Illinois CLE Requirements for Attorneys

Experienced Attorneys are attorneys admitted to the Illinois bar for more than two years.

Experienced Illinois Attorneys must complete 30 CLE credit hours (including 6 in Professional Responsibility credits) every two years. Of the 6 Professional Responsibility credits, at least 1 must be in Diversity and Inclusion, and at least 1 must be in Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Attorneys may receive IL CLE credit for attending CLE courses that have been approved by the Illinois MCLE Board. Some accepted course formats include:

• Live Webcasts
• Recorded Technology (On Demand CLE Courses, Audio, etc.)
• Traditional In Person CLE courses
• In-House CLE Courses (sponsored by Law Firms, Corporate Legal Departments, Government Agencies, etc.)

Experienced Attorneys can earn all 30 CLE credits on Lawline by taking Live Webcasts or On Demand CLE Courses. The entire Illinois catalog can be found here.

Yes! Experienced Attorneys can receive credit towards their CLE requirements for:

• Teaching CLE: Attorneys can earn teaching credits through courses accredited by the Illinois MCLE Board. Total teaching credits earned equals the actual presentation time PLUS six (6) times that number counted as preparation time. No more than 10 CLE credits per reporting cycle can be earned for preparation of written materials.
• Judging Moot Court Arguments: Attorneys may earn CLE credit for judging moot court arguments conducted by law students. This includes all types of simulation exercises, such as mock trials, transactionals, negotiations, arbitrations, and mediations offered to law students by law schools.
• Completing the Year-Long Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program: Experienced Attorneys can earn their entire Professional Responsibility requirement (up to 6 CLE credits) by completing the Mentoring Program as either a mentor or mentee. The mentors plan must be preapproved by the Commission on Professionalism.
  • Eligibility Requirements: Mentor must have been in practice for a minimum of 5 years and the mentee must complete the program within the first 5 years of their practice or the mentor and mentee are participating in the ARDC Mentoring Program.
  • More information can be found here.
• Attending Law School Courses: Experienced Attorneys can earn CLE credits for attending J.D. or graduate law courses in an ABA-accredited law school. Credits are earned based on the number of class hours attended, up to 30 credits per reporting period.
• Attending Bar Association Meetings: Attorneys attending bar association meetings where subjects meeting MCLE standards are discussed, can earn CLE credits for the time at the meeting.
• Attending Cross-Disciplinary Programs: Seminars that contain materials that cross academic disciplines (e.g. accounting-tax or medical-legal) can be considered by the MCLE Board for full or partial credit if deemed appropriate.
• Teaching Part-Time at an ABA Accredited Law School or a Law Course at a University: Attorneys can earn teaching credits through being guest instructor, moderator, part-time teacher, or serving as a judge on moot court arguments, mock trials, etc. Total teaching credits earned equals the actual presentation time PLUS three (3) times that number counted as preparation time. A repeated presentation with the same material is worth ½ the CLE credits for teaching time. An attorney cannot earn additional credits for additional presentations after the second. Note, full-time teachers and guest speakers do not earn CLE credits.
• Attending Pro Bono Training: Attorneys earn 1 CLE credit for each hour attended.
  

Experienced Attorneys must complete their CLE requirement by 11:59pm on June 30th of the second year of their reporting cycle. The year in which they report depends on their reporting group.

The Compliance Groups are as follows (by attorney last name):

Group 1: A-M, the reporting period starts July 1 of even numbered years and ends June 30 of the following even-numbered year. (Ex: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2024)

Group 2: N-Z, the reporting period starts on July 1 of odd numbered years and June 30 of the following odd-numbered year. (Ex: July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2025)

Yes! Attorneys can carry over up to 10 CLE credits, including Professional Responsibility hours.

Attorneys in Illinois are divided into two different reporting groups based on attorneys’ last names. Attorneys with last names beginning with A-M have a reporting compliance period that begins on July 1 of even numbered years and ends on June 30 two years later. (Ex: July 1 2022 - June 30 2024).

Attorneys with last names beginning with N-Z have a reporting compliance period beginning on July 1 of odd numbered years and ending on June 30 two years later (Ex: July 1 2023 - June 30 2025).

The MCLE Board automatically enters a report of compliance for you when your transcript reflects that you’ve met your compliance. Please see here for more information regarding the online transcripts.

Lawline reports attendance weekly, on Tuesdays. Please ensure that your ARDC number is filled out and correct in your profile and allow up to 5 business for your credits to be processed by the IL MCLE board.  For more information, see the IL MCLE Board's FAQ.

Notes:

• Please note attorneys must add carryover credits to their transcript if they want them applied to their MCLE requirements. See How to Add Carryover Credit tutorial by the MCLE Board.
• Please note attorneys must add any nontraditional credits to their transcript if they want them applied to their MCLE requirements. (Nontraditional credits include writing published legal scholarship, teaching law courses at a law school or undergraduate institution, or judging law school training simulations) See How to Report Nontraditional Credit tutorial by the MCLE Board.