A second yearly audit of how well attorneys complied with the
State Bar’s Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) requirements showed they
did better overall than in the previous year, a recent report showed. But a
minority of lawyers still failed and now face possible disciplinary action.
Can an out-of-state program qualify for MCLE? How do you file
for an exemption from MCLE compliance? Where do you find an MCLE provider?
Answers to these questions and more are detailed in this list of MCLE
frequently asked questions.
Keeping track of MCLE credits is going to get a lot easier for
members of the State Bar in early 2013. The bar is planning to launch an online
tool that will track MCLE hours, including the name and type of program, when
it was taken and number of credit hours.
With the Feb. 1 deadline looming, local bar associations and law
schools are offering attorneys last-minute opportunities to complete MCLE
hours. Officials say going local is a good way to locate programs offering credits
in ethics, substance abuse and elimination of bias.
State Bar members whose MCLE reports were
audited made a series of mistakes that could have been avoided. Some of the
most common include basic arithmetic errors and participating in programs that
didn’t qualify for MCLE credit.
With the State Bar stepping up its efforts monitor attorneys’
continuing education requirements, experts offer tips to help them avoid
getting into trouble – and prevent problems from ballooning if they are
audited.