New Attorney's - CLE Requirements

"Rule 793. Requirement for Newly-Admitted Attorneys

(a) Scope
Except as specified in paragraph (f), every Illinois attorney admitted to practice on or after October 1, 2011, must complete the requirement for newly-admitted attorneys described in paragraph (c).

(b) Completion Deadline
The requirements established in paragraphs (c), (f) and (h) must be completed by the last day of the month that occurs one year after the newly-admitted attorney’s admission to practice in Illinois.

(c) Elements of the Requirement for Newly-Admitted Attorneys

The requirement for newly-admitted attorneys includes three elements:

(1) A Basic Skills Course of no less than six hours covering topics such as practice techniques and procedures under the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct, client communications, use of trust accounts, attorneys’ other obligations under the Court’s Rules, required record keeping, professional responsibility topics (which may include professionalism, diversity and inclusion, mental health and substance abuse, and civility) and may cover other rudimentary elements of practice. The Basic Skills Course must include at least six hours approved for professional responsibility credit. An attorney may satisfy this requirement by participating in a mentoring program approved by the Commission on Professionalism pursuant to Rule 795(d)(11); and

(2) At least nine additional hours of MCLE credit. These nine hours may include any number of hours approved for professional responsibility credit;

(3) Reporting to the MCLE Board as required by Rule 796.
(d) Exemption From Other Requirements
During this period, the newly-admitted lawyer shall be exempt from the other MCLE requirements, including Rule 794(d)(2). A newly-admitted attorney may earn carryover credit as established by Rule 794(c)(2).
(e) Initial Reporting Period

The newly admitted attorney’s initial two-year reporting period for complying with the MCLE requirements contained in Rule 794 shall commence, following the deadline for the attorney to complete the newly-admitted attorney requirement, on the next July 1 of an even-numbered year for lawyers whose last names begin with a letter A through M, and on the next July 1 of an odd-numbered year for lawyers whose last names begin with a letter N through Z."

Free basic skills courses are available to meet your basic skills CLE requirement, including the following:

https://www.isba.org/newlawyers/cle

https://www.iicle.com/newlawyer

To track your CLE, check www.mcleboard.org.

For mentoring programs, check www.2civility.org/programs/mentoring/

--Shirley Wilgenbusch
SCBA CLE
shirley.wilgenbusch@gmail.com