Section 4 - Continuing Legal Education Credits4.01. Credit will be given only for continuing legal education activities approved by the Commission.4.02.(a) CLE credit shall be earned by attending CLE courses approved by the Commission, subject to the limitations set forth in this Rule.(b) Up to fifteen (15) hours of credit earned in a compliance year in excess of the fifteen (15) credit annual requirement may be carried forward for credit in the succeeding compliance year, but only for the succeeding compliance year. Such hours must, however, be reported and paid.(c) All hours, whether earned via in-person or distance learning format, may be applied to the annual 15-hour carryforward in 4.02 (b).(d) Any attorney required to earn CLE credits who receives an Annual Report Statement showing fewer than twelve (12) General credits and three (3) EP credits or that a fee is due shall sign and return the Annual Report Statement as directed in the Statement.(e) CLE credit should be reported at the time that the CLE credit is earned or as soon thereafter as is practical, but no later than one year from the date that the CLE credit was earned. Failing to submit CLE credit earned in the compliance year on or before December 31st of the compliance year may result in non-compliance fees as set forth in Section 7.4.03.(a) Credit may be earned through teaching in an approved continuing legal education activity. Presentations accompanied by five (5) or more pages of thorough, high quality, readable and carefully prepared written materials will qualify for CLE credit on the basis of four (4) hours of credit for each hour of presentation. Presentations accompanied by fewer less than five pages of outlines, or not accompanied by written materials, will qualify for CLE credit on the basis of two (2) credits per hour of presentation. Repeat presentations qualify for one-half of the credits awarded for the initial presentation. CLE credit is earned as of the date the CLE presentation occurs.(b) Credit may also be earned through teaching in an approved law school, or teaching law-related courses offered for credit toward a degree at the undergraduate or graduate level in an approved college, university or community college. The Commission may in its discretion award four (4) hours of CLE credit for each hour of academic credit awarded by the law school, college, university, or community college for the course(s) taught.(c) Credit may be earned for judging or coaching moot court or a mock trial at an approved law school. Credit shall be earned at the rate of one hour of EP CLE credit for five (5) hours of judging or coaching. A maximum of three (3) hours of CLE credit may be earned in any compliance year.4.04. Credit may be earned through formal enrollment and education of a postgraduate nature, either for credit or by audit, in an approved law school. The Commission will award one (1) credit hour for each hour of class attendance.4.05. Credit may be earned through service as a bar examiner in Tennessee or in any of the sister states. The Commission will award twelve (12) hours of General credit and three (3) hours of EP credit annually for the preparation and grading of one or more bar examination questions during a given compliance year.4.06. An attorney may receive up to a maximum of twelve (12) hours of General continuing legal education credit, and a maximum of three (3) hours of EP credit, for passing the bar examination of any state or upon passage of the Uniform Bar Examination including compliance with the requirements of Supreme Court Rule 7, Sections 1.04, 3.05 and Article V. Up to six (6) hours of General credit may be given for successful passage of any examination required by a specialist certification program approved under this Rule, or the examination for admission to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, an attorney may receive three hours of EP credit for passing either the ethics portion of a bar examination of any state or the Multi-state Professional Responsibility Examination. The maximum credit to be earned by passing any and all bar examinations in a given compliance year is twelve (12) hours of General credit and three (3) hours of EP credit.4.07. The Commission may, in its discretion, award:(a) Up to one-half of the annual requirement to attorneys for participation as members of governmental commissions, committees, or other governmental bodies, at either the state or national level, involved in formal sessions for review of proposed legislation, rules or regulations. The Commission is authorized to promulgate regulations to implement this provision and to address any further public service credit.4.08. The Commission may, in its discretion, award:(a) Up to one-half of the annual requirement (six (6) General credits and one and one-half (1.5) EP credits) to attorneys for participation as members of governmental commissions, committees, or other governmental bodies, at either the state or national level, involved in formal sessions for review of proposed legislation, rules, or regulations.(b) Up to one-half of the annual requirement (six (6) General credits and one and one-half (1.5) EP credits) for published writings concerning substantive law, the practice of law, or the ethical and professional responsibilities of attorneys if the writing is published in approved publications intended primarily for attorneys. Credit shall be awarded in the amount of one (1) hour for every 1,000 words, not including footnotes, endnotes, or citations of authority. Credit shall not be awarded to a named author when the actual principal author was another person acting under the direction or supervision of the named author. In requesting credit under this subsection, the attorney shall provide the Commission with an affidavit stating the facts of authorship.(c) An annual maximum of three (3) EP credits earned at the rate of one hour of credit for every five billable hours of pro bono legal representation provided through court appointment, an organized bar association program, or an approved legal assistance organization, or of pro bono mediation services as required by Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 or the Federal Court Mediation Programs established by the United States District Courts in Tennessee. Credits awarded pursuant to this paragraph shall be exempt from the per-hour fee imposed by Section 8 of this Rule. An approved legal assistance organization" for the purposes of this section is an organization or professional association that (1) provides pro bono legal services and (2) is approved by this Court. An organization which receives funding from the Legal Services Corporation is presumptively approved under this section. Organizations or groups which do not provide legal assistance as their primary service or business but wish to develop an initiative or project designed specifically to provide pro bono legal services may apply to be approved by this Court under this section. Any organization seeking approval under this section must file a petition with the clerk of this Court. The Application for Tennessee Supreme Court Approval of Legal Assistance Organization form can be found on the CLE website - www.cletn.com.
(d) An attorney who provides indigent defense representation at a reduced hourly rate may receive EP credit for the uncompensated portion of the representation based upon the Commission's formula as set out in the Request for Earned Indigent Defense Credit form. A maximum of three (3) hours of credit may be earned in any compliance year. Indigent Defense credit hours earned in a compliance year in excess of the three (3) credit annual maximum may be carried forward for credit in the succeeding compliance year, but only for the succeeding compliance year and only up to three (3) credit hours. The form Request for Earned Indigent Defense Credit can be found on the CLE website - www.cletn.com(e) An attorney may receive a combined maximum of three (3) credits of pro bono and/or indigent defense credit in any compliance year.(f) One (1) year of CLE credit may be awarded for completion of a bar review course. An attorney shall not receive bar review credit and bar exam credit in the same compliance year. Online bar review courses that do not satisfy the distance learning format criteria will not be approved for CLE credit.Amended by order filed November 1, 2022, effective 11/1/2022.