BASIS OF APPROVAL
North Carolina has no reciprocal agreement with any other state or organization to recognize another organization’s evaluation of the CLE credits for a program, nor does previous approval of an activity imply approval of any future activity. All activities are evaluated per occurrence (with the exception of computer programs, which are approved for the calendar year) according to the North Carolina CLE rules and regulations.
CONTENT AND TIME REQUIREMENTS
1. North Carolina uses a 60-minute hour. That is, 60 minutes are required to equal one CLE credit hour.
2. Only the time of actual instruction counts toward CLE credit hours.
3. Question and answer sessions are considered actual instruction and may be included for CLE credit provided such question and answer sessions do not exceed 15 minutes per CLE credit hour. For example, a program approved for 4 total CLE credit hours may include up to 1 hour of questions and answers.
4. No complete CLE activity may be less than 30 minutes in length. However, a program may include individual topics of less than 30 minutes in length.
5. CLE credit, when converted from minutes to hours, will be rounded down to the nearest quarter-hour.
6. CLE credit is not given for:
• Introductory remarks
• Breaks
• Business meetings
• Personal development programs
• Presentations on marketing a law practice or client development
• Speeches in connection with banquets or other events that are primarily social
• Demonstrations of services or products with intent to sell
7. Note, in reference to instruction in professional responsibility/ethics/professionalism, that programs so classified may not include topics such as attorney fees, client development, communication skills, etc., except to the extent that professional responsibility is directly discussed in connection with such topics.
8. All activities, including computer programs, must be either live or interactive. No credit will be given for self-study. Video presentations must be scheduled for a minimum of three attorneys.
FEES
The NC State Bar Board of CLE currently charges a fee of $2.25 per credit hour per attorney. The Sponsor pays the fee in the following circumstances:
• Approved activity is presented in North Carolina.
• Sponsoring organization is based in North Carolina, regardless of where the approved activity is presented.
The Sponsor has the option of paying the fee in the following circumstances:
• Approved activity is offered without charge to attendees, regardless of where the approved activity is presented.
• Approved activity is offered by sponsor based outside North Carolina and is presented outside North Carolina.
When a Sponsor does not pay fee, the North Carolina State Bar will bill attorneys directly for hours attended.
