News

7/23: UPDATE

Pursuant to the Montana Supreme Court Order dated July 15, 2024, all public comments concerning the proposed amendments to MCLE Rule 8 shall now be filed on or before September 25, 2024.

MCLE Rule Change Extension.pdf

6/25/2024: BREAKING NEWS!

As you may be aware, the attorney appeal regarding the MCLE’s decision to no longer grant attorneys credit for teaching or attending paralegal-sponsored conferences was upheld by the Commission during last week’s appeal hearing.  The Commission has interpreted these rules to restrict approved activities to programs in which the participants are exclusively or primarily licensed attorneys.  

This decision, however, has prompted the Montana Supreme Court to propose amendments to these rules.  Chief Justice Mike McGrath has issued an Order inviting all members of the bench and bar of Montana, and any other interested party, to submit comments and suggestions regarding the proposed revisions.  We have included a copy of that Order below for your review.  The proposed amendment reads:

Rule 8 — Credit Hours and Accreditation Standards

B. Accreditation and Accreditation Standards - General.

The Commission may approve CLE activities when consistent with these Rules. The following standards govern the approval of a CLE activity:

   1. It shall have significant legal content or application;

   2. Its primary objective shall be to increase professional competence as a of lawyers, judges, paralegals under the supervision of a lawyer, and other professionals involved in the administration of the justice system;

This is huge!  We strongly encourage all of you to participate by submitting your comments supporting the proposed rule changes.  Your input is crucial in shaping these amendments, which will impact the legal education requirements in our state. We kindly request that you discuss this matter with the attorneys you work with and urge them to also support these proposed rule changes.

Please note the deadline for submitting comments is 30 days from the date of the Order, which calculates to July 25, 2024. This is a significant opportunity for our community to influence positive changes in our legal education standards.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to your active participation in this important process.

2024.6.25 ORDER MCLE Rule 8.pdf