CLE Information

Attorneys may earn credit by:

1. Taking courses approved by the MLCE board.

2. Applying for Illinois CLE credit for certain out-of-state courses.

3. Participating in certain non-traditional activities that meet specific CLE criteria, such as:

   • Attending a law school course

   • Attending a legal presentation at a bar association meeting (up to 1.0 hour of CLE credit)

   • Teaching an accredited CLE course

   • Teaching (part-time only) a course at a law school

   • Teaching (part-time only) a law course at a university, college or community college

   • Judging a law school moot court argument

   • Publishing a scholarly legal book or article

   • Completing a yearlong mentoring program approved by the Commission on Professionali​sm

For all two-year reporting periods starting July 1, 2010, and going forward, attorneys subject to the MCLE Rules (who are not newly admitted) must complete 30 total CLE hours, including at least six hours of professional responsibility.

The second year in the period is the reporting year. To avoid late fees, all CLE hours must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on June 30 of that year (completion deadline) and your compliance (or valid exemption) reported by 11:59 p.m. on July 31.

Your reporting group is based on your last name. If you were sworn in to the Illinois bar:

• On July 1, 2006, or later, use your last name on file with the ARDC on your swearing-in date

• On or before June 30, 2006, use your last name on file with the ARDC on July 1, 2006

Attorneys need to maintain their own certificates of attendance and other proof of MCLE compliance. At the end of each two-year reporting period, attorneys must report to the MCLE Board whether they have complied with the MCLE rules, have not complied with those rules, or are exempt from those rules. Please see MCLE Rule 791 for the exemptions.

Individual attorneys seeking to establish MCLE compliance should not mail, email or fax certificates of attendance or other documents to the MCLE Board unless the board sends notification that they are being audited. See MCLE Rule 796 for more information on attorney record-keeping.

For courses taught by DePaul College of Law adjunct faculty, please email Nicole Pinkey to request a CLE certificate.  The request should include the name of the course and the semester and year the course was taught.

​​For designated courses and activities, DePaul Law offers unemployed attorneys and attorneys working government or nonprofit organizations financial assistance in the form of waivers and partial and full scholarships.  Courses costing more than $500 are eligible for at least a 50 percent reduction and assistance is determined on a case-by-case basis.

To request financial assistance, please contact CLE Director Nicole Pinkey at (312) 362-8372.  Along with a completed registration form, attorneys will be asked to fill out a hardship application, which includes personal information, including the reason for requesting financial assistance, the reason for program interest, and the requested percentage to be covered. The document will be reviewed by a College of Law administrator, and the attorney will be notified of the decision by mail or email within 7 to 10 business days of receipt of the application.