Yes. Continuing legal education needs to be taken by attorneys during the period they are active. If the CLE has not been completed at the time the attorney changes to inactive status, they are placed on Special Waiver status and will need to complete those 20 hours of CLE before they can be reinstated. This is in addition to the 20 hours required of those who have been inactive for more than 3 years. See section 8 of the Rules for MCLE, http://www.vermontjudiciary.org/BBE/rulesregs.aspx

 

 

Inactive attorneys are relieved from the CLE requirements during their inactive period. See section 8 of the Rules for MCLE, http://www.vermontjudiciary.org/BBE/rulesregs.aspx

If an activity is offered in real time with the opportunity and capability to interact with the presenter and others participating in the activity, then it is considered live.   For example, renting videotapes for personal viewing at your convenience is considered self-study.  An on-line course that you can do in stages and at your convenience is considered self-study.  A live webcast with the opportunity to email in questions to the presenter and view questions posed by others participating in the webcast is considered live.

Please send your request for a certificate of good standing to Attorney Licensing, 2418 Airport Road, Suite 2, Barre, VT  05641, along with the fee of $3.00 (check to be made payable to Attorney Licensing).  Your certificate will be mailed to the address you provide.  No phone or fax requests, please.  Please allow up to two weeks for processing.

You must apply to the Board of Continuing Legal Education, 2418 Airport Road, Suite 2, Barre, VT  05641 stating your legal education history for the preceding two calendar years. Include dates, subjects offered, total hours of instructions presented, and the names and qualifications of speakers.

Courses by the Regulation 5 providers are pre-approved. If the course you want to take is not on that list, email the Director at  to find out if the course has been accredited.

At least 20 hours within your two year reporting period, a minimum of 2 which must be in ethics, a minimum of 2 which must be preapproved professionalism credit and limited to 10 hours of self-study. For the CLE Rules and Regulations, visit http://www.vermontjudiciary.org/BBE/rulesregs.aspx

No. The two year reporting frames that make up your requirement are set out in the rules.  The required 20 hours of continuing legal education is the minimum amount of CLE recommended for that period.  Any request for a waiver would need to be made to the Board of Continuing Legal Education in writing setting out the extraordinary circumstances that would require a waiver of the rule.

No, as long as the request for credit is made within 30 days of the CLE activity.  There is a $50.00 late fee after 30 days.

Every active attorney admitted to the Bar shall complete a minimum of 20 hours of Vermont-accredited CLE during each two year compliance period.  A minimum of 2 credits must be in ethics and a minimum of 2 credits must be in professionalism.  The professionalism requirement was added August 18, 2008 and may be fulfilled by courses preapproved by the Board of Continuing Legal Education only.  A maximum of 10 credits may be self-study, such as on-line and video presentations. Courses attended must have significant intellectual or practical content, with its primary objective to be increasing your professional competence as a lawyer.

You would need to file a makeup plan pursuant to Rule 7.  Write a letter describing the specific courses you are planning on taking within 120 days and enclose the $50 makeup plan fee to Director, MCLE Board at 2418 Airport Road, Suite 2, Barre, VT 05641.  It will be reviewed and you will be notified whether or not it is accepted.  You will need to file an affidavit within 15 days following the 120-day period to be in compliance.

Your attorney number is on your licensing card.  If you have misplaced it, contact jud-attylicensing@state.vt.us

A letter to the director specifically listing the names and dates of the courses you intend to attend or view within the 120 day period mailed to 2418 Airport Road, Suite 2, Barre, VT 05641.  You must also enclose the $50 makeup plan fee, made payable to the MCLE Board.  You may also use the form at the following link

Attorneys who have changed from active to inactive status without completing their CLE requirement for the period in which they were active are placed on Special Waiver status. This means that before they can reactivate their license, the outstanding 20 hours of CLE will need to be completed within 2 years of the date on which they wish to go active.

Once granted accredited sponsor status, it is exempt from the requirement for prior approval for all courses or activities, except the professionalism requirement, in compliance with the standards for approval in Regulation 3, http://www.vermontjudiciary.org/BBE/rulesregs.aspx

As of August 18, 2008, two hours of professionalism credit has been added to attorney's continuing legal education requirement.  Courses meeting the professionalism requirement must be preapproved by the Board of Continuing Legal Education and must be live, face to face and participatory and may not be self-study.  Courses that have been approved for professionalism credit are available at http://vermontjudiciary.org/BBE/bbelibrary/Professionalism.htm

 

Professionalism is the higher standard to which all lawyers should aspire.  It embodies tenets such as honesty, civility, integrity, character, physical and emotional fitness, fairness, competence, ethical conduct, public service and respect for the rule of law, the courts, clients, other lawyers, witnesses, and unrepresented parties.  The goal of the requirement is to create a forum in which lawyers, judges and legal educators can explore and reflect upon the meaning and goals of professionalism in contemporary legal practice.  Building a community among the lawyers of this state is a specific goal of this requirement.  The professionalism requirement is intended to protect, enhance and promote knowledge, confidence, and respect for the justice system by promoting the health, competence, and integrity of attorneys engaged in the practice of law.

Fill out the application available at 

and return with an agenda, a table of contents or equivalent, and faculty names and credentials (if not in brochure or description), and the relevancy to the law. We will then determine how many hours will be approved and notify you of that determination. There is no fee as long as the request is made within 30 days of the activity.  Please allow 2 weeks for processing.

Section 3 of the Rules for Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requires that at least two of the twenty hours required during each reporting period be specifically addressed to legal ethics. 

 

Courses will be granted ethics credits if they focus on a discussion of the Rules of Professional Conduct and other disciplinary rules, and not be courses with a primary focus on other topics, parts of which may touch upon matters of professional conduct. 

Links to relicensing forms and blank CLE affidavits will be emailed by May 1 to the email address you have provided.  Changes to your email address should be sent to jud-attylicensing@state.vt.us   Links to the forms will also be available on this website.

 

The licensing statement form should be mailed to the licensing office as soon as possible, to avoid suspension of your license to practice and payment of an additional $100 reinstatement fee.  The CLE affidavit is to be returned no later than July 1.  

Your affidavit should be returned by July 1st of your reporting period. If you cannot remember your reporting period, check your licensing card or go here, http://www.vermontjudiciary.org/bbe/bbelibrary/PublicAttorneyInformation.htm

 

Your reporting period is up on June 30th of the second year of your Group reporting period (all attorneys are either in Group I or II, depending on the year of admission). Attorneys in good standing are listed here, http://www.vermontjudiciary.org/bbe/bbelibrary/PublicAttorneyInformation.htm