What Are the CLE Requirements for Ohio Attorneys?

Active Ohio attorneys must complete 24 hours of accredited CLE every two years.

The same requirement covers attorneys registered for corporate status.

Ohio's CLE rules sit in Gov.Bar R.

X, published on the Supreme Court of Ohio's website, and the court's attorney CLE pages carry the 24-hour figure.

At least 2.5 of the 24 hours must be professional conduct instruction — the specialty requirement covered in the next section.

Ohio names one specialty requirement in the rules our research verified: at least 2.5 of the 24 hours must be professional conduct instruction, under Gov.Bar R.

X, Sec. 3(B).

The rule lets attorneys meet that minimum through one or any combination of the professional conduct topics it names; our research did not capture that topic list.

The rules we reviewed did not surface a separate bias, wellness or technology credit requirement, so confirm the current credit categories with the Supreme Court of Ohio's CLE office before you plan hours around one.

Ohio runs CLE on a two-year biennial compliance period, and the deadline is December 31 at the end of that period.

The Supreme Court of Ohio's attorney CLE FAQ addresses extensions of time for attorneys who cannot complete their requirements before the Dec.

31 deadline.

Our research did not capture the criteria for an extension, and it did not establish how attorneys report or certify completed hours to the court.

Confirm both with the Supreme Court of Ohio's CLE office before you count on either.

Ohio gives newly admitted attorneys a different first cycle.

Under Gov.Bar R.

X, Secs.

9 and 14, each attorney newly admitted to the practice of law is exempt from the regular CLE requirement for their first biennial period and must instead complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of New Lawyers Training.

Our research did not capture when within that first biennium the New Lawyers Training hours are due, so confirm the timing with the Supreme Court of Ohio's CLE office.

Whether Ohio caps self-study or recorded hours is not something our research could answer.

The rules and CLE regulations we read provide for accreditation of self-study activities, but no hourly cap was located in them, so we cannot state how many of the 24 hours can be earned online or on demand.

Format and accreditation questions — whether a specific recorded course counts — belong with the course provider or the Supreme Court of Ohio's CLE office.

Ohio attorneys may carry over up to 12 general credit hours into the next biennial compliance period.

Gov.Bar R.

X, Sec. 8 frames that as the Commission's decision: the rule says the Commission may apply a maximum of twelve general credit hours to the next biennial compliance period.

On exemptions, the 24-hour requirement our research verified applies to active attorneys and attorneys registered for corporate status, and newly admitted attorneys are exempt from regular CLE for their first biennial period, as covered above.

Our research did not capture other exemption categories, so inactive-status, retirement or hardship questions belong with the Supreme Court of Ohio's CLE office.

Ohio's compliance deadline is December 31 at the end of the biennial compliance period, and the Supreme Court of Ohio's attorney CLE FAQ addresses seeking an extension of time when an attorney cannot complete the requirements before it.

What follows a miss is not established by our research: we did not capture the late fees or other noncompliance provisions in Gov.Bar R.

X.

Treat those consequences as an open question and confirm them with the CLE office before you rely on an extension or a late filing.