Kentucky CLE Requirements Explained
The Kentucky Bar Association requires that all active members complete 12.5 hours of continuing legal education during each year. This 12.5 hour requirement must be satisfied by July 31st of each year, as all Kentucky attorneys are on a fiscal year and not a calendar year. The Kentucky Bar not only requires that these 12.5 hours be completed, but it must be stated with a minimum of 2.5 of those hours in the area of ethics.
The Bar is very specific when outlining the type of credits that will be acceptable. They will not grant credits for just any program found on the Internet. They understand that many attorneys are involved in community service and may need a refresher course in Public Speaking, but the only programs that will be accepted are those that have been accredited by the Kentucky Bar Association. In their brochure they list:
•Live and Recorded Instruction through Kentucky and Nationally Accredited Providers
•Television Programs accredited by the Kentucky Board of Continuing Legal Education
•Webinars and Podcasts accredited by the Kentucky Board of Continuing Legal Education
•DVDs/MP3s/CD-Roms accredited by the Kentucky Board of Continuing Legal Education
•Formats accredited by the Commission of Continuing Legal Education at the Kentucky Bar Association
You can view the KBA’s website for more clarification on what programs are acceptable if you click here .
Their guidelines for the minimum attendance requirements are just as strict. The KBA does not want an attorney signing up for a seven hour program and only attending thirty minutes of the program, and then submitting those 30 minutes to their Bar Card for their CLE requirements. The rules that they outline state:
•Live Courses (teleconferences, live lectures, on-site programs)
- half hour minimum attendance required
- partial attendance of less than half hour will not be accredited
- if the absence occurs during the first half of a longer program, neither half will be accredited
- unless verification of attendance is provided by the sponsor, attorneys claiming credit must sign in and out (in the case of a multi-day program, attorneys are also required to submit an attendance form for each day)
•Recorded Courses (DVDs/MP3s/CD-Roms)
– no minimum attendance time is required
•Written Materials
– no minimum attendance time is required – approved based on total hours of written materials (e.g., 1 hour program = 1 hour of credit)
How to Obtain CLE Credits in Kentucky
Attorneys in Kentucky can earn approved continuing legal education (CLE) credits via live seminars and webinars, various in-person events throughout the year and on-demand activities. The Kentucky Bar Association (KBA) now automatically awards CLE credits earned through seminars and webinars, eliminating the need to fill out CLE forms and submit them to the KBA. Attorneys can purchase CLE board-approved online courses fulfilling ethics, professionalism and professional responsibility requirements through the KBA’s online course catalog at any time.
Several additional Board-approved providers deliver board-approved CLE courses to Kentucky attorneys. The Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (KACDL) has approved the CLE provided through the organization’s KACDL Learning Center. Through the Kentucky Office of Continuing Legal Education (OCLE) Online Services, Kentucky attorneys can also access the Council on Legal Education, an online library of CLE program recordings and self-study materials. The OCLE Online Services platform offers Kentuckians a range of CLE content from the KBA and organizations like LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters. Other approved providers for meeting CLE requirements in Kentucky include: Many of these providers offer online and on-demand CLE opportunities; however, the KBA provides a comprehensive library of regularly updated online CLE programs for Kentucky attorneys looking for quick and easy ways to earn credits from any location.
Important Dates and Reporting of CLE Credits
Continuing legal education credits must be completed by December 31st of every year. Every attorney who is active in Kentucky must report a total of 12.5 credit hours, including 1.0 ethics credit hour each year.
If you’re an active member of the Kentucky Bar then you must complete your CLE requirements by year’s end. Failure to complete your CLE requirements, or failure to file your CLE completion certificate with the Kentucky Bar, will result in fees, penalties, and eventually suspension of your license. So be timely about completing your CLE, and also about filing your CLE certificate with the Kentucky Bar, to avoid these penalties and the many other inconveniences that will occur as a result of them.
The Advantages of Continuing Legal Education
The advantages of continuing legal education are numerous. First and foremost, these courses put attorneys on the cutting edge of recent developments in the law. This prevents malpractice claims that may arise from a failure to keep abreast of changes in the law . Second, these courses hone various aspects of legal practice to keep attorneys at the top of their game. Third, the courses provide invaluable networking opportunities among seasoned professionals. Finally, participation in CLE courses satisfies minimum requirements for maintaining professional competence established by the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Kentucky CLE Changes and Updates
Recently, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued new guidelines in Supreme Court Rule 3.650 that govern how attorneys should go about satisfying their continuing legal education requirements. These new rules are intended to better serve our ever-growing and increasingly demanding profession.
As a result, some new terms have been introduced. For instance, as of January 1, 2016, the requirement for instruction has been renamed CLE (continuing legal education). In the past, mediators received CLE credit by taking basic mediation courses; now specific mediation courses have to be taken for credits. As stated in the new rule, "the approved course must have mediation as its main subject matter." This means that the traditional formats for mediation CLEs will no longer be accepted. While traditional lecture-style events are still an option, mediators will have to determine whether or not they qualify as instruction, i.e. whether the course covers the necessary mediation concepts.
In addition, the new rule dictates that mediators must obtain two hours of substantive ethics education each year, for a total of four hours every two years. It is important to note that these courses have to be completed in the form of live presentations, which can be either online or in person. There is an important exception, however, for courses that run three or more hours and present instruction on substance or procedures relating specifically to mediation. These exceptions must be approved by the Executive Director of the Association.
Kentucky Attorney Resources for CLE
Continuing legal education is an ongoing requirement for attorneys in every state, and Kentucky is no different. The minimum required total of 12.5 hours of approved continuing legal education (CLE) each year includes at least one hour on legal ethics and one hour that utilizes live interactive video. Attorneys may also seek live CLE credits through a variety of online platforms. Given the landscape of CLE opportunities, attorneys don’t have to limit themselves to local bar association CLE seminars. Legal education providers like the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education offer a large variety of course topics to attorneys around the country, including CLE programs approved in Kentucky. Those who want to attend a live seminar to fulfill their credits can find the dates and locations of programs offered by Bar Association Resources, which provides the schedule for upcoming CLE events hosted by Kentucky bar associations. There are also many local law schools, in places like Lexington and Florence , that host continuing education seminars for Kentucky attorneys. The frequency and types of events offered by these schools varies by season; while more in-depth conference seminars require significant travel time and planning (and usually fill up quickly), other options do pop up regularly, like the recent "Facing Ethical Dilemmas in Family Law" program held by the Kentucky Bar Association. Other local organizations, like the Kettering Law School Alumni Committee, also occasionally host CLE events in Kentucky. Whether an attorney in the state is looking for a niche CLE program or a more general education event, there are a plethora of resources available. Kentucky attorneys must also understand the requirements specific to their situation when it comes to CLE credits. For example, Kentucky legal interns are held to different requirements that those of full attorneys. All attorneys who hold a license to practice in Kentucky must complete their CLE credits by December 31st each year.