CLE Frequently Asked Questions

Beginning in 2020, you may access and check your official MCLE credit record anytime on the MCLE Board attorney portal on the board’s website (www.mcleboard.org). (Please note, there may be up to an eight week lag time between your completion of  your CLE program or bar meeting and the credit being listed on the board’s attorney portal due to administrative processing.)

ISBA also sends a credit tracking report to members three times a year listing ISBA credit earned from CLE programs and bar meetings during your current reporting period. Please contact the ISBA CLE Department if you have questions about this report at credit-tracking@isba.org

Up to 10 MCLE credits earned prior to the beginning of your reporting period can be carried into your two-year reporting period, including professional responsibility credits. Newly Admitted Attorneys may carry over 15 hours and should refer to the MCLE Board website (www.mcleboard.org) for details regarding carrying over MCLE credit. For more detailed information, please visit the Supreme Court of Illinois Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Board website.

Newly admitted attorneys have special requirements for their first year of admittance. The choices include taking a Basic Skills course, participating in an approved mentoring program, or selecting other MCLE courses of interest. You can find out more about these requirements and MCLE compliance and reporting deadlines at our MCLE Requirements for New Lawyers page.

Professional Responsibility MCLE (PMCLE) must be in the area of professionalism, civility, legal ethics, diversity and inclusion, or mental health and substance abuse. Beginning with the N-Z group reporting period ending June 30, 2019, the 6 hours of PMCLE must include either:

• At least one hour in Diversity and Inclusion and
• At least one hour in Mental Health/Substance Abuse;

OR

• Completion of a yearlong Lawyer-to-Lawyer mentoring program

You may find certificates of attendance for ISBA courses you registered for after July 1, 2018 in the My Certificates tab on the Online CLE Account page.

You may not claim credit for attending/completing the same course twice within a 12 month period.

In 2005 the Supreme Court of Illinois adopted MCLE requirements with Supreme Court Rules 790-798. The Court created the MCLE Board of the Supreme Court of Illinois to administer the MCLE program and the Commission on Professionalism to address issues of professionalism.

As a private, nonprofit voluntary bar association, the ISBA has no role in the administration or enforcement of the Illinois Supreme Court Rule requiring MCLE.

If you have any questions regarding the MCLE rules, please contact the Illinois MCLE Board or check out the MCLE Board's Attorney FAQ page.

In addition to watching CLE, you have the option of downloading an audio recording of the CLE program, so you can listen to it later offline.

Yes! These hours will be covered by your annual dues and there are no hidden fees.

Eligible members can take up to 15 hours of On-Demand MCLE, including 6 hours PMCLE, each bar year. The ISBA bar year runs from July 1 to June 30.

All regular dues-paying members ISBA members are eligible to receive this benefit, as well as newly admitted, law students, lifetime, privileged, honorary, military, dues-waived, and dues-reduction categories.
 
This benefit is not available to associate, retired or inactive member categories, as well as those holding a "Non-Illinois Resident" ISBA membership (which correlates with membership type, rather than physical location). Non-Illinois residents may join ISBA with a regular dues level membership to participate in the Free Online CLE program.

Yes, newly admitted attorneys can complete their Supreme Court mandated (S. Ct. Rule 793) 15-hour accredited MCLE requirement for newly admitted attorneys via ISBA's Online CLE Store. Simply complete the 6-hour accredited Basic Skills online program in addition to 9 hours of other programs of your choosing. Learn more about ISBA's complimentary new admittee membership and ISBA's CLE for new lawyers.

Free CLE is a member benefit available to ISBA members only. If you are interested in becoming an ISBA member, complete the application found on our Join page. Membership costs between $75-$360 (depending on how many years you've been in practice) and includes the 15 hours of Free On-Demand CLE per bar year, free online legal research (Fastcase), daily case digests, and many other benefits. To see a complete list of benefits, visit our Member Benefits page.

Register online for all ISBA Law Ed programs. You can find live webcasts, live webinars, and live on site programs on our Upcoming CLE page. Visit our On-Demand page for hundreds of hours of programs that you can watch or listen to at any time. You will need to be logged in to register.

To cancel your registration for live events, go to the live event page, log in, and click on "Cancel Registration" or send your cancellation notification to CLEregistration@isba.org

Refunds:

Live Webcasts/Webinars - A full refund is available up to the start of the program.

Live On-site Programs: A refund is available up to 24 hours prior to a live on-site program, less a $25 administrative fee, if you provide notice of your cancellation as indicated above. (*Destination and Master Series programs may have different cancellation and refund terms. Please contact the ISBA CLE Department for details.)

The ISBA Chicago office is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Private rooms may also be made available upon request (including for those who are nursing, etc.).

All live CLE webcasts now offer closed captioning and transcripts via Zoom and automated closed captioning is available for all On-Demand CLE programs created after September 2021.

We aim to provide CLE that enable all individuals to participate fully and equally. Please let us know as early as possible if there are reasonable accommodations that would allow you to participate more fully. To request an accommodation, please email the Member Services Department.

Read our Accessibility Statement.

Advance Registration

Many live on-site programs cost less if you register at least three working days prior to the program presentation.

Legal Service Attorneys

Legal Service Attorney members may attend designated live programs for only $25 (there is an additional charge if lunch is served), if they work full-time or part-time (with no other income through the practice of law) for a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is to provide quality civil legal assistance to low-income persons. Documentation required 10 days prior. No other discounts apply. To download the required form and read the LSA CLE Policy, please visit our Legal Services Attorneys page.

Members of Presenting or Co-sponsoring Sections

If you are a member of the section presenting or co-sponsoring the program, you receive a $10 discount off the fee for most live on-site programs.

New Attorneys

ISBA Member Attorneys in their first five years of bar admittance pay only $25 for most live, on-site programs. There is an additional charge if lunch is served. No other discounts apply.

ISBA Law Student Members

Law student members may attend live Law Ed CLE programs at no charge, space permitting; attendance at Masters Series programs is at full price. Law Students are eligible for a free electronic ISBA membership. Join now.

MASTERS SERIES Programs

These programs feature highly-regarded expert presenters and focus on information and techniques for the more experienced attorneys - or for attorneys seeking to take their abilities to the next level. Regular discounts, including for section membership, may not apply.