Frequently Asked Questions for Sponsors
Requirements
Q. If an attorney does not attend the entire program, may the payment be adjusted accordingly?
Yes
Q. What is the purpose of the fee?
Of the $2.25 per credit hour assessed, $1.25 supports the CLE program of the State Bar and $1.00 is given to the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism to support its program to enhance the professionalism of North Carolina lawyers.
Q. Should my organization pay when we submit our request for approval?
No. Please submit the total payment with an attendance report after the program. See questions below on attendance. Be sure that your sponsor and course identification numbers and other identifying information accompany the check.
Q. How much is the fee?
The rate is $2.25 for every CLE credit hour earned. Calculate the total amount owed by multiplying approved credits for the program times number of attorneys in attendance.
Q. May my organization pay the fee for the attorneys as a courtesy even if it is not required by the rules explained above?
Yes. Compute the amount as explained in the next answer and remit with your attendance report.
Q. Must I pay the NC State Bar any fees for my CLE activity? And if so, how much are the fees?
The answer depends on three factors: whether your organization is based in North Carolina; whether the activity will be located in North Carolina; and whether you charge attendees for participation. The fee is $2.25 for every CLE credit hour earned by an active member of the State Bar. Sponsors based in North Carolina who charge for admission must pay the fee, regardless of where the activity is located. 1. Sponsors based outside North Carolina who charge for admission must pay the fee if the activity is located in North Carolina. 2. Sponsors based outside North Carolina who charge for admission are not required to pay the fee if the activity is located outside North Carolina. 3. Sponsors, regardless of where they are based, are not required to pay the fee if they do not charge admission to the CLE activity. Please note: When the sponsor does not do so, the lawyer is responsible for paying the fee. Lawyers will receive a bill for fees after they return their Annual Report Forms each year.
Q. What are the major requirements for my organization’s program?
Summarizing 27 NCAC 1D, Rules .1519 and .1602: your activity must “have significant intellectual or practical content and the primary objective must be to increase the participant’s professional competence and proficiency as a lawyer.” Furthermore, it “shall constitute an organized program of learning dealing with matters directly related to the practice of law, professional responsibility, professionalism, or ethical obligations of lawyers.”
Q. Can any of the required hours be taken online?
Yes, members may take up to four (4) hours of online credit each year towards their CLE requirements.
Q. Where do I find the rules and regulations for the administration of the CLE program?
See 27 NCAC 1D, Sections .1500 and .1600.
General Sponsor Information
Q. Can activities directed primarily to other professions or groups (for example, CPAs) be approved for CLE credit?
Yes, provided the CLE Board is “satisfied that the content of the activity would enhance legal skills or the ability to practice law.”
Q. How many CLE hours do attorneys have to take each calendar year?
Active members of the North Carolina State Bar must take twelve (12) hours of approved CLE during each calendar year. Of the twelve (12) CLE hours, at least two must be devoted to the area of professional responsibility (ethics) or professionalism. At least once every three calendar years, each attorney must complete one hour on substance abuse and debilitating mental conditions. This hour is credited to the twelve hour requirement for the year but not to the two hour annual professional responsibility requirement. See 27 NCAC 1D, Rule .1518.
Q. What is the North Carolina reporting period for CLE requirements?
The CLE year corresponds to the calendar year – January 1 through December 31. In addition, attorneys may apply hours taken in January and February of the following calendar year to any deficit for the prior year without penalty.
Q. Where do I find the rules and regulations for the administration of the CLE program?
See 27 NCAC 1D, Sections .1500 and .1600.
Q. How can I find out the identification number for previously approved courses that my organization has sponsored?
Check the CLE Sponsors list; check the list you received with your most recent course approval; or telephone the CLE Department at 919-733-0123.
Q. What is my organization’s North Carolina State Bar sponsor identification number?
Click here to look up your sponsor identification number. Your sponsor ID number is located on your course approval letters. You may also call the CLE Department at 919-773-0123.
Courses
Q. What if errors are discovered on a course print-out after it is sent to the CLE Department?
Telephone, mail, or email the Course Accreditation Coordinator, CLE Department at 919-733-0123. Click Here to email the Course Accrediation Cooridinator.
Q. When should my organization report attendance?
You should send attendance to the CLE Department within thirty (30) days after an activity takes place.
Q. How does my organization report attendance?
Please use our attendance form. Make sure that your sponsor number, course numbers, and other identifying information are included on the form. Attendance must be in alphabetical order. List each attending attorney’s name, bar membership number, and a breakdown of credit received.
Q. May attorneys get partial credit if they attend a portion but not all of a CLE activity?
Yes. Indicate the hours attended when you submit attendance.
Q. If my organization is paying fees, should payment include fees for the CLE credit granted for teaching or serving as a panel member?
Yes
Q. May attorneys get credit for serving as a panel member during a CLE activity?
Yes. Attorneys are entitled to one hour of CLE credit for every ten minutes of participation in a panel. To request credit, complete CLE Form 7, Teacher’s Request for CLE Credit.
Q. May attorneys get credit for teaching a CLE activity?
Yes. Attorneys are entitled to one hour of CLE credit for every ten minutes of actual instruction. To request credit, the attorney should complete CLE Form 7, Teacher’s Request for CLE Credit.
Q. How do I determine how much CLE credit to request for my organization’s activity?
Tally the minutes for each segment of professional responsibility, substance abuse, other topics, and for the total program. Divide by sixty. Round each total down to the nearest quarter-hour. Do not include the following: 1. Any time devoted to proscribed activities listed above. 2. Time given to non-educational activities such as social activities, welcomes and introductions, breaks, meals, business or committee meetings, examinations, evaluations, etc.
Q. Are some activities ineligible for CLE credit?
Yes. No credit will be given for the following: 1. Programs on marketing. 2. Programs marketing products or services. 3. In-house programs. 4. Self-study (use of books and manuals, audiotapes, non-interactive computer programs or CD-ROMs, solitary viewing of video programs, etc.). 5. Bar review/refresher programs. 6. Activities held in conjunction with banquets or other primarily social functions. 7. Business meetings.
Q. Can videotaped or computer-based programs be approved?
Yes, provided the program is interactive and all other requirements are met. See subsequent responses.
Q. May a sponsor offer a CLE program to a law firm in North Carolina?
Yes, as long as the program is open to any interested attorney from outside the law firm, the course will be approved for CLE credit in North Carolina. The program may be advertised to the wider legal community by placing a notice in the local courthouse or legal journal at least ten days in advance of the course date. The firm may also invite outside attorneys to attend. Failure to make the program available to attorneys outside the law firm will result in denial of CLE credit for the program. The CLE department may request proof of outside attendance for any program offered at a law firm.
Accreditation
Q. How will I know that my organization’s CLE program has been approved or denied?
You will receive a letter approving or denying each request. Approval letters are accompanied by a print-out of programs your organization has offered to date in the current year. You will find your sponsor identification number and the number assigned to each of your approved programs on this list.
Q. Must my organization’s programs be conducted live and on-site?
No. Telephone seminars, teleconferencing, satellite transmissions, and webcasts can all be approved if they meet other requirements.
Q. Is there a different procedure for requesting approval for online activities?
No.
Q. How does my organization receive approval for a CLE activity?
Complete the appropriate request form from the CLE Forms page. Attach all requested documentation and return the completed packet to the CLE Department. You may use regular mail, fax, or email.
Q. How are teaching credits calculated and what form(s) to use to submit the credits?
Teaching credit is calculated at 1 hour of CLE credit for every 10 minutes taught. Ex. 30 minutes of teaching equals 3 hours of CLE credit. To apply for teaching credit, please use the Teacher’s Request for CLE Credit.