- What is MCLE
In 1985, Kansas required lawyers to participate in formal continuing legal education. It is the responsibility of the Kansas CLE Board to administer the rules pertaining to the continuing education of lawyers.
Kansas CLE's duties also include updating the requirements and rules as necessary, monitoring each attorney's compliance with the requirements, notifying attorneys of CLE status, accrediting courses and working with providers of CLE.
- What is the purpose of this requirement
It is essential to the public and the legal profession that attorneys admitted to practice law in Kansas maintain and increase their professional competence by continuing their legal education. These rules establish minimum requirements for continuing legal education necessary to remain authorized to practice law in this state.
- What is the CLE hourly requirement
An attorney that is registered as active must complete 12 hours of CLE, including at least 2 hours of ethics and professionalism, by June 30, of each compliance period. All hours may be attended online or in-person. If attending online programs, please check to see if the hours have been approved in Kansas by reviewing the programs on the Course Search on this website.
- Who must comply with the CLE requirement
All attorneys that are registered with an active law license.
- Where do I pay my annual CLE Fee and when is it due
CLE fees are combined with the Annual Registration fee with the Attorney Registration office. The annual fee must be paid through the Attorney Registration portal. (See Supreme Court Rule 206.) All fees must be paid ONLINE by June 30. Late fee will be assessed July 1. Cash, checks, and money orders will not be accepted. YOU WILL NOT PAY THE CLE ANNUAL FEE THROUGH THE KANSAS CLE PORTAL. The annual registration period will open by June 1. Questions regarding the annual registration fee should be directed to the Attorney Registration office at registration@kscourts.org.
- If I have complied with the annual CLE requirement in another state, can I notify you of that compliance to meet the Kansas CLE requirement?
No. Because CLE rules vary from state-to-state, Kansas CLE does not have reciprocity with any other state. You should submit your attendance form, or request for approval, for each program to the Kansas CLE office throughout the compliance period.
- I want to attend a program about elections. Is that accreditable?
Kansas CLE has received a number of inquiries about possibly approving CLE credit for programs related to political issues. All programs that are submitted to Kansas CLE for CLE credit are considered under the same guidelines and must focus on substantive legal issues. Those that deal with such matters as constitutional law, rule of law, and case law will be considered for general CLE credit. Conversely, in keeping with Kansas CLE's long held position not to support or oppose any political position, all events in which the focus is political advocacy will be denied CLE credit.
- What if I take more ethics than are required for the year
You can take all your required hours as ethics if you choose to do so. However, please remember that ethics and professionalism credit hours in excess of the 2-hour requirement will be carried forward as general attendance credit hours NOT as ethics and professionalism credit.
- When must I complete my CLE requirements
All CLE hours, including the 2 hour ethics and professionalism requirement, must be attended by June 30 each compliance period. These hours should be filed within 30 days of the attendance of an approved program. To avoid any penalties, hours attended between July 1 and June 30, MUST BE postmarked no later than July 31 following the end of the compliance period.
- What if my hours are not reported by July 31 following the compliance period
Attorneys and Providers that have not properly filed the proper attendance by July 31, will be assessed a noncompliance fee of $75. This fee should be paid online through the MyKSCLE portal or submit a check made payable to Kansas CLE. When making the payment, please reference the course attended, your full name and Kansas Supreme Court number.
- What happens if I do not comply with the requirements within my compliance period
Attorneys that have not completed all hours by June 30, may attend programming in July and August to complete their requirement for the previous compliance period. Attorneys will be assessed a noncompliance fee of $75. This fee will be assessed the first week in August. It should be paid online by logging in to your MyKSCLE account, or submitting a check via US Mail. We recommend using the online service for immediate confirmation that the fee has been paid. If attending a program online to complete the deficiency, please make sure the provider has reported your hours by the end of August. If you need to submit payment in the form of a check or money order, it should be made payable to Kansas CLE, and should be submitted with a copy of the documentation from the program(s) that will complete the deficiency.
- What if I remain out of compliance or do not meet my CLE requirements within the time allotted
A notice is sent to each attorney that has not met the CLE requirements (fees and/or hours) the first week in August. The attorney has 30 days from the date the certified is mailed to correct the deficiency. If the attorney does not complete the requirements by that time, they will be suspended shortly thereafter, and unable to practice law until the reinstatement order has been signed and filed with the Kansas Supreme Court. Paying your fees and/or completing the hours does NOT constitute reinstatement. You MUST allow processing time for the order to be signed by the Court. You are only reinstated once the order has been filed with the Court.
Please note: Hours and fees accrue for each year you are on suspended status, even if you were on inactive status at the time of the suspension. If you think you will not need your Kansas license in the future, Kansas CLE strongly encourages attorneys in this situation to complete the reinstatement process as quickly as possible to avoid the build up of hours and fees over the coming years.
- How do I have my license reinstated after being placed on suspended status due to non-compliance with the hourly CLE requirement
The fees must be accompanied by a written request for reinstatement to active status, along with proof of attendance of the necessary hours and/or fees. The fees should not be mailed in until the hours are completed. Fees received without the required paperwork will be returned to the address on the check or money order without processing.
There is also paperwork and fees due to the Kansas Supreme Court when an attorney is suspended. Please contact the Attorney Registration office to ascertain their requirements for reinstatement via email at registration@kscourts.org or by telephone at 785/296-8409.
Paying your fees and/or completing the hours does NOT constitute reinstatement. You MUST allow processing time for the order to be signed by the Court. You are only reinstated once the order has been filed with the Court.
- If I find I am unable to complete my requirements prior to my deadline, may I be granted an extension of time
There are no extensions.
- What happens if I earn more credit hours than are required for the year
If an active practitioner completes CLE credit hours at approved programs during a compliance period exceeding the number of hours required, and the practitioner complies with the requirements of Rule 806, the practitioner may carry forward to the next compliance period up to 10 unused general attendance credit hours from the compliance period during which the credit hours were earned. However, ethics and professionalism credit hours in excess of the 2-hour requirement may be carried forward as general attendance credit hours but not as ethics and professionalism credit. An attorney is required to take 2 hours of ethics each compliance period.
CLE credit hours approved for teaching, authorship, or law practice management credit do not qualify for carryover credit.
- How do I get my name changed on your records
Once you have completed the paperwork to change your name with your official name on the roll of attorneys in the Attorney Registration office, our office will be notified and the change will then be made to your CLE file.
Please contact the Attorney Registration office to ascertain the requirements in their office. The direct phone number is 785/296-8409, or email at registration@kscourts.org.
- What provisions are made for lawyers licensed in Kansas but who reside and/or work in another country
An attorney employed full time outside the United States for a minimum of 8 months during the compliance period may, upon written request and preapproval, complete the annual CLE requirement by prerecorded programming.
- How do I change my status to reflect inactive, or retired, status
Status changes to inactive or retired within the current licensing period should be submitted online through the Attorney Registration Portal: https://registration kard.kscourts.org
To be relieved of the CLE requirement for the current year and pay the lower fee for inactive or no fee for retired status for the next licensing period, your request must be submitted no later than June 30.
You can also change to inactive or retired status when you complete your annual registration online. The change will not be effective until July 1, and you will still be required to complete the annual CLE requirement for the current year by June 30 if you are currently on active status. Status changes submitted online when registering must be completed by June 30. If you complete your annual registration online after June 30, you will have to pay the registration fee and late fee based on your status as of July 1.
See the Resources page on the Attorney Registration portal for additional information regarding status change procedures.
- How does a lawyer return from inactive to active status
To change your status to active or reinstate from a suspension, contact the Attorney Registration office (registration@kscourts.org) for instructions and forms to complete. Be sure to include your bar number in your request. All fees will be paid online through the Attorney Registration Portal. Please be aware that requests which are submitted when annual registration is open will require additional time for processing.
- Where and when will I be able to attend CLE courses
The list of approved programming will show any programs that have been approved for Kansas CLE credit. Attorneys can attend programs anywhere in the world but an application for approval of CLE activity, must be submitted by the provider (when applicable) or an attorney.
- How will Kansas CLE learn of my attendance
If a live, in-person, program is listed as approved on our calendar of approved programming, the provider has received an affidavit for you to complete. If the program is held within the state of Kansas, or is a webinar (live or prerecorded) or teleconference, the provider will submit your attendance to our office to be registered in your file. Please allow 30 days for this to be reflected on your MyKSCLE account.
If the program was attended outside the state of Kansas, it is your responsibility to get the affidavit from the provider and mail it in to our office within 30 days of the program.
If the program was pre-recorded, or "on-demand," the provider is required to not only apply for the program, but also submit your attendance to our office within 30 days.
- Do my credits have to be taken in Kansas
Attorneys can attend programs anywhere in the world but an application for approval of CLE activity must be submitted by the provider or an attorney per the applicable Rule.
- Should I keep a list of my CLE activities
Each active lawyer shall maintain records sufficient to establish compliance with the CLE requirement in the event of a dispute with the final compliance report. Kansas CLE recommends maintaining CLE records for at least three (3) years. The MyKSCLE account access is intended to assist in tracking of courses and credits.
If you are on inactive status, you are not required to submit hours to our office during that time. However, if you do attend CLE hours during this time, it is a good idea to file those hours with our office and also keep copies of those hours in your permanent file. If you decide to change back to active status, you will need to supply that information to the Attorney Registration office.
- If I teach a CLE program, do I receive credit for it
Attorneys may receive up to five (5) hours of teaching credit for each one (1) hour they teach. Instruction must be directed toward an audience composed primarily of attorneys.
There is a formula that takes into consideration your preparation time and the actual teaching time. By answering the questions properly on the application for approval of teaching credit, Kansas CLE staff will calculate the hours awarded and send you an affidavit to sign and return.
Teaching credit cannot be carried forward.
- May I claim credit for attending an LLM class
Attendance spent in a classroom could be considered for CLE credit. To apply, complete the application for approval of CLE activity - traditional, and attach a copy of the syllabus noting the times and dates of the classes.
- May I claim credit for teaching a law school class
Because teaching credit is awarded as an incentive to attorneys to benefit the legal profession, instruction must be directed toward an audience composed primarily of attorneys. Credit will not be awarded for teaching undergraduate, graduate, or law school classes.
- What is the minimum number of credit hours I can receive for attending a KS CLE approved course
One-half hour is the least amount of credit that can be recorded. 25 minutes = 1/2 hour of CLE credit. Hours are rounded down to the nearest half hour. Other fractions of hours will not be recognized.
- How are credit hours calculated
Add up the total number of minutes attended and divide by 50 minutes. This will give you the number of hours. Per Kansas Supreme Court Rules, Kansas CLE will round down to the nearest 1/2 hour. For instance, 260 minutes divided by 50 minutes = 5.2 hours. This would be 5 hours of CLE credit in Kansas.
- May I claim credit for attending the in-house CLE activities of my law firm
Kansas CLE rules allow credit for in-house programming. Invitation-only programs for clients and other guests are considered in-house. Since these programs are not open to the general attorney public, in-house programming will not appear on our list of approved courses. Please make sure to answer this question on the application form so that the program may be categorized correctly in our system.
The program must meet the standards required for approval as continuing legal education under the rules governing CLE in Kansas.
- What if I want to attend a CLE activity and the provider has not applied for approval (includes out-of-state programming)
For live programs, including live webinars, you may complete the application for approval of CLE activity. There is no fee for applying for credit. Make sure all the required sections are completed and attach a copy of the timed agenda, highlighting the sessions you attended, and submit the information to the Kansas CLE office using the instructions on the application form. Allow up three weeks for processing.
Applications for prerecorded programming must be submitted by the provider.
- Who should the check for CLE noncompliance fees be made payable to
Kansas CLE recommends paying the noncompliance fee online by logging in to your MyKSCLE account, or submitting a check via US Mail. The online service offers immediate confirmation that the fee has been paid, while US Mail could experience a delay in reaching our office. If you need to submit payment in the form of a check or money order, it should be made payable to Kansas CLE, and should be submitted with a copy of the documentation from the program(s) that will complete the deficiency. Please make sure the Kansas Supreme Court number is listed with the check and that the check is submitted with the necessary paperwork for each attorney.
- I do not have credit for a course that I took earlier this compliance period. Should I send my paperwork directly to the CLE office
If the credit is not listed on your online transcript, and it has been more than 30 days since you submitted the paperwork, and it is still within the current compliance period filing deadline, make sure the form is completed in its entirety (name, Supreme Court number, number of hours attended, etc.) and resubmit the form to Kansas CLE at cleinfo@kscourts.org.
- What happens if I am on active duty with the military
If you are anticipating a military deployment, it is imperative that you notify Attorney Registration and Kansas CLE prior to deployment. You can be placed on a military exemption with the CLE office during your deployment. During this time you are not required to pay the annual CLE fee or submit CLE hours. To gain the military exemption, please submit a letter to our office requesting the exemption along with a copy of your deployment papers.
Attorneys who are active duty military, not deployed, and are actively licensed in Kansas, are required to report hours and pay the annual CLE fees.
- How will my webinar and teleconference program credits be applied to my KS CLE transcript
The provider will report your attendance for an approved course. Please allow 30 days for the credit to show on your transcript. Please contact the provider if the hours are not reflected within 30 days. DO NOT send certificates to the Kansas CLE office.
- How do I update my address
Please log in to your Attorney Registration portal account ( (https://registration-kard.kscourts.org ) to change your address as soon as possible. Once the address change is received, the change will not appear on your CLE online account immediately. CLE staff will be notified of the change by Attorney Registration and upload the new address. Please allow 2 business days before the address change is reflected on your MyKSCLE account. Staff cannot make changes to your address via phone.
- How can I find out more about the CLE requirements
Contact our office at 785-368-8201. Please have your Kansas Supreme Court number available before calling.
- I received my renewal card from the Kansas Supreme Court. Does that mean that I have met my CLE requirements
No. Our offices are separate and have separate requirements. Once you have completed your hours, your online transcript (MyKSCLE account) will reflect compliance with our office.