Every Illinois attorney admitted to practice law in Illinois must complete the Illinois Supreme Court's MCLE requirement for newly admitted attorneys within their first year of admission to the Illinois bar.

There are three elements to the CLE requirements for newly-admitted Illinois attorneys admitted to practice law in Illinois on or after October 1, 2011:

• (1) A Basic Skills Course of no less than six hours.  An attorney may satisfy this requirement by participating in a mentoring program approved by the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism.  Click here to watch the archived video of the CBA’s 6 hour Basic Skills Course.
• (2) At least nine additional hours of Illinois approved MCLE credit. These nine hours may include any number of hours approved for professional responsibility credit; and
• (3) Report compliance with the above requirements to the MCLE Board.

Attorneys admitted to practice after December 31, 2005 and before October 1, 2011 have two options:

• (1) Complete a 15 hour Basic Skills Course (including four hours of professional responsibility credit) requirements detailed under prior Rule 793(c) to the extent that course providers continue to offer the 15 hour Basic Skills Course. Click here to watch the archived video of the CBA’s 15 hour Basic Skills Course.; or
• (2) Complete the newly-admitted attorney requirements of the amended Rule 793(c) (as amended September 27, 2011).
• (3) Report compliance with the above requirements to the MCLE Board.

Regardless of admission date, a newly-admitted attorney's initial two-year reporting period for complying with the general MCLE requirements begins after the completion deadline for the newly admitted attorney requirement on the next July 1 of an even numbered year for lawyers whose last name begins A through M, and on the next July 1 of an odd numbered year for lawyers whose last name begins N through Z.

Further questions? Visit www.mcleboard.org.