Rule 5 - Standards for continuing legal education activity (a) A continuing legal education activity consisting of lecture (classroom) style instruction qualifies for accreditation, and the attorney participants, both attendees and faculty, are entitled to continuing legal education credit, if the CLE Director determines that: (1) The activity constitutes an organized program of learning (including workshop or symposium) which contributes directly to the professional competency of an attorney; (2) The activity pertains to legal subjects or other subject matters which integrally relate to the practice of law; (3) The purpose of the activity is the education of professionals including attorneys; (4) The activity is conducted or taught by attorneys, although it may also be conducted or taught in part by individuals who have special education, training and experience by reason of which they should be considered experts concerning the subject matter of the program; and (5) The activity is accompanied by a paper, manual or written outline which substantively pertains to the subject matter of the program. (b) Examples. The program's purpose must be the education of professionals, including attorneys, on legal topics or on non-legal topics which nevertheless integrally relate to the practice of law, such as: (1) A joint continuing legal education program sponsored, for instance, by accountants to which attorneys are invited and at which attorneys lecture on topics of interest to both accountants and attorneys would likely be accredited by the CLE Director, subject to the CLE Director's review of the specific course outline or program brochure. (2) A meeting of doctors, lawyers, managed health care professionals and hospital administrators at which one or more attorneys lecture on topics of interest to all participants, such as legal concerns in the establishment of an HMO, malpractice, giving expert testimony, new federal laws and regulations for Medicaid/Medicare providers, would likely provide continuing legal education credit to attorney lecturers and to attorney attendees if the topics pertain to subject matters which integrally relate to the practice of law and contribute directly to the professional competency of an attorney. (3) A meeting of public service commissioners and attorneys at which one or more attorneys lecture on topics such as new regulations, administrative rules, and/or laws would likely be accredited by the CLE Director if the topics pertain to subject matters which integrally relate to the practice of law and contribute directly to the professional competency of an attorney. (4) A meeting of doctors at which one or more attorneys lecture on topics of interest to doctors, such as malpractice, court procedures or giving expert testimony would not qualify as continuing legal education credit to attorney lecturers or attendees, because the program was not intended for the continuing legal education of attorneys. Attorneys are expected to participate in such programs as a contribution to the community and to their profession. Other similar programs which would not ordinarily qualify for continuing legal education credit would include teaching a bar review course or presenting a seminar exclusively to records managers on "Law Enforcement Records Liability." (5) Attending a course taught by engineers, for engineers, on topics which may be of vital interest to a product liability attorney would not provide continuing legal education credit to the attorney because the program was not intended for the continuing legal education of attorneys. Other programs which would not ordinarily qualify for continuing legal education credit include attending courses at a real estate school, attending a non-attorney workshop on juvenile delinquency or attending a non-attorney course on federal procurement. (c) Time spent researching and writing articles that are published in a legal periodical including without limitation law reviews, legal newsletters, pamphlets, magazines or newspapers, consisting of case summaries, law updates and other subjects of interest to the legal community, qualifies for continuing legal education credit to a maximum of 15 hours in any calendar year. Authors of such articles applying for continuing legal education credit must submit a copy of the article, as published, with the approved form. (d) An attorney may receive a maximum of five hours of legal education credit each calendar year for providing pro bono public service as defined in Rule 6.1 of the Wyoming Rules of Professional Conduct. Such credit may be received at the rate of one credit hour for each two hours of pro bono public service, including (1) performing pro bono public service, (2) acting as a mentor for another attorney who is performing pro bono public service, and (3) acting as a mentor for an eligible law student in accordance with Rule 9 of the Rules Governing the Wyoming State Bar and the Authorized Practice of Law. (e) An attorney may receive a maximum of six hours of continuing legal education credit each calendar year for self-study programs where audio, video or online material is used. No hours may be carried over to any subsequent years. (f) Attorneys will not receive continuing legal education credit for any "for profit" activity such as authoring a book or treatise for a fee or commission or teaching a course for which payment of other than expenses is received. (g) Identical activities will not be accredited unless they are held at least one year apart. Wyo. R. State Bar, Att'y Cond. & Prac. 5
Amended August 27, 2014, effective October 1, 2014; amended June 2, 2015, effective July 1, 2015; amended January 24, 2017, effective May 1, 2017.