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When can an attorney earn CLE credit for attending or teaching a bar association or professional organization meeting?


A meeting of a bar association or professional organization (defined as an entity virtually identical to a bar association but without the words "bar association" in its name) qualifies for Illinois MCLE credit if it includes a "CLE-eligible presentation." Rule 795(d)(3). A CLE-eligible presentation needs to include instruction on or facilitated discussion of substantive law, matters of practice, professionalism, diversity/inclusion, mental health/substance abuse, civility, or legal ethics. The instruction or facilitated discussion must include significant intellectual, educational or practical content, have a primary objective of increasing each participant's professional competence as an attorney, and deal primarily with matters related to the practice of law.

Each qualifying CLE-eligible presentation within the meeting is eligible for no more than one hour of attendance MCLE credit. 

Attorneys teaching a CLE-eligible presentation at a qualifying meeting earn teaching CLE credit for this activity. For more information on how teaching credit is calculated, click here. 

For attorneys to earn credit from a qualifying meeting, the bar association or professional organization must report the attendance and teaching credit earned to the MCLE Board. The entity needs to report that credit by the 15th of the next month after the credit is earned. It must also issue attorneys at its meeting an attendance or teaching certificate reflecting the number of Illinois CLE credits earned at the meeting.

After the association or organization reports your attendance, credit earned for attendance or teaching at the meeting will display on your My MCLE transcript on the Board’s website. If teaching credit is reported for an attorney, the attorney will be prompted to confirm entry of that credit to the transcript when logged into their My MCLE home page. Click here  for more information on how to confirm teaching credit through your My MCLE home page.  

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