The Ohio Supreme Court Office of Attorney Services today reminded more than 1,300 attorneys with last names beginning with the letters M through Z that they have until April 30 to make up their continuing legal education hour deficiencies. By May 31, they also must file a report of their compliance with the hour requirement and submit the corresponding late compliance fee or risk being sanctioned or suspended.

Attorneys are required to complete 24 CLE hours, including one hour of instruction on ethics, one hour of instruction on professionalism, and a half-hour of instruction on substance abuse, every two years. Judges have an increased hour requirement of 40 hours every two years and also must attend Judicial College courses.

Attorneys whose last names begin with the letters M through Z are required to earn their hours by the end of every even-numbered year, which encompasses the current reporting period that covers the years 2011 and 2012. Attorneys then must file a report of their compliance on or before January 31 of the year following their two-year reporting period. Ohio’s attorneys are split in two groups according to the alphabetical listing of their last name for reporting purposes.

To submit a request for late compliance, a Continuing Legal Education Late Compliance Reporting Form (Form 19) should be completed providing evidence of the CLE activities that have been completed to remove the deficiencies for the 2011/2012 reporting period. The form should include the date, title, activity code number, and the number of hours completed. If applicable, the form should also be accompanied by the final reporting transcript.

Requests for late compliance must be submitted with the late compliance fee, postmarked on or before May 31. Failure to submit the request for late compliance by the May 31 deadline, will result in the Commission on Continuing Legal Education issuing a monetary sanction and/or suspension from the practice of law.

In addition to mailing notices of noncompliance last week, the Office of Attorney Services also mailed postcards to more than 17,300 M-Z attorneys who have complied with the CLE rules.

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