Continuing Legal Education FAQs


What is Continuing Legal Education and what is the purpose of this requirement?

Colorado adopted the mandatory continuing legal education requirement (MCLE) in 1979. MCLE is professional development for lawyers and judges; the purpose of which is to promote and sustain competence and professionalism, and to ensure that lawyers and judges remain current on the law, law practice management, and technology. The CLE rules establish minimum requirements for continuing legal education necessary to remain authorized to practice law in this state; the CLE rules and regulations provide the guidance for our Office and the Colorado Supreme Court Committee on Continuing Legal and Judicial Education to accredit activities for CLE and enforcement of the requirements.

Where can I find announcements about CLE Rule and Regulation changes?

Announcements about CLE Rule and Regulatory changes are sent to all attorneys via email, typically through targeted emails and the OARC newsletter. Announcements can also be found here on our website.

What is the hourly MCLE Requirement?

The MCLE requirement for all actively licensed Colorado lawyers (under the age of 72) is 45 credit hours of CLE, of which seven must be professional responsibility. C.R.C.P. 250.2(1).

BEGINNING January 1, 2023: the seven hours devoted to professional responsibility must include the following: At least two credit hours in the area of equity, diversity, and inclusivity, and at least five credit hours in the areas of legal ethics or legal professionalism. All actively licensed attorneys who are required to comply with Colorado’s CLE requirements – in all compliance periods – must comply with this requirement.

When must I complete my MCLE requirements?

Your MCLE obligation begins on the date of your admission or certification to the bar of the State of Colorado. The first compliance period begins on the date of admission or certification and ends on the 31st of December of the third full calendar year following the year of admission or certification to practice law in Colorado. For non-lawyer judges, the first CLE compliance period begins on the date of appointment as a judge and ends on the 31st of December of the third full calendar year following the year of appointment as a judge. Subsequent MCLE compliance periods begin on the 1st of January immediately following a previous compliance period and end on the 31st of December of the third full calendar year thereafter.

For example, if you are admitted to Colorado on May 10, 2019, your first compliance period runs from May 10, 2019 to December 31, 2022 – assuming you were on active status during that entire time. Your subsequent compliance period would run from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025 – assuming you were on active status during that entire time.

You must complete all CLE activities by December 31 of the final year in your compliance period, but you have until January 31 of the following month to report compliance. In the above example, you would need to complete your CLE activities by December 31, 2022, but you would have until January 31, 2023 to report the activities to our Office. We encourage you to report your CLE activities at the time of completion, in order to avoid late fees and penalties for reporting late compliance.

Are there any specialized or specific types of CLE credits I must complete for the MCLE requirement?

Yes. You are required to complete 45 CLE hours, of which seven must be devoted to professional responsibility. The seven hours devoted to professional responsibility must address one of the following specific issues within the practice of law and in the legal profession, and include the following: At least two credit hours in the area of equity, diversity, and inclusivity, and at least five credit hours in the areas of legal ethics or legal professionalism.

  • Legal ethics is an activity of portion of an activity that addresses the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct, the Colorado Code of Judicial Conduct, similar rules of other jurisdictions, the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, the ABA Model Rules of Judicial Conduct, or legal authority related to any of the above specified rules.
  • Legal professionalism is an activity or portion of an activity devoted to the values embodied in the Colorado Attorney Oath of Admission and the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct, which require attorneys to act with civility, integrity, honesty, candor, fairness, trust, respect, dignity and courtesy.
  • Equity, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI) is an activity or portion of an activity that addresses equal access to the legal system; competent representation of diverse populations; or the recognition, mitigation, or elimination of bias in the legal profession or the legal system
Where are the Rules and Regulations that govern MCLE in Colorado?

The Mandatory Continuing Legal and Judicial Education rules are in C.R.C.P. 250, et seq. A PDF copy of the rules can be found on our website. The CLJE Regulations, also found on our website, provide guidance for lawyers on accreditable MCLE activities, as well as guidance for MCLE providers. Our Office and the CLJE Committee are governed by the rules and regulations for accreditation and enforcement decisions and processes.

Who must comply with the MCLE requirement?

All licensed attorneys that are registered as “active” with Colorado and under the age of 72 must comply with the MCLE requirement, including those on a limited license: Single Client, Judge Advocate, Military Spouse, and Law Professor. If you are certified to practice law in Colorado as a Foreign Legal Consultant (C.R.C.P. 204.2) or Pro Bono Counsel (C.R.C.P. 204.6), you are not required to complete or report MCLE in Colorado.

Is there an Age Exemption?

Yes. In the compliance period in which you turn age 72 and you remain on active status, you will become exempt from MCLE. C.R.C.P. 250.2(7)(b). You will be able to continue to enter your MCLE activities in your transcript, but you will not be required to do so under Rule 250.

I have a limited license to practice in Colorado, must I comply with the MCLE requirement?

If you are certified to practice law in Colorado as a Foreign Legal Consultant (C.R.C.P. 204.2) or Pro Bono Counsel (C.R.C.P. 204.6), you are not required to complete or report MCLE in Colorado. All licensed attorneys that are registered as “active” with Colorado and under the age of 72 must comply with the MCLE requirement, including those on a limited license: Single Client, Judge Advocate, Military Spouse, and Law Professor.

My license to practice law in Colorado is on Inactive, Suspended, or Disability Inactive status. Do I have to continue earning CLE credits?

Your obligation to comply with your CLE obligations during a compliance period will be deferred if you have been suspended for any reason other than noncompliance with the CLE rules (C.R.C.P. 250), have elected to transfer to inactive status, or have been placed on disability inactive status by Court order. However, upon reinstatement or return to active status, your compliance period will be calculated as follows:

  • If you remained on suspension, inactive status, or disability inactive status for one year or longer, the start of the compliance period will begin on the date of reinstatement from suspension or disability inactive status, or date of transfer to active status, and will end on the 31st of December of the third full calendar year following the start of the compliance period.
  • If you remained suspended, on inactive status, or on disability inactive status for less than one year, the compliance period will not be recalculated. However, upon reinstatement or return to active status, you will have 91 days from the date of reinstatement or return to active status, or the remainder of the original compliance period, whichever is longer, to complete and report all deferred CLE requirements as otherwise set forth under C.R.C.P. 250.7 (Compliance), and to pay any penalties or fees that accrued before the suspension or transfer to inactive status. Failure to complete deferred CLE requirements or to pay related penalties or fees during this 91-day period will subject you to suspension pursuant to C.R.C.P. 250.7(8). See C.R.C.P. 250.2(4) (Lawyer Status and Compliance) and 250.2(5)(Modification of Compliance Period).

Please contact our Office if you need assistance in understanding your CLE obligations and compliance period when your licensure status is moved back to Active following a period of inactivity or suspension.

How do I report my MCLE compliance?

Colorado is a self-reporting state. Most lawyers complete their MCLE requirements by attending live CLE programs or on-demand pre-recorded programs that have been accredited by our Office. If you attend a CLE program or complete an on-demand CLE program, the sponsor of that program WILL NOT report your attendance or the completion of an on-demand program to our Office. You must certify and submit notice of your attendance to a CLE program or completion of an on-demand program to your online transcript at www.cletrack.coloradosupremecourt.com. The easiest way to report your attendance at a program or completion of an on-demand program is to have the Colorado Program ID before you begin entry. All providers should be able to give you the program ID issued by our Office when the program was accredited.

Only programs that have been accredited by our Office can be entered online directly to your transcript. To report an activity to our Office other than a Colorado-accredited live program or homestudy, you will need to complete and submit the appropriate form to our Office for review and processing.

When entering your credit hours, remember that ‘general’ credits comprises the total number of hours for which a program has been accredited. If a program has also been granted credit for professional responsibility (legal ethics, legal professionalism, and/or equity, diversity and inclusivity), do not subtract those credits from the ‘general’ category. For instance, if a program has been accredited for 6 general credits, of which 4 legal ethics credits have been granted – if you attended 100% of the program you will enter 6 in the general credits box and 4 in the legal ethics box. DO not subtract from these categories unless you did not attend the full course. One CLE credit hour equals 50 minutes of instruction.

How do I find out how many credits I’ve reported, how many more I need to earn or what is my compliance period?

To view a copy of your CLE transcript that shows what activities and the number of credits reported to our Office, log into your online transcript here. Your transcript shows how many overall credits you have reported and your CLE compliance period.

How do I know if a CLE live program or an On-demand program has been accredited in Colorado?

Live Programs: The sponsor of the course should provide an accreditation certificate that has the Colorado program ID that was issued by this Office or at a minimum provide you with the Program ID issued by our Office. (All Colorado Course Approval certificates and affidavits have the approved Program ID on the document – typically in the lower left corner.)

It is important that you are certain that a program is accredited in Colorado before attending. If you are unsure, you should contact the provider of the program or consult the list on our website of programs accredited by our Office to determine if a program is accredited. Please remember to report your attendance at a Colorado-accredited CLE program by reporting completion on your online CLE transcript here.

If you attend a live program/conference out-of-Colorado AND the program/conference was not accredited by our Office, you may obtain credit for attending the program/conference if the program otherwise meets the requirements of Regulation 103.1 for accreditation by filling out and submitting a Form 1B online. Typically a program/conference that has been accredited for CLE in another jurisdiction is eligible for accreditation in Colorado, with few exceptions. Please note, variations exist between jurisdictions as to what is an eligible CLE activity for professional responsibility credits.

Completing a CLE Homestudy/OnDemand Webinar. You may obtain credit for a pre-recorded activity generally referred to in Colorado as a homestudy. Often homestudies are provided as a pre-recorded on-demand video program, downloadable audio file, DVD, or audio CD. You should ensure that the homestudy is already accredited in Colorado before you purchase the content. Contact the provider of the homestudy or consult the list of accredited programs on our website to determine if a program is accredited. Please remember to report your completion of a Colorado-accredited homestudy program by reporting completion on your online CLE transcript here.

If the homestudy is not accredited by our Office and the provider does not intend to have the program accredited, you may obtain credit for completing the homestudy by submitting for independent study credit using a Form 7. Please note that you may obtain a maximum of nine general credits for independent study activities during your compliance period AND professional responsibility credits may not be granted under independent study. Please see CJLE Regulation 103.5 for more information.

May I obtain credit for doing Pro Bono work?

You may earn a maximum of nine CLE credit hours during each three-year compliance period for providing uncompensated pro bono legal representation to indigent or near-indigent persons, or supervising a law student providing such representation through a qualified entity under C.R.C.P. 250.9. Professional responsibility credit may not be earned under this rule. You may receive one CLE credit for every five billable-equivalent hours of representation provided to the indigent client; if you act as a supervisor to a law student for an assigned pro bono matter you may be awarded three CLE credit hours per completed matter.

To be eligible for CLE credit hours for providing uncompensated pro bono representation, the pro bono legal matter in which you have provided representation must have been assigned to you by: a court; a bar association or Access to Justice Committee-sponsored program; a law school; or an organized, non-profit entity, such as Legal Services Corporation, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, or Colorado Lawyers Committee, whose purpose is or includes the provision of pro bono representation to indigent or near-indigent persons.

To be eligible for CLE credit hours for providing supervision to a law student for an assigned pro bono matter, the matter must be assigned to the law student by a court, program, law school, or entity as described above, or an organized student law office program administered by their law school, after such court, program, entity, or student law office determines that the client is eligible for pro bono representation. You must be available to the law student for information and advice on all aspects of the matter and must directly and actively supervise the law student while allowing the law student to provide representation to the client. You must file or enter an appearance along with the law student in any legal matter pursued or defended for the client in any court. Lawyers may be acting as full-time or adjunct professors at the law student’s law school at the same time they serve as supervising lawyers so long as it is not a primary, paid responsibility of that professor to administer the student law office and supervise its law-student participants.

Prior to assigning the matter, the assigning court, program, law school, or entity must determine that the client is financially eligible for pro bono legal representation because (a) the client qualifies for participation in programs funded by the Legal Services Corporation, or (b) the client’s income and financial resources are slightly above the guidelines utilized by such programs, but the client nevertheless cannot afford counsel.

You may obtain credit for participating in qualified pro bono activities by submitting the information on Form 8; the form requires information and signatures from the submitting attorney as well as a representative from the assigning entity.

As to supervising a law student, you can submit the form when the matter is fully completed.

As to pro bono representation, if the representation will be concluded during a single three-year compliance period, then you will complete and submit the form when the representation is fully completed. If the representation will continue into another three-year compliance period, then you may submit an interim form seeking such credit as you may be eligible to receive during the three-year compliance period that is coming to an end. Upon receipt of an interim or final form, the assigning court, program, law school, or entity must in turn report to the CLJE Office the number of CLE credit hours that it recommends be awarded.

May I obtain credit for participating in the Colorado Attorney Mentoring Program?

You may obtain credit for participating in the CAMP program as a mentor or a mentee. The Executive Director of CAMP will submit your CAMP-approved CLE form to our Office for processing. For more information about the CAMP program, please visit https://coloradomentoring.org/

If I teach a CLE program, will I receive credit for it?

You may obtain credit for teaching a course that has been accredited for CLE in Colorado or any other mandatory CLE/CPD (continuing professional development) jurisdiction. Regulation 103.2; please submit a Form 5. You may earn five CLE credits hours for every 50 minutes spent in teaching an accredited CLE program or earn two CLE credits for every 50 minutes spent moderating or presenting as a panelist for an accredited CLE program; you may not earn attendance credits for the teaching segment of a program but you may submit for CLE attendance credit for other segments of the program you attended but did not teach.

If the course was not accredited for CLE by any mandatory CLE/CPD jurisdiction, you may submit for credit under Independent Study by submitting a Form 7.

How do I receive CLE credit for research and/or writing activity?

You may obtain credit for published research provided the activity (1) has produced published findings personally authored, in whole or part, by you, (2) contributes substantially to your continuing legal education and other lawyers or judges, and (3) is not done in the ordinary course of the practice of law, the performance of judicial duties or other regular employment. Regulation 103.3; please fill-out and submit a Form 6 to our office. You may earn one CLE credit hour for every two hours of research and writing time.

Please note, that under Regulation 103.1(4), credit cannot be granted for writing a legal article, newsletter, blog or other written product that was published by you, your law firm or other employer or that was not subject to peer review. This provision may affect accreditation for law review articles written by tenured law professors as a part of their employment obligations, articles written for non-legal trade magazines, and preparing course materials.

How do I receive CLE credit for participating in Committee Research that results in published findings?

You may obtain credit for research conducted on behalf of a committee if the activity provided substantial educational value to lawyers and judges outside the committee. The activity (1) must have produced written materials, personally authored, in whole or part, by the applicant, (2) must have contributed substantially to the continuing legal education of the applicant and other lawyers and judges, and (3) must not have been done in the ordinary course of the practice of law, the performance of judicial duties or other regular employment. Regulation 103.4; please fill out and submit Form 6A to our office. You may earn one CLE credit hour for every two hours of committee research and writing time.

Can I receive credit for any Independent Study activities that are not otherwise an accredited program or activity?

You may obtain up to nine general credits per compliance period for:

  1. Attending or teaching a non-accredited*, structured course that was produced for law-related or practice management educational purposes;
  2. Attending or teaching a non-accredited professional educational course that trains participants in the use of non-legal software or technology skills;
  3. Attending a required training to serve as a judge or evaluator in a mock trial, moot court or client counseling competition, class, or program;
  4. Participating in Access to Justice clinics held for the public, sponsored by a state judicial entity, a bar association, or an entity defined in C.R.C.P. 250.9(2).
  5. Time spent actively engaged as a legislator in the Colorado General Assembly

Independent study must involve active participation in an educational endeavor which is beneficial to your practice and is not a part of your ordinary practice of law, the performance of judicial duties, or performed as primary functions of regular employment.

You may not earn professional responsibility credits for an Independent Study activity. Regulation 103.5; please fill-out and submit a Form 7 to our office. Computation of credits for the independent study activity follows the procedures of similar activities already provided for in the regulations.

*If you attend a LIVE program that was not accredited in Colorado, but otherwise meets the requirements for accreditation, you can submit a Form 1B requesting accreditation for your participation in the program. If the program does not meet the requirements for CLE accreditation in Colorado, then you may alternatively receive credit for attending under the independent study regulation. A Form 1B is for attending a LIVE program; completion of an on-demand homestudy program that has not been accredited in Colorado can only be recognized under the independent study regulation.

May I claim credit for attending a LLM course or other graduate-level course?

You may obtain credit for graduate level legal courses and courses taken in pursuit of an LLM degree. The courses must be administered by an accredited law school. Submit a Form 1C.

I’m licensed in Colorado. I took a CLE outside of Colorado and the program was not accredited in Colorado. May I still claim credit for the CLE?

Yes, with some limitations.

Prior to paying for and taking a CLE program, you may want to verify the program is accredited by the Colorado CLJE Office with the program provider. You can also consult the list of accredited programs or list of accredited homestudies located on our website here.

In-Person /Live Webinar: For out-of-state sponsored LIVE program for which the sponsor did not get the program accredited in Colorado, you may self-submit the course for accreditation by filing online a Form 1B Individual Attorney Application for Accreditation of Non-Accredited Live Out-of-State Seminar. This accreditation will only grant credits to the lawyer applying. Any other Colorado lawyers who attended the program will also need to submit the Form 1B. The course must meet the CLJE accreditation regulations to be granted credit. See Regulation 103.1 (Standards for Accreditation of CLE Programs) With a few exceptions, if the course has been granted credit in another jurisdiction, it is often indicative that it may be granted credit in Colorado; “jurisdiction” is not limited to the United States and its Territories – any activity that is continuing legal or continuing professional development produced for lawyers or judges may qualify.

If the program does not meet the requirements of Regulation 103.1, you may submit for credit under Regulation 103.5, Independent Study, by filling-out and submitting online a Form 7. You may receive a maximum of nine CLE credit hours during each three-year compliance period; professional responsibility credits may not be earned under this Regulation.

OnDemand Webinar/Homestudy: If you complete a non-live, On Demand/Homestudy program that has not been accredited in Colorado, you may submit for credit under Regulation 103.5, Independent Study Activities, by filling-out and submitting online a Form 7. You may receive a maximum of nine CLE credit hours during each three-year compliance period; professional responsibility credit may not be earned under this Regulation.

I am licensed in Colorado and in another jurisdiction which is my primary place of practice. I completed my CLE requirements in the other jurisdiction. May I use those credits to satisfy my Colorado CLE requirements?

Comity permits a Colorado-licensed lawyer to show compliance with their CLE obligations by meeting their CLE obligations in their home jurisdiction. Certain criteria would need to be met for comity to apply:

  1. Your primary business and home addresses on file with the Colorado Office of Attorney Registration is out-of-state and is within the jurisdiction you are licensed to practice (“home jurisdiction”);
  2. That your official address that has been on file with the Colorado Office of Attorney Registration for a minimum of 45-days prior to the end of your Colorado CLE Compliance period is in that home jurisdiction;
  3. Your primary residence is NOT Colorado – but in your home jurisdiction;
  4. Your home jurisdiction has mandatory CLE;
  5. You are and have been in compliance with the mandatory CLE requirements of your home jurisdiction during your entire three-year Colorado compliance period.

To submit for CLE Compliance via Comity, fill-out and submit this Form with a Certificate of Good Standing or a CLE Compliance Certificate/CLE Comity Certificate issued by your home jurisdiction. Screenshots of your attorney information from your home jurisdiction’s website will not be accepted. Do not submit copies of transcripts, affidavits, or other paperwork unless requested by our Office.

PLEASE NOTE that you should not file a Comity CLE Compliance Statement until you are in your third year of your Colorado CLE compliance period. For example, if your Colorado CLE Compliance period runs from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019, you would file your Comity Compliance statement and supporting certifications showing compliance in 2019.

How do I report a change of address?

Please submit an Address Change Request form. This will update your Colorado Attorney Registration and CLE records.

How are CLE credit hours calculated?

Add up the total number of minutes attended and divide by 50 minutes. This will give you the number of CLE credit hours. We round to the nearest whole number for overall general credit. For instance, 260 minutes divided by 50 minutes = 5.2 hours. This would be 5 hours of CLE credit in Colorado. We do not round up or down for professional responsibility credits; however, the total number of credits for professional responsibility cannot exceed the total number of credits for a program.

What if I take more credits than are required for my CLE Compliance period?

CLE credit hours completed in excess of the required 45 credit hours in any applicable compliance period may not be used to meet the minimum educational requirements in any subsequent compliance period.

What if my CLE hours are not reported by January 31 following my compliance period?

Please see the directions for CLE Noncompliance guidelines located here on our website regarding filing Late Affidavits and a Make-up Plan, and associated fees. Failure to file a Make-up Plan or late affidavits may result in the administrative suspension of your license to practice law in Colorado.

What happens if I do not comply with the requirements within my compliance period?

Please see the directions for CLE Noncompliance guidelines located here on our website regarding filing Late Affidavits and a Make-up Plan, and associated fees. Failure to file a Make-up Plan or late affidavits may result in the administrative suspension of your license to practice law in Colorado.

If I am unable to complete my requirements prior to my deadline, may I be granted an extension of time?

Please see the directions for CLE Noncompliance guidelines located here on our website regarding filing a Make-Up Plan.

How do I have my license reinstated after being placed on administrative suspension due to non-compliance with my CLE requirements?

Please see the directions for Reinstatement following an administrative suspension for CLE noncompliance located here. A petition for Reinstatement must be filed with the Colorado Supreme Court, through the CLJE Office.