Announcement by the Ohio Supreme Court for Public Comment: CLE Changes
We are sharing with you the announcement by the Ohio Supreme Court that it is accepting through Thursday, April 21, 2022, public comment on proposed amendments to Rule X of the Rules of the Government of the Bar of Ohio regarding continuing legal education regulations. The link to the proposed amendments is available through the announcement page, along with the instructions for providing public comment.
Please direct all of your inquiries per the announcement.
Regards,
Lucas County Bar Association
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As explained in the announcement:
The recommended changes address technological advances with CLE and aim to resolve certain procedural conflicts since the last major revisions to this rule in 2014.
The proposals from the Supreme Court’s Office of Attorney Services and the Commission on Continuing Legal Education include two major revisions – remove the CLE self-study limit for attorneys and allowing CLE credit for training and service as a poll worker in Ohio.
Under current rules, attorneys are required to take 24 hours of CLE every two years, to stay abreast of the latest legal issues. There is a limit on how much is allowed to be self-study. That limit has been waived for three consecutive CLE compliance periods due to limited in-person programming as result of the pandemic.
To help fill that gap, more than 20,000 self-study programs have been developed and approved annually by the CLE commission since 2020. The technology has advanced and become accepted in the legal community that allows participation and verification without in-person attendance. A commission survey about the self-study limit received responses from more than 10,000 active Ohio attorneys who overwhelmingly preferred no self-study cap.
The Court has issued temporary orders for attorneys who serve as poll workers for four consecutive elections to help offset the loss of long-time precinct worker shortfalls because of the pandemic. In 2020, 1,110 attorneys received CLE for their service during the November general election.
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UPDATE REGARDING AMENDMENTS TO CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
On January 1, 2023, significant changes to rules and regulations concerning Continuing Legal Education (CLE) will go into effect.
Among these changes is the permanent removal of the self-study CLE cap for attorneys. As a result, beginning on January 1, 2023, you may meet your biannual 24-hour CLE requirement entirely through attendance at self-study activities.
Please also note that attorneys with last names ending with M-Z who have a CLE requirement for the 2021-2022 compliance period ending December 31, 2022 had their self-study caps waived previously under the Administrative Order issued on September 22, 2021, allowing those attorneys to comply with the CLE requirements through approved self-study courses.
Attorneys are encouraged to confirm that self-study courses have been accredited in Ohio prior to attending. Pursuant to CCLE Reg. 409, only Sponsors can apply for accreditation of self-study activities.
For complete information, please consult the announcement (https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2022/2022-Ohio-3009.pdf) or visit https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/AttySvcs/CLE/FAQ/attyFAQ.asp for FAQs.
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Attorney Services of The Supreme Court of Ohio at ccle@sc.ohio.gov, or 614.387.9320, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Please direct all of your inquiries per the announcement.