December 31 is the deadline for attorneys with last names beginning with the letters M through Z to complete their CLE hours.

December 31 is the deadline for attorneys with last names beginning with the letters M through Z to complete their CLE hours.

Attorneys with last names beginning with the letters M through Z need to complete their Continuing Legal Education (CLE) hours by December 31.

Attorneys are required to complete 24 CLE hours (every two years), including one hour of instruction on ethics, one hour of instruction on professionalism, and a half-hour of instruction on substance abuse. Judges are required to complete 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. Ohio’s attorneys are split in two groups according to the alphabetical listing of their last name for reporting purposes. Attorneys with last names beginning with the letters A through L must earn their hours by the end of 2013.

In addition to the hour requirement, attorneys are also required to file a report of their compliance on or before January 31 of the year following their two-year reporting period. M through Z attorneys may file their transcripts electronically through the online site, by clicking on the “CLE Transcript Reporting” button on the front page of the Supreme Court’s website or by mail. Online transcripts must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, January 31, 2013. Mailed transcripts must be postmarked no later than January 31, 2013.

Attorneys who fail to comply with the hour and reporting requirements will be subject to late fees and may be sanctioned or suspended from the practice of law.

View a list of approved CLE courses or a list of pre-approved self-study (including online) activities. Attorneys may receive credit for no more than six self-study CLE hours each reporting period.

Reporting transcripts will be mailed this week. Call 614.387.9320 with any questions.

Rule amendments adopted last month will make changes to CLE requirements effective January 1, 2014.