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In what cases will attendance at law school courses qualify for CLE credit?

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

Important: for attendance at a law school course to count toward your MCLE requirements, you need to add this credit to your online transcript. See details below.

In some situations, an attorney can earn CLE from this nontraditional activity by attending a J.D. or graduate level law course at an ABA-accredited law school. Credit typically is given only for taking courses after Illinois bar admission, but the Board may approve credit for courses taken before admission if the attorney establishes that it furthers CLE objectives. When auditing a course, the attorney must comply with requirements for tuition payment(s), attendance, participation, and exams.

Calculating CLE credit for attending a qualifying law school course
CLE credit is calculated based on the actual class hours attended, but the maximum earned during any newly-admitted or two-year reporting period is limited to 30 hours. Credit is accrued at the end of the course. Rule 795(d)(2).

Claiming CLE credit for attending a qualifying law course: the law school issues certificate and attorney makes online entry 
For the attorney to claim credit, (1) the qualifying law school must give the attorney a certificate stating that the attorney has complied with the course requirements and attended sufficient classes to justify course credit if the attorney was taking the course for credit, and (2) the attorney needs to enter these credits in their online transcript on the Board's website.

  1. The law school issues a certificate for attending a law course
    We strongly suggest the law school use the Board’s form certificate. If another certificate is used, it must contain all the information contained on the Board’s form certificate.

  2. The attorney enters credits in their online transcript
    An attorney must add the CLE credit they claim for attending a qualifying law course to their online transcript on the MCLE Board's website. Click here for information on adding CLE for attending a qualifying law course to your online transcript. That link includes information on the steps to request professional responsibility CLE credit for this activity.

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