When entering your credit hours in your online CLE transcript, keep in mind that “general” credits include the total number of hours for which a program has been accredited. If a program has also achieved recognition of professional responsibility (legal ethics, legal professionalism and/or justice, diversity and inclusiveness), do not subtract these credits from the “general” category. For example, if a program has been accredited for 6 general credits, 4 of which have earned ethics credits – if you have completed 100% of the program, enter 6 in the field for general credits and 4 in the field for legal ethics. DO NOT subtract from these categories unless you have not participated in the entire course. One hour of CLE credit is equivalent to 50 minutes of instruction. NEW! The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on 1. July 2021 Adoption of amendments to the rules and regulations for legal and continuing education in Colorado. Starting with attorneys with the three-year CLE compliance period that began on January 1, 2021 and will end on December 31, 2023, Colorado attorneys must complete at least two credit hours in equity, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) and at least five credit hours in legal ethics or legal professionalism. However, the total number of CLE credit hours required remains at 45. What does this mean for you? Once the CLE database has been activated to track the new professional liability subcategories, our office reviews all approved courses for EDI credits and searches for all lawyers who have taken an EDI approved course or completed an EDI approved course. Our office will then enter the EDI credits into your transcript and review the legal ethics and legal professionalism credits in your transcript to ensure they have all been transferred correctly.
Please keep track of your CLE activities to ensure that your transcript adequately reflects your compliance before the end of your CLE compliance period. We will notify all lawyers as soon as this database conversion has taken place. You must complete 45 hours of CLE, seven of which must be devoted to professional liability. The seven hours devoted to professional responsibility must include: At least two credit hours in the area of justice, diversity and inclusion and at least five credit hours in the areas of legal ethics or legal professionalism. How is this implemented? Our office will immediately begin accrediting live and on-demand programs for legal ethics, legal professionalism and EDI. The Bureau will also review courses already submitted for 2021 at the request of suppliers for this requirement. Our CLE database, which tracks compliance and accreditation, will be modified to support the delineation of the new professional liability subcategories, and we expect programming to be completed by mid-2022. Currently, our office is able to track legal ethics through the database. Over the next 12 to 18 months, our office will monitor EDI-approved programs using course headings. FROM 1. January 2023: The seven hours devoted to professional liability must include: At least two credit hours in the area of justice, diversity and inclusion and at least five credit hours in the areas of legal ethics or legal professionalism. All actively licensed attorneys who are required to meet Colorado`s CLE requirements in all compliance periods must meet this requirement.
On March 15, 2018, the Colorado Supreme Court passed a new rule change that affects mandatory legal and judicial education. With effect from July 1, 2018, the regulation on legal obligations for continuing education according to C.R.C.P. 260 et seq. has been replaced by the new C.R.C.P. 250 et seq. As society becomes more complex, the provision of legal services becomes increasingly complex. The public expects lawyers in their legal practice and judges in the performance of their duties to continue their legal and legal education throughout their legal careers. The purpose of the mandatory legal education requirements is to ensure that every Colorado attorney and judge has a legal and professional development plan throughout their career in order to promote competence and professionalism and stay up to date with the law in our rapidly changing society.