All active Bar members must attend at least 14 hours of approved continuing legal education (CLE) courses annually.
At least two of these hours must be devoted to legal ethics, as required by South Carolina Appellate Court Rule (SCACR) 408.
Newly admitted members are exempt from CLE requirements during the reporting year in which they are admitted to the South Carolina Bar. Your first required reporting year begins March 1 after your date of admission.
Essentials Course
Before the end of that first reporting year, you must complete an Essentials Series course administered by the South Carolina Bar [unless you meet one of the exemptions found in SCACR Rule 408(a)(3)(a)-(D), b]. For the 2020-21 year only, that requirement can be met by taking an online course.
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CLE Compliance and Deadlines
The Supreme Court of South Carolina Commission on Continuing Legal Education & Specialization, which accredits all CLE programming in our state, administers and regulates the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education program. The SC Bar produces and sponsors courses, programs and publications for attorneys and judges, but is not the regulatory body.
The compliance deadline for attorneys and judges to report their yearly MCLE credits is on or before March 1. The CLE reporting year runs from March 1 until the last day of February. For more information, visit the Commission’s page or call (803) 799-5578.
RONNIE M. COLE CLE SCHOLARSHIP
The Cole Scholarship Fund awards financial support to lawyer who may have trouble meeting their required CLE credits. Priority will be given to public service lawyers, in particular, those who practice with Foundation grantees, past and present.
Apply
I am very appreciative of what I have and credit a great deal of my success to the education that I received through various CLE courses. I want to be able to help attorneys who could use some assistance in getting the continued education they need. This economy has presented the profession with issues we have not seen before. Many of our colleagues are struggling. This is just one way that I can help.
Ronnie Cole