As a newly admitted attorney, what are my MCLE requirements and deadlines?
Newly-admitted attorneys in Illinois have specific Newly-Admitted Attorney (“NAA”) MCLE requirements that differ from the two-year reporting period requirements.
Before starting to earn credits to satisfy the NAA requirements, click here to determine whether you are exempt from them.
Attorneys must report an exemption based on compliance as an out-of-state attorney no later than their NAA initial credit reporting deadline to avoid a late fee. If an attorney qualifies for any exemption based on an attorney’s ARDC registration records the Board reports that exemption for the attorney.
If you are not exempt from the requirements, you need to:
- Complete an accredited Basic Skills Course or enroll in a mentoring program approved by the Commission on Professionalism by your initial credit completion deadline.
- Click here for more information on finding an accredited Basic Skills Course. Depending on the accredited course you complete, you will receive a minimum of 6 hours of professional responsibility credit for completing a Basic Skills course.
- Click here for more information on finding a mentoring program approved by the Commission. You will receive a total of 6 hours of credit, including 4 hours of professional responsibility credit, 1 hour of diversity and inclusion credit, and 1 hour of mental health and substance abuse credit for completing the Commission on Professionalism's mentorship program.
- You also complete additional hours of Illinois-approved CLE credit to total 15 hours, including any amount of PR credit by your initial credit completion deadline.
- You can use both an accredited Basic Skills Course and an approved mentoring program to reach the 15 required hours.
- Click here for information on what types of courses and activities qualify for approved CLE credit.
- By your initial credit reporting deadline, your transcript must reflect your compliance by your initial credit completion deadline to avoid a $250.00 late fee.
To see your specific NAA deadlines, log in to the Board’s website here. After logging in, your NAA deadlines will appear below your full name.
The deadline to complete NAA requirement is one year after the last day of month in which you were admitted to the Illinois bar. Example: those admitted to the Illinois bar in May 2023 have May 31, 2024 as their NAA initial credit completion deadline. The deadline to report your compliance is 31 days after that completion deadline.
The MCLE Board mails or emails you an Initial Notice about your NAA requirement, including your initial credit completion and initial credit reporting deadlines, no later than the first day of the month before your initial credit completion deadline.
You will have 31 days after your initial credit completion deadline to confirm that all credits earned by your initial credit completion deadline are reflected on your transcript. This date is your initial credit reporting deadline.
To avoid fees, (1) CLE hours must be completed by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on your initial credit completion deadline, and (2) by your initial credit reporting deadline, your online transcript on the Board's website must reflect that you earned all the required credits no later than your initial credit completion deadline.
If you don’t meet these deadlines, you’ll incur a $250.00 late fee and ultimately risk removal from the master roll of attorneys. If you are removed from the master roll for MCLE noncompliance, you cannot practice law using your Illinois license until that removal is addressed and the $500.00 reinstatement fee is paid. Click here for more information on the consequences of failing to meet your NAA requirement deadline.
Going forward, your initial two-year reporting period begins on the July 1 after your newly admitted attorney initial credit completion deadline – in an even-numbered year for A-M last names and in an odd-numbered year for N-Z last names. Click here for more information on determining when your first two-year reporting period begins.
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