MoBarCLE’s guide to completing your continuing legal education
Per Missouri law, lawyers have until June 30 to complete their minimum continuing legal education hours.
How many CLE hours do I need to complete?
Under Rule 15, lawyers licensed to practice in Missouri must complete a total of 15 CLE hours within the compliance year, between July 1 and June 30 of the following year. Three of the 15 hours must be devoted to ethics topics, and one of the ethics hours must focus on diversity, inclusion, cultural competency, or elimination of bias. Be sure to have the program number of the session you attended, and report your hours by July 31.
Which programs should I attend to get credits?
MoBarCLE offers a wide range of programs covering an array of legal practices, but we’ve broken down specific programs by practice area to help lawyers find CLE that best serve their needs.
All practice areas:
· CLE Express-a one day online course that qualifies for all MCLE requirements. The next program date is June 29.
· Annual Law Update-legal updates spanning multiple areas of law, designed to help Missouri lawyers stay informed. The next program date is June 27.
· Attend Annual Meeting-build the personal and professional relationships that play an essential role in strengthening the legal profession and justice system. Held Sept. 13-15 online and in-person.
Solo and small firm lawyers:
· Stuart Teicher programs for ethics and elimination of bias credit-the next online program will be held June 27.
· Attend the Solo and Small Firm Conference online or in-person (held June 8-10.)
Lawyers in their first five years of practice:
· The Accelerator Series- a series of online courses designed specifically to provide the most relevant continuing legal education for new or young lawyers. The next program date is July 20. (Tip: bundle two or more Accelerator courses to save 50%)
DWI lawyers:
· Attend the Annual Bernard Edelman DWI Law & Science Seminar-advanced techniques, case law updates, and networking opportunities for lawyers and paralegals. Held online and in-person July 27-28.
· Traffic tickets 101-the next program date is Oct. 25.
Family Law lawyers:
· 8-hour Guardian ad Litem training-8.1 MCLE of online live credit. Next held June 28.
· 3-hour Guardian ad Litem training-3.1 MCLE of online live credit. Next held July 6.
· Attend the Annual Family Law Conference-a conference geared specifically towards family law lawyers, including Guardian ad Litem and paralegal tracks. Held Aug. 3-5 online and in-person.
Ethics and elimination of bias:
· Ethics and civility in the practice of law: A panel discussion of ethics and civility in the practice of law under pertinent provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Next held July 11.
· Ethics Express: fulfill three hours of MCLE, three of ethics, and one elimination of bias requirement for $180. The next program date is June 30.
Estate, Trust and Elder Law lawyers
· Attend the Estate, Trust & Elder Law Conference-held Oct. 19-20.
See the additional programs available online.
What if I need Kansas Credit?
If attending a live event in which Kansas credit has been approved, you may obtain an affidavit of attendance from the Missouri Bar staff member working the program at the completion of the seminar.
If attending an online event in which Kansas credit has been approved:
You no longer need to enter participation codes during the webinar! We will automatically track your attendance throughout the program. You must attend 95% of the webinar for full Kansas credit. No partial credit will be given. Kansas requires providers directly report participant attendance for all online programs. They do not provide affidavits for online programs.
Reporting of attendance to Kansas CLE is NOT automatic. You must let us know you are seeking credit in Kansas. During the registration process you will have the opportunity to enter your Kansas Supreme Court number. If you do not enter your information at that time, you must email your Kansas Supreme Court number to kscreditrequest@mobar.org within one week of this program for us to report your attendance. In this email, please include the following information:
• Your full name
• Kansas Supreme Court number
• Name of the session(s) you attended
Attendance for this program will be reported to Kansas CLE only for those who participate in 95% of the program. You must participate in the program on the advertised date and time. Listening to a recording on your own time does not qualify for Kansas credit.
I completed my MCLE hours. Now what?
Once you have completed your MCLE hours, you must file your annual MCLE report online by July 31 at MoBar.org/MCLEReporting. Reports are automatically submitted upon compliance, and this will be indicated by a green “Compliant” status. You will also receive an auto-generated email confirming compliance for the reporting year. If you are not in compliance and have not filed your annual report, you will see a red “Not Yet Compliant” status.
What do I do if I need more time to complete my MCLE hours or file my report?
If you need additional time to complete your hours or file your annual MCLE report, you can fill out a deficiency plan at MoBar.org/MCLEReporting. You may request deficiency plans beginning July 1, and the plans are only available until July 31.
Lawyers with deficiency plans have until Sept. 30 to obtain the required CLE hours and file their reports.
What happens if I don’t complete my MCLE hours and file my report?
You will be assessed a $200 late fee if you do not have a deficiency plan, have not completed your CLE hours, and have not filed your annual MCLE report by Aug. 31. You will be assessed an additional $50 at the end of each successive month in which you have not complied with your MCLE requirements.
The Missouri Bar will submit a list of lawyers who did not comply with Rule 15 to the Supreme Court of Missouri by March 1, 2024. Those lawyers will be automatically suspended from practicing law and are subject to an additional $100 suspension fee.
Where should I go for more information about my MCLE requirements?
Visit MoBar.org/MCLE for 2022-2023 compliance and reporting information, online tutorial videos, frequently asked questions, accredited programs, and other useful resources.
Lawyers can also contact The Missouri Bar MCLE Department at MCLE@MoBar.org or 573-638-2233.