State Bar of Wisconsin

Active licensed attorneys
Regardless of where you live or practice, you need 30 continuing legal education (CLE) credits every two calendar years. Three of those 30 need to be in approved coursework in the area of legal ethics and professional responsibility (EPR). [see SCR 31.02]

Exceptions are:

• Lawyers in their first year of Wisconsin admission. In your first calendar year, you don’t have to attend or report coursework. You may, however, claim up to 15 credits of coursework taken between the date of your admission and the end of that calendar year. These hours may not be used to satisfy the EPR requirement.
• Inactive lawyers. You’re deemed inactive if you’re not engaged in the practice of law in Wisconsin and have filed written notice with the State Bar requesting inactive status.
• Emeritus lawyers. You’re an emeritus lawyer if you’re at least 70 years old, in good standing, and have filed written notice with the State Bar requesting emeritus status.
• Judicial lawyers. You’re a judicial lawyer if you’re a judge of a court of record, a full-time court commissioner, a full-time referee in bankruptcy, a full-time federal magistrate or a retired judge eligible for temporary judicial assignment and not engaged in the practice of law and have filed written notice with the State Bar requesting judicial status.

If your license is active, but you do not practice Wisconsin law (regardless of where you live), you may claim an exemption from the CLE attendance requirement on your CLE reporting form to certify that you haven’t practiced law in Wisconsin at any time during the current reporting period. If you practice in Wisconsin at a later time, you’ll need to meet your full Wisconsin CLE requirement during that reporting period. Claiming this exemption does not alter your license or State Bar membership status.

About two months before your filing deadline, the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) will send the form you need for reporting, CLE Form 1. It’s very important that you keep track of the courses you take (what, when, where, the sponsor’s name, and the number of CLE/EPR hours approved), because there is no central storage area for that information. Also, make sure to notify the State Bar of Wisconsin of any address changes, because the BBE relies upon the State Bar for that information to send your CLE Form 1.

Your reporting year is determined by your year of admission to practice law in Wisconsin (e.g., if you were admitted in an odd-numbered year, your CLE Form 1 is sent by the BBE in the fall of every odd-numbered year).

A new tool, My CLE Tracker, is available on the WisBar Web site to help you keep track of the courses you take. My CLE Tracker allows you to view your history of CLE credits attended through the State Bar and edit your history to add seminars attended through other providers.

Wisconsin lawyers may carry over up to 15 hours of CLE credit from one reporting period into the next. Briefly, the rule requires that you file your CLE Form 1 in a timely manner, that carryover be derived only from activities attended during your two-year reporting period, and that courses hold BBE approval at the time your form is filed. Ethics credits carried over do not apply toward satisfying subsequent EPR requirements.

The Board of Bar Examiners determines which courses qualify to satisfy the CLE / EPR requirements. Information on courses that have been approved and instructions on how to seek approval for a course is available online.

All CLE Seminars that list an amount of CLE credits have either been approved for that credit amount or have credit applications pending before the Board of Bar Examiners.

Never assume courses have been approved for Wisconsin credit. Check the BBE Web site to access the BBE's searchable database of approved CLE courses.

Attorneys may also earn CLE for teaching and published legal writing. Contact the BBE for details.

You must complete your mandatory CLE coursework by December 31 of your two-calendar-year reporting period. You must file a CLE Form 1 with the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE)  that complies in all respects with the CLE requirements by February 1 following the last day of your reporting period.

If you file your report after the February 1 deadline, you’ll be charged a $100 late fee. If you are not clear on these points, please contact the BBE for an explanation. Noncompliance, including failure to pay your late fee, can result in suspension.

The BBE may grant extensions and waivers for hardship or other compelling reasons.

Questions regarding continuing legal education requirements should be directed to:

Board of Bar Examiners
Suite 715
110 East Main St.
PO Box 2748
Madison, WI 53701-2748
Phone: (608) 266-9760

Questions regarding Wisconsin license status should be directed to:

Membership Department
State Bar of Wisconsin
P.O. Box 7158
Madison, WI 53707-7158
Phone: (608) 257-3838
(800) 728-7788 (nationwide)