The Supreme Court of Ohio has opened a 45-day period for public comment on proposed amendments to the Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio regarding continuing legal education (CLE) requirements for Ohio attorneys.

The current rules require attorneys to complete 24 hours of continuing legal education every two years, including at least 2.5 hours of “professional conduct” instruction (Gov. Bar R. X, Sec. 3(B)). That now includes any one or a combination of topics including access to justice and “fairness in matters of race, ethnicity, foreign origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, socio-economic status, or other relevant topics.”

The changes would revise the access to justice and fairness category to address “cultural competency” more specifically, as recommended by the Ohio State Bar Association.  They include implicit and explicit bias, equal access to justice, serving a diverse population, diversity and inclusion initiatives in the legal profession, and cultural competency in the practice of law or the administration of justice.

Comments should be submitted in writing before April 29, 2024, to:

Tammy White
Attorney Services Manager
Supreme Court of Ohio
65 S. Front St., 7th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
or
Tammy.White@sc.ohio.gov