Out-of-State or Inactive Licensees

Minimum Continuing Legal Education, or MCLE, was instituted by the Supreme Court of Missouri in 1988 and requires all members of The Missouri Bar to meet annual continuing legal educational requirements as set forth in Rule 15 of the Supreme Court of Missouri and the Regulations to Rule 15.

If your license is currently on inactive status or you are currently licensed as a Category (3) non-resident, your licensure status indicates that you did not practice law in the state of Missouri during the 2020-2021 compliance period and you do not have an annual MCLE filing requirement. However, many inactive or Category (3) licensees choose to voluntarily record and report CLE hours for record-keeping purposes.

What are the 2020-2021 MCLE requirements?
Lawyers must complete 15 hours of CLE programs or activities. At least three of the total 15 credit hours must be devoted exclusively to accredited ethics activities, including professionalism, substance use, mental health, legal or judicial ethics, malpractice prevention, explicit or implicit bias, diversity, inclusion or cultural competency. At least one of the three ethics credit hours must be devoted exclusively to explicit or implicit bias, diversity, inclusion or cultural competency. See Supreme Court of Missouri Rule 15.05(a).

How may CLE hours be earned?
Lawyers may earn MCLE credit by attending accredited CLE programs and activities. 

Additionally, CLE credit may be obtained through self-study (up to six hours of general credit, not including ethics credit). A lawyer may also earn credit by speaking at accredited programs (including a limited amount of preparation time) or for writing an article on a legal issue or topic which is published in a professional journal (up to 15 hours). Finally, members of the Missouri General Assembly may earn CLE credit for legislative service.

When are the deadlines for completing and reporting compliance?
The deadline for MCLE compliance is June 30, 2021. The reporting deadline for the 2020-2021 annual report is July 31, 2021.  Due to last year’s extended compliance period, the current compliance year began Oct. 1, 2020, and concludes June 30, 2021.

How do I file my report of compliance?
MCLE annual reports of compliance are filed electronically at MoBar.org/MCLEReporting. The Missouri Bar’s My MCLE online reporting platform provides members a comprehensive mechanism for reporting annual MCLE compliance, requesting program accreditation, and tracking compliance throughout the year.

How are carryover hours calculated?
Hours in excess of 15 hours earned between Oct. 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, excluding self-study hours, may be carried over to the next reporting year and will be automatically reflected in your 2021-2022 online annual compliance report.

What if I attended a program not previously accredited in Missouri?
If a program has been accredited in Missouri, members can find it in the database of programs in the My MCLE online reporting platform. If a program sponsor did not seek accreditation in Missouri, individual members may seek attendance credit by submitting the program for accreditation at MoBar.org/MCLE and selecting “Member Request for Program Accreditation.” Following review of the program submission, approved programs for accreditation will be automatically added to the submitting member’s annual compliance report. 

How can I contact the MCLE Department?
The MCLE Department may be reached at 573-638-2233 or mcle@mobar.org.