As the spread of COVID-19 continues to prevent in-person continuing legal education (CLE) programs across the state, the Ohio Supreme Court has temporarily lifted self-study credit limitations for lawyers and judges to fulfill their biannual requirements.

The latest waiver impacts attorneys and judges whose last names begin with the letters M through Z. Their compliance period ends Dec. 31, 2022.

In the Supreme Court’s Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio and the Rules for the Judiciary of Ohio, self-study credits are limited to 12 hours. Lawyers must complete 24 hours of CLE every two years. For judges, it’s 40 hours.

Similar waivers have been issued the past two compliance periods amid the pandemic, including one affecting lawyers with a last name that starts from A through L. Their biennium ends Dec. 31 of this year.

Courses already approved by the Court’s Commission on Continuing Legal Education can be found through the CLE activity search on the Supreme Court’s website.