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When can an attorney earn CLE credit for attending or teaching a live out-of-state or live technology course not accredited for Illinois credit by the course provider?

Supreme Court Rule(s) cited in this FAQ: Rule 791 and 795.

Before you register for a course, please check that the provider has accredited it for Illinois MCLE credit. Contact the course provider and ask whether the course is accredited for Illinois MCLE credit (either as an Accredited CLE Provider or through an individual course application) or intends to apply.

When a provider does not seek Illinois MCLE credit for a course, an attorney may apply to claim Illinois attendance or teaching CLE credit for certain live out-of-state or live technology courses.

Click here to search the Board’s database of all courses accredited for Illinois CLE credit by the course provider.

Important note on recorded courses: providers may apply to accredit a recorded course for Illinois MCLE credit. When the provider does not do so, there is no option for an attorney to apply to earn Illinois MCLE credit for a recorded course. Rule 795(c)(5).

An attorney submits online to claim Illinois CLE credit for attending or teaching the course if:
  1. Out-of-state course held live in person
    The course was held in person in a U.S. state but outside Illinois (courses held outside the 50 U.S. states are not eligible) and:
    • In a state with a comparable MCLE accreditation process (states identified below), and the course was accredited for CLE credit in that state, or
    • In a state, or the District of Columbia, without a comparable MCLE accreditation process (states identified below), and the course was accredited for CLE credit in any other state with a comparable MCLE accreditation process (states identified below)

    OR

  2. Course held via live technology

    The course was held via live audio or live video and it was accredited for CLE credit in any other U.S. state with a comparable MCLE accreditation process (state identified below). The course’s speakers and participating attorneys do not need to be located outside Illinois for the course to qualify.

Rule 795(c)(5)

States with comparable CLE accreditation processes
As of January 1, 2023, 43 U.S. states have comparable CLE accreditation processes. There are no comparable accreditation processes in these jurisdictions: Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and the District of Columbia. All other states have comparable processes. 

Claiming CLE credit from qualifying live out-of-state or live technology course
Before claiming CLE credit for a course, an attorney should determine if he/she can claim an out-of-state attorney exemption from earning Illinois credits under Rule 791(a)(6). Click here for information on which out-of-state attorneys qualify for this exemption. 

To claim attendance or teaching CLE credit for a qualifying out-of-state course, an attorney must add that credit to their My MCLE online record using the MCLE Board’s website. The attorney also pays a $15 non-refundable fee for each qualifying out-of-state course they claim Illinois CLE credit for attending or teaching.

When adding the credit to their record on the MCLE Board’s website, an attorney has the option to request that the Commission on Professionalism approve all or a portion of the course for Illinois professional responsibility (PR) credit. There is no additional fee to request PR credit.

Click here for more information on adding CLE credit from a qualifying live out-of-state or live technology course to your record. The information will also explain why the number of Illinois CLE credits you claim from a qualifying course may not match the other state’s CLE credits for the course. 

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