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Legal Community
Mandatory Continuing Legal
Education
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Applying for CLE Credit
Frequently Asked Questions
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 What is the procedure for having a course or program accredited? |
Fill out the application 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.
| | How do I determine if a CLE course is accredited? |
Courses by the Regulation 5 providers are pre-approved. Once a sponsoring agency has been granted the status of an 'accredited sponsor' it shall be exempt from the requirement for prior approval as set out in Regulation 4, for all course or activities in compliance with the Board's standards for approval as set out in Regulation 3. Credit for courses in compliance shall be given in accordance with Regulation 2. Attorneys should check with the CLE provider to ascertain what credit was approved under Vermont's rules.
| | What is the benefit to becoming a Regulation 5 accredited sponsor? |
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.
| | How do I become a Regulation 5 accredited sponsor? |
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.
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Professionalism and Ethics
Frequently Asked Questions
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| What is the new professionalism requirement? |
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 here
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.
| | What qualifies as ethics credit? |
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.
| | How do I apply for preapproval of a professionalism course? |
Submit your request in writing or by email at least two weeks before the proposed CLE activity to JUD-AttyLicensing@state.vt.us or mail to 2418 Airport Road, Suite 2, Barre, VT 05641.
Include information on who the moderator will be, demonstrate a clear understanding of the difference between professionalism and ethics, provide scenarios or discussion topics which will generate the required interactivity, and include who the audience will be. Provide as much detail as possible.
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Reporting CLE
Frequently Asked Questions
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| Do active attorneys who change to inactive status need to file a CLE affidavit? |
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
| | Do inactive attorneys need to take continuing legal education? |
Inactive attorneys are relieved from the CLE requirements during their inactive period. See section 8 of the Rules for MCLE
| | How many CLE credit hours do I need? |
At least 20 hours within your two year reporting period, a minimum of 2 which must be in legal ethics, a minimum of 2 which must be preapproved professionalism credit and limited to 10 hours of self-study.
| | If I take a course now, but have already met my CLE requirements for this reporting period, can I use it toward the next reporting period? |
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.
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Fees
| Title | Cost | Checks Payable to |
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| Make Up Plan | 50.00 | Continuing Legal Education | | Out of Time Request | 50.00 | Continuing Legal Education | | Suspension Fee | 100.00 | Continuing Legal Education |
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Contact Information
2418 Airport Rd, Ste 2
Barre, VT 05641
Phone: 802-828-3281
Fax: 802-828-1695
Martha I. Hicks-Robinson, Director
jud-attylicensing@state.vt.us
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MCLE Board Members
| Hon. Karen Carroll, Chair | | Kimberly Butler, Esq., Vice Chair | | J. Scott Cameron, Esq. | | James Dingley, Esq. | | Anthony B. Lamb, Esq | | Stanley Shernock, Ph.D | | Corinne P. Wadhams, Esq. |
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