Exemptions & Exceptions

No — Wisconsin’s CLE rules apply uniformly to all “active” attorneys; there is no reduced CLE obligation for part-time attorneys.

Under Supreme Court Rule Chapter 31, attorneys in Wisconsin must complete 30 hours of approved CLE in each two-year reporting period (including at least 3 hours in ethics).

Details:

• At least 15 of the 30 hours must be from “live” programs.
• Ethics hours must be taken live (i.e. not via repeated

Rhode Island attorneys must complete 10 CLE credit hours each year. That includes at least 2 hours in legal ethics and, starting July 1, 2025, 1 hour in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Annual CLE Requirements in Rhode Island

• Total requirement: 10 credit hours per reporting year
• Ethics requirement: 2 credit hours
• DEI requirement: 1 credit hour (effective July 1, 2025)
• Minimum live credit: 4 credit hours
• Maximum video replay/distance learning: 6 credit hours
• Reporting deadline: June 30 annually

Carryover & Exemptions

• Up to 10 excess live credits may carry forward one year
• Ethics credits in excess may also be carried over
• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt from the CLE requirement during the reporting year they are admitted and the next full reporting year; they must complete a “Bridge the Gap” program

Key Takeaway: Rhode Island requires 10 CLE hours each year, including 2 in ethics, 1 in DEI (from July 2025), with minimum live credits, limited carryover, and a Bridge the Gap requirement for new attorneys.

No — judges in Massachusetts do not have a separate, mandatory CLE requirement apart from general attorney education norms.

Massachusetts does not impose a mandatory CLE for attorneys; judges may participate in Judicial Education programs, but those are not required under a distinct CLE mandate.

Details

• The Massachusetts Bar Association confirms that Massachusetts does not maintain a mandatory CLE regime for attorneys.

No, CLE is not required before passing the bar. CLE requirements generally begin only after an attorney has been formally admitted to practice law.

When CLE Obligations Begin

• Law students and bar applicants are not subject to CLE requirements.
• Once admitted, attorneys must complete CLE according to the rules of their licensing jurisdiction.
• Many states provide special initial requirements for new admittees, such as orientation programs or bridge-the-gap training.

Exemptions and Special Rules

• New admittees are often exempt from standard CLE requirements in their first reporting cycle.
• Instead, they may be required to complete specific new-lawyer training courses within a set period after admission.
• These requirements vary by jurisdiction and must be confirmed with the state’s CLE authority.

Provider Support

• Sprout Education monitors these distinctions and ensures that new attorneys understand when CLE compliance begins and what transitional rules apply.

Key Takeaway: CLE is never required before bar admission; obligations start only once an attorney is admitted, with special new-lawyer requirements in some states.

No — Georgia’s CLE rules treat all active attorneys alike; there is no special reduced requirement for part-time attorneys.

Georgia requires active members to complete 12 CLE credit hours annually, including 1 hour in ethics and 1 hour in professionalism.

Details:

• Attorneys aged 70 or older are exempt from the CLE requirement.
• Trial attorneys must earn 3 hours of trial credit within

Maryland does not currently require attorneys to complete CLE, so there is no CLE reporting deadline in Maryland.

The courts’ informational pages confirm that CLE for Maryland lawyers remains voluntary.

Key Takeaway: In Maryland, you don’t need to report CLE—there is no mandatory CLE reporting deadline.

Wisconsin attorneys must complete 30 CLE credit hours every two years. That requirement includes 3 hours in ethics, and at least 15 hours must be taken via live or interactive formats.

Degree & Format Requirements

• Total requirement: 30 credits per biennial period
• Ethics: 3 credits (must be live/webcast)
• Live minimum: at least 15 credits must be live or interactive programming
• On-demand (recorded) cap: up to 15 credits per period (ethics credits are not allowed via on-demand)

Carryover & Reporting

• Carryover: up to 15 excess credits may carry into the next reporting period (ethics credits may not carry for satisfying the ethics requirement)
• Reporting deadline: February 1 following the end of the reporting period
• Compliance deadline: December 31 of the end year of the reporting period

Exemptions

• A lawyer is exempt from attendance and reporting in the year of admission to practice law in Wisconsin

Key Takeaway: Wisconsin requires 30 CLE hours every two years, including 3 live ethics hours, with half the credits earned via live or interactive programming and limited carryover allowed.

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

South Dakota attorneys currently have no mandatory CLE requirement.

A proposal is under review that could establish a 20-hour biennial CLE requirement beginning in 2027, but it has not yet been adopted by the South Dakota Supreme Court.

Details

• At present, attorneys may complete CLE voluntarily, but it is not required for license renewal.

• On June 20,

Inactive attorneys in Washington are not required to report or complete MCLE while their status remains inactive.

Upon reactivation, they must meet all MCLE obligations as an active member and may incur additional reinstatement conditions depending on how long they have been inactive.

Details

• The Washington State Bar allows inactive status for members not practicing law; while inactive, MCLE reports are not

Inactive, retired, or emeritus members of the Alaska Bar are exempt from CLE reporting and credit-earning requirements.

Details

• Bar Rule 65 explicitly provides that inactive Bar members and individuals admitted in the current year are exempt from MCLE requirements.
• The Alaska Bar’s CLE page confirms that inactive and retired members are not required to comply with CLE.
• If an inactive member later returns to active status during a compliance year, they must satisfy the ethics credit requirement for that year.

Key Takeaway: In Alaska, inactive attorneys are exempt from CLE obligations while in inactive status — they do not need to earn or report CLE credits unless and until they resume active status.

Yes — judges in West Virginia are subject to a separate Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) requirement distinct from attorney CLE.
The CJE program is administered by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia through the Administrative Office and applies specifically to judicial officers.

Under Rule 7 of the Rules of Judicial Disciplinary Procedure, every full-time judge must complete a minimum of 50 hours of approved judicial education every two years. These hours must include instruction in judicial ethics, substantive law, and other areas essential to judicial competence. The Administrative Director of the Courts oversees compliance and may grant extensions or waivers for good cause.

Summary of Judicial Education Obligations

Colorado attorneys must complete 45 CLE credit hours every three years. Of those, 7 hours must be devoted to professional responsibility, including 5 in ethics or professionalism and 2 in equity, diversity, and inclusivity.

Cycle & Reporting

• Compliance period: three years
• Deadline to complete credits: December 31 of the last year
• Reporting deadline: January 31 of the following year

Credit Breakdown & Limits

• Total required: 45 credit hours
• Professional responsibility: 7 hours (5 ethics/professionalism + 2 EDI)
• No carryover of credits between cycles
• All credits may be earned via live or on-demand formats

Special Rules & Exceptions

• Attorneys 72 or older who remain active become exempt from MCLE requirement in that compliance period
• Compliance period for first cycle starts on admission and ends December 31 of the third full calendar year thereafter

Key Takeaway: Colorado’s reporting cycle requires 45 CLE hours every three years, including 7 professional responsibility hours (5 ethics + 2 EDI), with no carryover allowed.

Documentation for a CLE hardship waiver typically includes proof of financial hardship, medical condition, disability, or other extraordinary circumstances. States require attorneys to demonstrate the need clearly with official supporting records.

What to Submit for a CLE Hardship Waiver

• Financial hardship: Recent tax returns, income statements, or affidavits demonstrating inability to pay CLE costs.
• Medical hardship: Doctor’s certification, hospital records, or disability documentation verifying inability to attend CLE.
• Personal or family hardship: Court orders, caregiving documentation, or sworn statements describing extraordinary obligations.
• Natural disaster or emergency: Insurance claims, government relief documents, or other official proof of disruption.

Why Documentation Matters

• State MCLE boards grant waivers only when adequate evidence supports the request.
• Supporting documentation must be current, detailed, and directly related to the hardship.
• Attorneys remain responsible for compliance unless a waiver is formally approved.

Provider Support

• Attorneys seeking a waiver must apply directly to their state CLE authority. Sprout Education, as an accredited CLE provider, offers reporting and compliance support but does not grant or approve hardship waivers.

Key Takeaway: A CLE hardship waiver requires official documentation such as tax records, medical certification, or court orders to prove extraordinary circumstances, and approval rests with the state CLE authority.

No — Alabama’s CLE rules treat all attorneys the same; there is no special reduced requirement for part-time attorneys.

Alabama’s Mandatory Continuing Legal Education rules require every attorney (unless exempt) to complete 12 hours of approved CLE credit each calendar year, including 1 hour of ethics or professionalism.
Key relevant provisions:
– Rule 3 requires 12 actual hours per year for all attorneys.
– Rule 2 lists limited exemptions (e.g. year of admission; attorneys aged 65 or receiving Social Security) but does not distinguish based on full-time vs part-time status.
– CLE “live” and “on-demand” limits, credit carryover rules, deficiency plans, sanctions, and reporting apply uniformly.

Key Takeaway: Alabama’s CLE obligations do not vary based on part-time vs full-time practice — all nonexempt attorneys must

Alaska requires 12 CLE credit hours each calendar year. At least 3 hours must be in ethics, the earning window runs January 1–December 31, and reports are due February 1.

Annual CLE Requirements in Alaska

• Total requirement: 12 credit hours per calendar year
• Ethics requirement: 3 credit hours
• Earning window: January 1–December 31
• Reporting deadline: February 1 (first deadline under the new rule is February 1, 2026)

Credit Format and Carryover

• Credits may be earned through live or technology-delivered programs
• Carryover: up to 12 credits from the previous reporting period (earned but not claimed in the prior year)

Exemptions

• New admittees are exempt from reporting in the year of admission

Provider Support

• Sprout Education tracks credits and supports reporting where applicable

Key Takeaway: Alaska requires 12 CLE hours annually, including 3 ethics hours, with reporting due February 1.

Maryland attorneys are not currently required to complete any CLE credits under state law. The Maryland Supreme Court is actively considering implementing a mandatory CLE requirement but has delayed a decision.

Current Status: No Mandatory CLE

• No MCLE rule presently applies to Maryland attorneys
• Continuing education is voluntary at this time

Proposed Plan Under Review

• A workgroup’s 2023 report proposed 12 hours annually—including ethics, diversity/equity/inclusion (DEI), and mental health/wellness
• The Supreme Court has postponed any implementation until at least spring 2026

Professional Competence Obligation

• Maryland attorneys remain bound by the competence obligation in the Rules of Professional Conduct
• Voluntary CLE is encouraged, but not currently mandated

Key Takeaway: There is no CLE hour requirement in Maryland at present, but a mandatory structure may be adopted in the future.

Yes — Florida law allows certain attorneys to be exempt from CLE under specified conditions such as judicial office, inactive status, active military service, out-of-state nonpractice, or undue hardship.

Florida Bar Rule 6-10.3(c) and The Florida Bar’s CLER exemption procedures govern those exemptions.

Details / Exceptions

• Automatic Exemptions (Rule 6-10.3(c)(1)):
  • Full-time federal judges prohibited from practicing law
  • Justices,

Virginia attorneys must complete 12 CLE credit hours every 12 months. That includes at least 2 hours in legal ethics and at least 4 hours in live-interactive programming.

Annual CLE Requirements in Virginia

• Total requirement: 12 credit hours per year
• Ethics requirement: 2 credit hours
• Live-interactive requirement: 4 credit hours
• Reporting period: November 1 through October 31
• Compliance deadline: October 31
• Certification/reporting deadline: December 15

Carryover & Limitations

• Up to 12 excess credits may carry forward (including 2 ethics credits and 4 live credits)
• Only up to 8 of the carryover may come from prerecorded (on-demand) programs

Exemptions & Additional Rules

• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt during their first reporting period
• Virginia requires all active attorneys to certify that, within the past 3 years, they have attended at least 1 hour of lawyer well-being education (though failure to do so is not subject to penalty)

Key Takeaway: Virginia requires 12 CLE hours annually, with minimum ethics and live-interactive hours, a one-year cycle ending October 31, and limited carryover.

No — in Washington, judges are not governed by a separate CLE regime; they participate under the same MCLE rules that apply to attorneys (with some special allowances for judicial ethics).

Washington’s MCLE rules (APR 11) include judges (classified as “judicial members”) among those required to satisfy CLE, and the state separately provides Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) credit, especially in ethics, as part of judicial training.

Details

• Under APR 11, “judicial members” (i.e. judges or administrative law judges) must complete 45 credits every three