Illinois

Illinois offers a grace period extension if you miss the June 30 credit deadline: request and pay a $100 extension by July 31, which gives until October 31 to complete credits and until November 30 to report compliance. Without that grace extension, noncompliance actions may begin.

Illinois Grace Process & Deadlines

• June 30: Deadline to complete CLE credits.
• July 31: Deadline to request grace period extension and pay the $100 late-fee.
• October 31: Final date to complete credits under the grace extension.
• November 30: Deadline to report compliance (or exemption) and pay any late fees.

Consequences & Risks

• If no grace extension is requested by July 31, a higher $250 late fee may be assessed.
• If compliance is not reflected by October 31 or the report is not filed by November 30, your name may be removed from the Illinois attorney roll under Rule 796(e).

Key Takeaway: In Illinois, the “grace period” is a grace extension — if you request it and pay $100 by July 31, you gain until October 31 to finish CLE and until November 30 to report; missing those steps risks fees or removal from the roll.

Yes — Illinois allows carryover of CLE credits, up to 10 hours, including professional responsibility (PR) credits.

Under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 794 and MCLE Board practice, surplus credits from a two-year reporting period may be carried forward, within the specified cap.

Details & nuances

• The MCLE Board’s FAQ states: “you may carry over a maximum of 10 credit hours, including PR hours from

You report CLE credits in Illinois by checking that your MCLE Board transcript reflects sufficient credits by the June 30 compliance date and by July 31, compliance is confirmed automatically without separate reporting.
Under Illinois’s new transcript-based system, once your transcript shows you are in compliance, no additional submission is required.

Overview of Illinois MCLE Reporting

Attorneys in Illinois are divided into two compliance groups (A–M and N–Z) and have alternating two-year reporting periods.
Each reporting period requires 30 hours of MCLE credit, including at least 6 hours of Professional Responsibility (PMCLE) — among which must be credits in diversity/inclusion and mental health/substance abuse.
Providers are obligated to report attorney attendance to the MCLE Board by the 15th of the following month after a course.
Illinois’s online transcript system serves as the compliance report: once your transcript shows you have met the requirement, the Board notifies you and no separate filing is necessary.
Attorneys may add qualifying out-of-state or nontraditional credits via the MCLE Board’s website (e.g. for teaching, authorship) and pay required fees.
Newly admitted attorneys have special requirements and deadlines under the NAA rules, which must be reported online via the MCLE Board system.

How to Ensure Reporting in Illinois

• Monitor your “My MCLE” transcript to verify credit entries and compliance status.
• Confirm

No — Illinois does not impose a specific minimum for in-person classroom hours.

Illinois allows attorneys to satisfy the full MCLE requirement via any approved delivery method—including live webinars or recorded (on-demand) programs—so long as the course is accredited.

Details

• Illinois attorneys must complete 30 hours of MCLE in each two-year reporting period, including 6 hours of Professional

Yes — Illinois permits several distinct categories of attorneys to be exempt from the MCLE (CLE) requirement under Supreme Court Rule 791.

The exemptions include attorneys on inactive/retired or disability status, judges and judicial officers, certain court staff, active duty military, some out-of-state attorneys, and temporary hardship exemptions.

Details / Exceptions

• Inactive / Retired / Disability Status: Attorneys registered with the ARDC as inactive (Rule 756(a)(5)),

Attorneys on inactive status in Illinois are exempt from MCLE requirements under Supreme Court Rule 791.

This exemption applies if the attorney is registered with the ARDC as inactive or retired on the last day of the reporting period.

Details:

• Supreme Court Rule 791(a)(1) designates attorneys on inactive or retired status under Rule 756(a)(5) or (a)(6) as exempt

In Illinois, CLE credit counts for approved educational programming (live, recorded, webinars), teaching or presenting CLE, writing legal or professional articles, committee or bar service, and in some cases pro bono legal work.

These credits must satisfy Supreme Court Rule 795 standards; teaching credit includes both presentation and preparation time under a defined formula.

Details

• Rule 795 requires programs to have “significant intellectual, educational or practical content,” a qualified

Yes — in Illinois, judges have a separate continuing judicial education requirement in addition to attorney MCLE rules (or exemption from MCLE).

Illinois requires each active judge to complete 30 hours of judicial education every two years, attend the biennial Education Conference, and participate in a New Judge Seminar if newly appointed.

Meanwhile, the Illinois MCLE regime for attorneys mandates 30 CLE credit hours every two years (including requirements in

Illinois attorneys must complete 30 CLE credit hours every two years. That includes at least 6 hours of professional responsibility credit, which must include 1 hour in diversity/inclusion and 1 hour in mental health/substance abuse.

Reporting Cycle & Deadlines

• Reporting periods run July 1 through June 30.
• Completion deadline: June 30 of the compliance year.
• Transcript (reporting) deadline: July 31 following the compliance year.

Credit & Subfield Requirements

• Total CLE: 30 hours every two years.
• Professional responsibility (PR): 6 hours (includes 1 hour diversity/inclusion + 1 hour mental health/substance abuse).
• Carryover: attorneys may carry over up to 10 credit hours (including PR) from the prior period.

Newly Admitted Attorney (NAA) Rules

• NAA must complete 15 hours in their first year (6 hours from basic skills or mentoring + 9 additional hours).
• NAA may carry over up to 15 hours (including PR) into first regular period.

Key Takeaway: Illinois requires 30 CLE hours every two years, including 6 hours of professional responsibility (with diversity and mental health subcomponents), and allows up to 10 hours carryover.

No — Illinois’s MCLE rules do not reduce or change CLE obligations based on whether an attorney practices part-time or full-time.

Illinois attorneys must complete 30 credit hours during each two-year reporting period, including (among those) 6 hours of professional responsibility (PR) credit (which in turn must include one hour in diversity/inclusion and one hour in mental health/addiction).

Details:

• The reporting cycle is July 1 through June 30 for each two-year period (Group A/M vs Group N/Z) and compliance must be