Rule 794 Continuing Legal Education Requirement.

SUPREME COURT RULES

ARTICLE VII. RULES ON ADMISSION AND DISCIPLINE OF ATTORNEYS

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Rule 794. Continuing Legal Education Requirement.

(a) Hours Required

Except as provided by Rules 791 or 793, every Illinois attorney subject to these Rules shall be required to complete 20 hours of CLE activity during the initial two-year reporting period (as determined on the basis of the lawyer’s last name pursuant to paragraph (b), below) ending on June 30 of either 2008 or 2009, 24 hours of CLE activity during the two-year reporting period ending on June 30 of either 2010 or 2011, and 30 hours of CLE activity during all subsequent two-year reporting periods.

(b) Reporting Period

The applicable two-year reporting period shall begin on July 1 of even-numbered years for lawyers whose last names begin with the letters A through M, and on July 1 of odd-numbered years for lawyers whose last names begin with the letters N through Z.

(c) Carryover of Hours

(1) All CLE activity hours may be earned in one year or split in any manner between the two-year reporting period. If an attorney earns more than the required CLE hours in a two-year reporting period, the attorney may carry over a maximum of 10 hours earned during that period to the next reporting period, except for professional responsibility credits referred to in paragraph (d).

(2) A newly admitted attorney may carry over to his or her first two-year reporting period a maximum of 10 CLE activity hours (except for professional responsibility credits referred to in paragraph (d)) earned after completing the Basic Skills Course requirement pursuant to Rule 793.

(3) An attorney, other than a newly admitted attorney, may carry over to his or her first two-year reporting period a maximum of 10 CLE activity hours (except for professional responsibility credits referred to in paragraph (d)) earned between January 1, 2006, and the beginning of that period.

(d) Professional Responsibility Requirement

(1) A minimum of four of the total hours required for any two-year period must be in the area of professionalism, diversity issues, mental illness and addiction issues, civility, or legal ethics.

(2) Such credit may be obtained either by:

(i) Taking a separate CLE course or courses, or participating in other eligible CLE activity under these Rules, specifically devoted to professionalism, diversity issues, mental illness and addiction issues, civility, or legal ethics; or

(ii) Taking a CLE course or courses, or participating in other eligible CLE activity under these Rules, a portion of which is specifically devoted to professionalism, diversity issues, mental illness and addiction issues, civility, or legal ethics credit. Only that portion of a course or activity specifically devoted to professionalism, diversity issues, mental illness and addiction issues, civility, or legal ethics shall receive CLE credit for the professional responsibility requirement of this paragraph.

Adopted September 29, 2005, effective immediately.