Source: https://www.cletn.com/index.php/for-attorneys/faq2
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 13:24:52+00:00

Document:
What are Tennessee's Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements?
Each attorney must complete a total of fifteen (15) hours of CLE, which must consist of no less than twelve (12) General hours and three (3) Ethics/Professionalism hours (or Dual hours) per year. A minimum of seven (7) live hours must be earned and of those seven (7) a minimum of five (5) must be earned in a classroom setting where you can shake the presenter's hand at the end of the presentation. A maximum of eight (8) hour earned online in any compliance year can count toward you compliance for that year. Additional online hours earned in a compliance year, up to eight (8) hours, will carry forward to the next compliance year. See Rule 21 §3.01.
When does the Tennessee CLE compliance year start and end?
Tennessee’s compliance year for CLE runs from January 1 through December 31. See Rule 21 §3.01. Don’t confuse this with the Board of Professional Responsibility’s licensing year which is based on your birth date.
I don’t remember my PIN and can’t access my account on the Commission’s website. What do I need to do?
Your PIN is listed on the CLE Progress Report that you receive in September/October. It is also listed on the Annual Report Statement that you receive the first week of February. You can also click on “forgot PIN” on the attorney login screen, Your PIN will be sent to the email address listed with the Board of Professional Responsibility in the correspondence address section. If you have not received your PIN within 30 minutes, call the Commission’s office.
As a Sponsor, how can I get a course approved for CLE credit?
If you are a sponsor, call us at (615) 741-3096, extension 3 or send an e-mail to Tiffany.Drew@CLETN.COM to have us set you up as a sponsor in our system and to send you instructions concerning our on-line application process. See Rule 21 §5.
I took a CLE course outside of Tennessee that has not been approved for Tennessee CLE. What do I need to do to get credit for this course?
A detailed agenda listing the topics and start/stop times. If the course was two or more hours in length, the agenda will need to include breaks.
A list of the speakers and biographical information on the speakers showing they are qualified to teach the course (failure to include this required information will result in the denial of your course).
The information we require to accredit a CLE program can generally be found in a brochure or advertisement for that program.
There is a $2.00 posting fee for each attendance hour posted to your account.
You can mail us the information or email it to info@cletn.com.
What if I don't have my hours by December 31st?
You will owe a $100 non-completion fee, and you will still be required to complete the required hours. The hours you earn following the close of the compliance year will first go toward you shortage, then will count toward the new compliance year.
What is the latest I can get my hours without penalty?
The CLE compliance year runs from January 1 to December 31. Compliance must be obtained by December 31 or you will be assessed a $100.00 penalty. You have until March 31 to claim an exemption though.
When will the Suspension Order be entered by the Supreme Court?
Under Rule 21, the final version of the Suspension Order will be sent to the Supreme Court on August 15. It will be entered at the Court's discretion. See Rule 21 §7.07.
My mailing address, email address or telephone number is wrong on the Commission’s website, how do I make corrections?
All changes to your mailing address, email address or telephone number must be made through the attorney portal at the Board of Professional Responsibility’s website (TBPR.ORG).
Why am I not getting the mail or email messages the Commission sends to me?
We send mail and email messages to the correspondence addresses listed for you with the Board of Professional Responsibility. If your email address section is blank or has an incorrect email address, you will not receive email messages from the Commission. You must update your contact information with the Board within thirty (30) days of any change. See Rule 9 §20.05.
Why do I owe money before an online or out of state course will post?
Sponsors of courses physically held in Tennessee must pay the per credit hour posting fee, but sponsors of courses held outside of Tennessee or on-line are not required to pay. In those cases the two dollar ($2.00) per credit hour posting fee must be paid by the attorney before the attendance will be counted toward compliance. See Rule 21 §§8.03 & 8.04. Also see Regulation 8A.1.
Why doesn’t the CLE course I took recently show up on my account?
Providers have thirty (30) days to notify us of course completion. If the course still has not posted after forty-five (45) days contact the provider. See Rule 21, Section 8.02.
My law license is inactive with the Board of Professional Responsibility, am I exempt from Tennessee CLE?
No, being inactive with the Board of Professional Responsibility does not have any effect on your CLE requirement to complete fifteen (15) hours of CLE annually. See Regulation 2B.2.
Can I go inactive with the CLE Commission?
To become inactive with the CLE Commission your Tennessee law license must first be inactive with the Board of Professional Responsibility. Further, you cannot be practicing law in any U.S. jurisdiction. If you meet these criteria, you can complete the Request Inactive Status form on this website showing that you meet the qualifications and asking to be placed on inactive status. If you decide to return to the practice of law in any U.S. jurisdiction, you must notify the CLE Commission and make up the last five years of CLE you missed before you resume your practice or you will be subject to immediate suspension of your Tennessee law license.
I passed the February Tennessee Bar Exam this year. Must I also complete 15 hours of CLE?
You have a CLE obligation the year you pass the February Bar Exam but the Commission on CLE will award you the required fifteen (15) hours of CLE credit to fulfill that CLE obligation. If you were not sworn in prior to September 1, then you should contact the Commission on CLE.
I passed the July Tennessee Bar Exam this year. Must I also complete 15 hours of CLE?
Because you did/will not receive your results until October, you do not have a CLE obligation the year you passed the July Tennessee Bar Exam. You will receive your fifteen (15) hours of CLE credit the year following your passage of the bar exam regardless of when you are sworn in. See Rule 21 §2.03.
Am I exempt from earning CLE if I am disabled?
No, however if you cannot attend CLE programs without great difficulty you may file a request with the Commission for a substitute program in place of attendance. You must submit a plan tailored to your specific interests and physical abilities for consideration by the Commission. Requests are approved or disapproved on an individual basis. See Rule 21 § 3.02.
What if I was eligible for an exemption, but only for part of the year?
If you were eligible for an exemption (other than on the basis of age) from January 1 through August 31, you may claim it for the entire year. If you lost your eligibility for an exemption on or after September 1, you may still claim it for the entire year. If you lost your exemption prior to September 1, you must meet the entire CLE requirement for that year. If unusual circumstances apply, you may ask the Commission for exceptional relief. A letter outlining the circumstances and the requested relief should be forwarded to the Commission as soon as the issue is discovered. See Regulation 2A.
Can in-house seminars receive credit?
Seminars held by private firms or corporations solely for their attorneys and not open to attorneys outside of the firm or corporation cannot receive credit. Governmental departments may offer in-house programs that are eligible for CLE credit if they are open to all department attorneys in the state and at least 50% of the approved hours are taught by speakers not otherwise associated with the department. See Regulation 5A.
Can live credit be earned through on-line, telephone conference call or computer-interactive seminars?
No. These credits are considered distance learning or tech credits. No more than eight distance learning/tech hours can count towards compliance in a single compliance year. A maximum of eight (8) hours can be carried forward to the next compliance year. See Regulation 5B.
Can live credit be earned for in classroom seminars viewed remotely through satellite or other technology?
The Commission will accredit these group seminars as live in person on rare occasions if there is an on-site commentator and if the participants have an opportunity to directly ask questions of the cimmentator and/or the actual speaker. If you are viewing the presentation at the desk in your office or if there is not a qualified commentator in the room, then the course will be accredited as online. See Regulation 5B. 1.
I watched a CLE program on YouTube™, can I get CLE credit?
No, activity consisting solely of the viewing or hearing of pre-recorded material may not be awarded CLE credit. See Rule 21 § 5.01(g).
Can CLE programs sponsored by law firms get credit?
Yes, if they are open to outside attorneys on a broad basis (not just in-house counsel for clients). See Regulation 5I.
What does it mean if a course shows "Dual" credits?
"Dual" credits are CLE credits that can be applied toward either the General or the Ethics & Professionalism CLE requirement. Hours will be reflected as Dual until the end of the compliance year when our system will first apply Dual credit hours toward the three hour Ethics requirement. Any remaining Dual credit hours will go toward the twelve (12) hours General requirement.
If I receive a white Annual Report Statement in March indicating I am in compliance, do I need to do anything?
You do not need to do anything unless you are also claiming an exemption as well for that year or if the hours listed are incomplete or inaccurate. See Rule 21 § 6.02.
If I receive a yellow or green annual report statement in March, do I need to do anything?
YES! The green and yellow Annual Report Statements must be signed and returned to the Commission by March 31 with corrections or confirmations (missing courses or credits) and payment of any outstanding fees or you will be subject to non-compliance fees. See Rule 21 § 6.02.
I earned CLE credits in a year that I was exempt. Will any or all of my credits carry forward?
Credits earned in a year in which you were exempt will only carry forward to the extent that they would have if you were not exempt. e.g. If you submitted sixteen (16) General credits and six (6) Ethics credits in a year you were exempt, then four (4) of the General credits and three (3) of the Ethics credits would carry forward to the next non-exempt year. See Regulation 4A.
Can I carry hours forward to the next year?
Yes, up to one full year's worth of both General (12 hours) and Ethics & Professionalism (3 hours) can be carried forward to the next compliance year. You can only carry forward one year's worth of credit. See Rule 21, Section 4.02.
Does Tennessee use a 60-minute CLE hour?
Yes. To earn one hour of CLE credit, the attorney must complete sixty (60) minutes of instruction not counting breaks, etc. See Regulation 3A.
Can I get extra CLE credit for teaching a CLE course?
Yes, You earn credits equal to four (4) times the amount of time you teach if you prepare Five (5) or more pages of hand-out materials for the participants. If you prepare less than five (5) pages, you receive two (2) times the number of hours you teach. For second and subsequent presentations of the same materials, you get half the credit of the first presentation. It is your responsibility to make sure the course provider submits your hours accurately. These hours go toward your live in classroom requirement hours. See Rule 21 §4.03.
Does Tennessee award credit for published legal writing?
Yes, up to one half the annual CLE requirement of both General and Ethics/Professionalism credits (6 hours general and 1.5 hours E/P) for articles printed in approved books or journals whose primary intended readers are attorneys. This hours go toward you live hour requirment, but not your live in classroom requirement. You will only receive E/P credit if the ethics section is presented in a section separate from the primary topic and inot interspersed with the primary topic. See Rule 21, Section 4.07(b).
Can I earn CLE credits by doing, rather than by attending?
Yes. Tennessee pioneered credit for pro bono service. You will receive one (1) hour of Ethics/Professionalism (Not Dual) credit for each five (5) billable hours of approved pro-bono legal representation provided through court appointment, an organized bar association program or legal services organization. (Rule 21, Section 4.07c.) You can get up to the full annual requirement for published writing (4.07b), service as a bar examiner (4.05), service on the Board of Professional Responsibility (4.06), or by passing a bar examination or specialty certification examination (2.05). Service on a state or national governmental committee involved in formal sessions for review of proposed legislation, rules or regulations can earn up to one-half of the annual requirement. These hours go toward your annual seven (7) live hour requirement, but do not go toward your five (5) live in classroom requirement. See Rule 21 §4.07a).
How many hours of distance learning (on-line and telephone) hours may I use in one year?
An attorney can earn a maximum of eight (8) distance learning hours in a compliance year.
Can I receive live CLE credit for Indigent Defense Work that I do?
Yes, you can receive a maximum of three (3) live hours of Ethics or Dual credit for indigent defense work beginning with the 2015 compliance year. Indigent defense, like pro bono and published legal writing earn live credit, but not live in-classroom credit. Complete the “Request for Earned Indigent Defense Credits” form found on CLETN.COM. Attach the sheets you submitted to the ACAP system showing the number of in-court and out of court hours worked and send everything to the Commission either by mail, fax or email. Please only send the documents once. These credits will go toward your seven (7) hours live CLE obligation, but do not go toward the five (5) hour live in classroom requirement.
Can I avoid suspension even if I am on the Draft Suspension Order?
Absolutely, but you must first complete your CLE and pay any outstanding fees. We will need a notarized Affidavit of Completion listing the credits you have earned that will put you in compliance along with proof of payment of any outstanding fees. The Affidavit of Completion can be emailed, faxed, hand delivered or mailed. Please only send it to us once. If time is of the essence, don’t place it in the mailbox and hope it gets to us in time.
What is the compliance enforcement process?
12/31 -- the deadline for earning hours without $100 late fee.
2/28 -- the Annual Report Statement ("ARS") is mailed to attorneys.
4/30 -- Notices of Non-Completion and Affidavits of Completion are sent certified mail to non-compliant attorneys with.
5/31 -- May 31 is the deadline for establishing compliance by filing the Affidavit of Completion or claiming a valid exemption. Compliance means the hours necessary for compliance have been earned or a valid exemption has been claimed and all fees have been paid to the CLE Commission. Documents hand delivered, faxed or e-mailed to the CLE Commission must be received by close of business May 31 (4:30 PM Central Time) unless this date falls on Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday and then it must be received by the close of business (4:30 PM Central Time) the following Monday. Failure to comply with this deadline will result in the imposition of the $200.00 delinquent compliance penalty.
6/1 -- $200 late fee assessed to non-compliant attorneys who have not filed Affidavit of Completion and paid all fees due.
6/29 -- Draft Suspension Order sent certified mail to non-compliant attorneys.
8/3 -- Deadline for filing Affidavit of Completion and paying all fees to avoid being included on draft Suspension Order submitted to Supreme Court.
8/15 – the Final Suspension Order is submitted to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Attorneys not in active status with BPR will be placed in suspended status and a $500 suspension fee is assessed. Upon entry of the Suspension Order by the Court, the $500 suspension fee will be assessed to noncompliant active status attorneys, those attorneys will be moved to suspended status, and a copy of the Suspension Order will be mailed to all Courts in Tennessee. See Rule 21 §7.
Can I receive CLE credit for teaching law-related courses at the undergraduate level?
Yes. Please have your dean or other appropriate person send us a letter on the school’s letterhead confirming the course(s) you taught, the quarter/semester/period you taught and the credit hours those courses carried for students. You will receive credit for four (4) times the number of credit hours of the course. You will need to pay the two dollar ($2) per CLE hour reporting fee for those hours. See Rule 21 §4.03. These hours count toward your five (5) live in classroom hours.
Can I receive ethics/dual credit for teaching at a college or university?
Can I get Ethics or Dual credit for teaching ethics and professionalism at a law school?
Yes. Ethics and Professionalism or Dual credit will be awarded for teaching Ethics and Professionalism courses in a law school. Any legal instruction may involve an ethics component. The Commission will not attempt to parse out what percentage of a course was eligible for Ethics credit and what percentage of a course was eligible for General credit. In order to qualify for Ethics credit, the topics must be presented in a session separate and apart from the General credit topics, with specific time allocated to only such topics. Generally ethics credit is only awarded to instructors teaching a course on ethics or professionalism. See Regulations 5H §§ 1, 2, and §5.
I am over sixty-five (65) and was born prior to 1950. Am I now exempt from CLE?
No. The AGE exemption is not automatic. It must be requested. An attorney born in 1949 or earlier is eligible to claim the Age Exemption by filing a request with the CLE Commission.
Is it possible to have the non-completion or suspension fees waived?
I took a CLE course before I was officially sworn in. Will I receive CLE credit for completing the course.
No. You cannot receive credit for CLE earned prior to your becoming an attorney. You will receive one year of CLE credit though if you passed the Tennessee Bar Exam.
I was a guest speaker at a college or university for one or two classes during the semester. Can I get CLE credit for teaching?
No. As a teacher at a college or university or law school you can only receive credit if you were the primary instructor for the entire semester/quarter/term.
I was a guest speaker for a civic organization. My speech was on a law related subject. Will I be eligible for CLE credit?
No you cannot receive credit for teaching CLE by speaking to a general audience.
I lived outside of Tennessee and did not practice Tennessee law during the compliance year. Am I exempt from CLE?
You are eligible to claim the non-resident exemption on the back on the Annual Report Statement mailed to you the last day of February. If you do not annually claim the exemption for the compliance year, you will not receive the exemption and will be expected to complete your fifteen (15) hour requirement.
Who is eligible to claim the AGE exemption?
I became a Tennessee attorney though Comity. Do I have a CLE obligation for the year I was sworn in?
If you were sworn in prior to September 1, you are required to complete the full fifteen (15) hour CLE obligation this year. You will not have a CLE obligation for the year you were sworn in if you were sworn in on or after September 1. Your fifteen (15) hours CLE obligation will begin next year.
I was just activated as a Multi-Jurisdictional Practice attorney. Am I required to complete the fifteen (15) hour CLE requirement this year?
If you were activated prior to September 1, you must complete the fifteen (15) hour CLE requirement. If you were activated on or after September 1, your fifteen (15) hour CLE requirement will begin the year after you were activated. By the way, the "M" is not part of your BPR number on our website.
How is the five hour in classroom requirement different from the seven live hour requirement?
Most Tennessee attorneys already obtain their seven (7) live hours of CLE by attending live CLE programs and the five (5) hour in classroom requirement does not affect them. The attorneys affected by the five (5) hour requirement are those attorneys who have not satisfied their five hour in-classroom requirement, but have earned their live hour requirement by submitting indigent defense hours and pro bono hours, serving as a bar examiner, obtaining CLE credit through published legal writing, serving on the Board of Professional Responsibility, or its hearing committees, or for participating as members of governmental commissions, committees, or other governmental bodies and involved in formal session for review of proposed legislation, rules or regulations. Those attorneys will need to make sure that they earn a minimum of five (5) CLE credit hours in a classroom setting.
I am involved with a high school or college moot court or mock court competition, can I get CLE credit?
NO. You cannot receive CLE credit for participation in a high school, college or law school moot court or mock court competition.
You can receive credit for being the primary instructor in a law school moot court course. Your credit is based on the number of credit hours a student receives for successfully completing the course. If the students did not receive credit, no CLE credit would be available.
I took and passed the Tennessee bar exam but didn't get sworn in for three years. Will my 15 of bar exam credit carry forward to the year I was sworn in?
No, your 15 hours of bar exam credit is linked to the year your passed the bar exam. If years have passed since passing the bar exam, you will probably need to complete your 15 hours of CLE during the year you were actually sworn in.
I requested and received exceptional relief. If my situation/condition has not changed, do I need to apply again for exceptional relief?
Yes. We have no way of knowing if your condition or situation has changed. When you receive exceptional relief, you relief is limited to one compliance year.
I have PENDING ATTENDANCE on my Progress Report, Annual Report Statement and/or under ATTENDANCE when I log on to my CLE Account. Do I need to do anything?
YES! Ignoring pending attendance can cost you money. CLE compliance means you have earned your hours or claimed an exemption, AND all fees have been paid. If you owe posting fees for Pending Attendance ($2.00 per credit hour) you are not in compliance and will be assessed fees if deadlines pass. You must do something! You have three choices: (1) You can pay the fees and receive all the hours, Keep in mind you can only carry forward one year’s worth of hours. (2) You can reduce the number of hours by logging on to your CLE account or by contacting the CLE Commission, and pay for the remaining hours (3) you can delete all the Pending Attendance hours and the money due will go away.
Why am I receiving notices of Non-Compliance when I am in compliance?
If you are receiving emails and letters from us saying you are not compliant, it is because our records indicate you are not compliant. You must contact us and clear up the discrepancy regarding your hours or payment of your fees or you could be assessed additional fees and possibly have your law license suspended.
I am INACTIVE. Why am I receiving notices that I am non-compliant?
If you are probably only INACTIVE with the Board of Professional Responsibility, you ARE NOT INACTIVE with the CLE Commission unless you have filed a request for inactive status with the Commission on CLE. If you have sent the CLE Commission an inactive request and received a confirmation that you are inactive with us, then you MUST call us if you are receiving notices that you are not compliant. If you are receiving notices then you are not coded as being inactive with us. This is corrected with a quick phone call. If you do nothing, you could be assessed fees and possibly have your law license suspended erroneously, and no one wants that to happen.
Does my live in-classroom credit need to be taken in Tennessee or can I take it in other states or countries.
No you do not need to return to Tennessee to get your live CLE. Live is live. If you could physically shake the presenter's hand at the end of the presentation, then it was live no matter if it was in Alaska, Tennessee or Hong Kong.
I am licensed in Florida and received more CLE credit there than I did in Tennessee for the same course. Why?
Florida uses a fifty minute hour so a four hour Florida course lasts 200 minutes (plus breaks) In Tennessee you would only receive 3 1/3 hours for the same program.
I took a bunch of courses online and need to pay the posting fee. Do I need to send a separate check for each course?
No. Payments go toward a balance, not toward a specific course. Just sent one check or make one payment online for everything.
I took an online course and it was approved for 1.15 hours. What would the posting fee be for 1.15 hours?
The posting fee is $2.00 per credit hour so multiply the number of hours times two. A course lasting 1.15 hours would have a $2.30 posting fee.
I took and passed the bar exam in another state this year, can I receive CLE credit in Tennessee?
Yes, but you can only receive bar exam credit once in any compliance year. If you received credit for passing the Tennessee bar exam or any other state's bar exam this year, you will not be able to receive credit for the bar exam you passed in another state.
This would also apply to bar exam and bar review courses. You can only receive credit for one or the other in any compliance year.
Can I get CLE credit for completing a bar review course and passing a bar exam in the same year?
No. You can only receive credit for one or the other in any compliance year.
There is a local church or agency in our town that would like to put on a pro bono legal clinic. Will the attorneys who participate be able to receive CLE credit?
The attorneys will only be able to receive CLE credit if the hours are earned while working for an “Approved Legal Assistance Program” as defined in Supreme Court Rule 21§4.07(c). If the church or agency is interested in applying to the Tennessee Supreme Court to become an Approved Legal Assistance Program they can request the application form from the CLE Commission.
How many pro bono/indigent defense CLE credits can I use in any compliance year?
You can use a maximum of three (3) pro bono/indigent defense CLE credits in any compliance year. Those hours count as live ethics credit but do not count toward live in-classroom hours as identified in Supreme Court Rule 21§3.01. You can carry over a maximum of three (3) credits to the next compliance year.
I taught two hours of a four hour program and distributed 20 pages of handouts. I also attended the other two hours. How much CLE credit should I be receiving?
You should receive eight (8) hours for the two hours you taught (two times four) and two additional hours for your attendance at the remaining two hours for a total of ten (10) hours of CLE credit.
Why didn't I receive teaching credit when I was one of the instructors?
Your teaching hours were not reported to us, only the hours you attended. You will need to contact the provider and have them contact us.
I downloaded and listened to an audio file from the Florida Bar Association. I am able to receive CLE credit for this in Florida if I report the course number to them. Can I receive CLE credit in Tennessee too?
No. Listening to a podcast or a downloaded audio file, even from a state bar association, is considered self study in Tennessee and not eligible for CLE credit. Tennessee requires tracking of the time spent listening to or watching an electronically delivered CLE presentation. If the provider is not tracking when you started and stopped listening, then the course is not eligible for CLE credit in Tennessee.
I submitted an Affidavit of Completion/Compliance with my missing hours, is there anything else I need to do?
YES. You need to make sure that the hours you reported on the Affidavit get reported and appear on your account. Follow up with the provider if they are supposed to report your attendance or follow up the Commission if you self reported your attendance. It is the attorneys responsibility to make sure that their attendance is reported timely and accurately.
I turned 65 in 2015 (or later), am I eligible to claim the age exemption?
I am in an LLM or PhD program. Can I receive CLE credit? If so, what do I need to do?
Under Rule 21, you can earn hour for hour credit for participating in an LLM or PhD program. If some of the hours of your participation were online, even if it was a live broadcast, Facetime or Skype, you would only be eligible for online credit for those hours. If you attended the class live (you could have shaken the presenter’s hand at the end of their talk) then you can receive live credit for those hours. You will need to submit the form on our website named Request for Out of State, Online or Other Unpaid Credits listing the number of hours you are requesting. You will need to submit one form for the live hours and a second form for the online hours as they will have different course numbers. Attach a copy of your grades/transcript. There is a $2.00 per credit hour attendance reporting fee that must also be paid. You can only carry forward twelve (12) general hours so you probably aren’t going to benefit from submitting more than 24 general hours. You can only carry forward eight (8) online hours so probably won’t benefit from reporting more than sixteen (16) online hours. I have not seen an LLM program with an ethics course included, so you will probably need to get your ethics credit elsewhere.
My address, email, phone number or all of my contact information is wrong. How do I correct this?
Under Supreme Court Rule 9, you must update your contact information with the Board of Professional Responsibility ("BPR") within thirty (30) days of any change in your contact information. For this reason, we receive weekly electronic system updates from the BPR's system. If your contact information is correct with them, then it should be correct with us with a possible one week delay. If you give us the change and don't update the BPR, their system will overwrite our changes when the weekly update occurs. If our system is incorrect and you updated the information on the BPR website a month ago, then there is a problem that needs to be followed up upon.
I have become certified as a legal specialist by an organization accredited by the American Bar Association's House of Delegates to award specialist certifications to lawyers. What do I need to do to register my board certification?
To initially register your legal specializaton, just sent the CLE Commission a copy of the letter you received from the certifying agency. You do not need to complete any other forms initially. You will need to renew you registration annually.
Please contact Bill Calhoun at 615-741-3096 X-5 with any specialization questions.
I am certified as a legal specialist. Am I allowed to advertise that I am a specialist?
You can advertise your specialization so long as you remain current with the Certification Board and annually register your certification with the CLE Commission. You should not advertise that you are certified by the Tennessee Commission on CLE because we no longer certify attorneys in legal specialites. We leave that up the organizations approved by the ABA Board of Delegates.
I do not live in Tennessee anymore but still occasionally give advice on Tennessee law so need to comply with the 15 hour CLE requirement. Can I earn my CLE in my resident state?
Absolutely. You can earn your CLE credits anywhere in the world. Live CLE has the same requirements whether it is in Paris, France or Paris, Tennessee. If the course has not been accredited in Tennessee, you will need to get the course accredited if you want CLE credit.
1. an agenda listing breaks, topics and length of each session. If the course was under two hours we do not need an agenda.
3. Biographical information on the speakers showing they were qualified to teach the portion they taught.
Often times this information is on a brochure about the program.
What is the difference between going INACTIVE with the CLE Commission or claiming the Non-Resident CLE Exemption?
To become INACTIVE with the CLE Commission, you cannot be practicing law in any US jurisdiction. Your law license must also be inactive with the BPR. Being inactive, does not obviate your CLE obligation. It merely puts your annual CLE obligation on hold. While on INACTIVE status you will not receive Progress Reports or Annual Report Statements. While on INACTIVE status you will not have any annual CLE reporting obligations. There is no length of time you can be INACTIVE with the CLE Commission.
If you are INACTIVE with the CLE Commission, before you can resume the practice of law in any US jurisdiction, you will be required to make up the CLE you missed while inactive, to a maximum of five (5) years. If you were inactive for three compliance years, you will need to make up three years of CLE. If you were inactive for twelve compliance years, you would need to make up the CLE you missed during the last five compliance years.
Any CLE credits reported to us will be posted to your account. If you have CLE reported to us that is not paid by the provider, you must make the payment or the course reporting fee or you could be penalized.
The NON-RESIDENT EXEMPTION must be claimed annually in March following the close of the compliance year. Failure to either annually report hours to the Commission or to annually claim an exemption could result in penalties being assessed and the suspension of your law license in Tennessee. To claim the Non-Resident Exemption, you needed to live outside of Tennessee during the compliance year and you did not practice Tennessee law during the compliance year. Your status with the BPR is irrelevant. You status with the BPR could be active, inactive or even suspended and you would still be able claim the Non-Resident Exemption if you qualified.
There is no restriction on practing law other than you cannot practice Tennessee law. We assume you are taking your CLE in your home state so you are not required to report CLE to Tennessee if claiming the Non-Resident Exemption. There is no limitation on the number of years you can claim the Non-Resident Exemption and you do not need to make up CLE when you no longer qualify for the exemption. You simply need to earn your CLE beginning with year you were no longer eligible to claim the Non-Resident Exemption.
I was appointed to represent someone by the court and did the work pro bono, Can I get CLE credit for this?
Yes. If you were appointed to represent someone as an attorney or a GAL you need to add some additional language to the Order at the conclusion of your appointment. Have the Order state that you represented the client pro bono and did not seek compensation for the ____ hours your spent on your representation (specify the number of hours ). If the Order has already been entered, you can have the judge/chancellor write a short letter to the CLE Commission on their court letterhead saying that you were appointed to represent ________________(enter your client’s name) in the case on a pro bono basis and served without financial compensation for the ________(enter the number of hours you worked) worked.
Your CLE credit is based on the number of hours you served so make sure the letter identifies your time. It has been my experience that the judiciary appreciates your stepping up to do this pro bono and will be glad to do a short letter to the CLE Commission so you can get CLE credit.
Does my CLE need to be Tennessee specific?
No, but before you can receive credit, the course/program must be approved for CLE credit by the Tennessee CLE Commission. If the provider didn’t send it to us for accreditation, you, the attendee, will need to.
To fulfill my live CLE requirement, am I required to attend the live CLE in Tennessee.
No. You can take your live CLE any place in the world, but the course/program must be approved for CLE credit by the Tennessee CLE Commission.
What are these Carry Back and/or Carry Forward hours I see under the attendance tab and on my Annual Report Statement?
When you earn more than the fifteen hours in the twelve month compliance year the excess hours over fifteen are “carried forward” to the next compliance year. You can carry forward one year’s worth of CLE credit.
On the other hand, if you didn’t earn your 15 hours in the previous twelve month compliance year, then you are going to “carry back” the hours sufficient to put you in compliance from the current compliance year. We cannot close a compliance year until you have earned your fifteen hours for that year.
For example if you only earned 3 of the seven live hours you needed for the 2018 compliance year, then the first three live hours you earn in 2019 are going to carry back to 2018 to put you in compliance for 2018. The three live hours you earned do not count toward 2019 compliance, because they were moved back to 2018 to make you compliant for that year.
I completed a bar prep course to prepare for the bar exam in another state, can I get CLE credit?
Maybe. The bar prep course must pass the same scrutiny as any other CLE program to become accredited in Tennessee.
If there is no tracking of your participation, then no, you cannot receive CLE credit.
If the provider of the program cannot give you a certificate that you completed the program and how many hours it took, then it would not be eligible for CLE credit.
If you received a stack of books and DVDs and do not participate with other students in a live classroom setting, then your course will not be eligible for CLE credit.
If you participated in a monitored classroom setting with the instructors present in the room with you, then you probably are eligible to receive CLE credit.
If the course does not also prepare you for the MPRE, it probably is not going to be teaching ethics, so will not be eligible for ethics and professionalism credit.
If your bar prep course was online and your time online was tracked by the provider that course would be eligible for up to eight hours of online credit.
If you only attended part of the bar prep program, you could only receive credit if the provider/sponsor would be able to certify how much of the program you actually attended.
You might want to consider asking the provider of the bar prep course to have his program accredited in Tennessee before you buy the course. That way you will know how much or if you will receive CLE credit for completing the program.
If you took the bar prep course during the same year that you passed the bar, you cannot receive credit for both.

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