalism, with the cycle running June 1 through May 31.

Yes — Mississippi’s CLE rules allow several categories of attorneys to be exempt entirely or partially from CLE obligations under Rule 2 (Scope & Exemptions).

For example, those exempt include attorneys in their first calendar year of admission, non-resident attorneys not practicing in Mississippi, full-time U.S. military, judges and judicial officers, the Governor, U.S. Senators and Representatives, and members of the bar age seventy or older.

Details / Exceptions

• First Year Admission: An attorney is exempt from CLE during the calendar year in which they are first

There is no express provision in Mississippi’s CLE rules that explicitly exempts attorneys on inactive status from MCLE obligations.

Mississippi law classifies “inactive members” as those not engaged in the practice of law, and allows them to enroll as inactive—but the statute mandates that the Bar “shall promulgate rules … regarding continuing legal education requirements between active and inactive status.” (Miss. Code § 73-3-120)

Details:

• Mississippi’s MCLE rules require active attorneys to complete 12 CLE hours annually, including 1 hour in

Oklahoma attorneys must complete 12 CLE credit hours every calendar year. That total must include at least 2 hours in legal ethics.

Annual CLE Requirements in Oklahoma

• Total requirement: 12 CLE credits per calendar year
• Ethics requirement: 2 credits
• Compliance period: January 1 – December 31
• Reporting (certification) deadline: February 15

Carryover & Format Rules

• Excess CLE hours may be carried forward for one year (i.e., into the immediately following year)
• Ethics credits in excess may carry over as general CLE, subject to limits
• There is no restriction on distance learning formats; all 12 credits may be earned via live or on-demand programs

Exemptions & Special Provisions

• Newly licensed attorneys are exempt from compliance for the calendar year of their admission
• Certain attorneys (e.g. retirees, non-practicing, or those exempt by age/prior service) may be exempt under Supreme Court rules

Provider Support

• Sprout Education monitors your Oklahoma CLE credits and supports accurate reporting to the OK MCLE Commission where applicable

Key Takeaway: Oklahoma requires 12 CLE credits per year, including 2 in ethics, uses a January–December cycle, allows one-year carryover, and accepts distance learning formats.

Yes — effective now, no attorneys in South Dakota are required to take CLE, because South Dakota has no mandatory CLE rule.

Since there is no CLE mandate, there are no exemptions to claim or procedures to comply with — CLE is entirely voluntary in the state.

Details / Context

• The State Bar of South Dakota describes itself as a “Non-Mandatory CLE State.”
• The ABA jurisdiction summary

No — judges in New Hampshire do not have a separate continuing education mandate distinct from the CLE rules for attorneys.

Under New Hampshire Supreme Court Rule 53, all active attorneys, including those serving as judges, must complete 12 credit hours annually (including 2 ethics), and no judicial-only CLE requirement is provided in rule or statute.

Details

• Rule 53 requires 720 minutes (12 hours) of continuing legal education per reporting year, including 120 minutes (2 hours)