Connected With Compliance: Tracking MCLE Rules During The Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only changed the way lawyers and law firms do business -- it’s also had an immediate impact on continuing legal education as states have temporarily modified their Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) rules.
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only changed the way lawyers and law firms do business — it’s also had an immediate impact on continuing legal education.
In response to the pandemic, states have temporarily modified their Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) rules. While Practising Law Institute has long been an authoritative source for MCLE compliance, keeping members apprised of rule changes took on an unusual urgency as the world entered its new, socially distanced reality, says Andrew Ottiger, PLI’s Senior Director of MCLE Accreditation and Compliance. “Having worked with MCLE regulators across the country on compliance mandates for decades, our accreditation team quickly realized that states would need to revisit live requirements, deadlines and other requirements in light of the pandemic,” Ottiger explains. “We began compiling and publishing these changes to our website as soon as they were announced, so that PLI members and others could easily access this information in one, up-to-date place.”
Changes to formats include the suspension of live in-person program requirements and the lifting of caps on online (i.e., “distance learning” or “alternative delivery format”) credits. Many states made dramatic changes to their distance learning and self-study caps. For example, Utah suspended its live in-person requirement for both 2020 and 2021. Many states have also extended compliance deadlines — Connecticut and Rhode Island suspended their 2020 deadlines entirely — while others, such as Illinois, have added automatic compliance deadline extensions or no-fee grace periods. Expect some of these changes to be extended, Ottiger says: “…Particularly those orders that relax live in-person requirements. MCLE regulators are mindful of the need for caution during the pandemic. We expect this increased flexibility to translate to increased MCLE compliance as attorneys are taking advantage of the ability to earn more MCLE credits online.”
Biglaw firms face an additional challenge when it comes to managing multiple jurisdictions’ credit needs. In addition to offering a wealth of online live and on-demand programming, PLI is distinguished by the fact that all its programs offer credit in all U.S. MCLE jurisdictions and in all formats. “PLI provides the best opportunity for attorneys and firms with attorneys licensed in multiple states to take advantage of rule changes made in response to COVID-19,” Ottiger notes.
Aside from offering programs that fulfill MCLE requirements, PLI offers another valuable resource to attorneys and professional development managers: the ability to manage and track individual compliance progress with the My Credit Tracker tool. Available to anyone with a free account on PLI.edu, My Credit Tracker manages credits earned from PLI and allows users to add credits from external providers, offering a seamless way to manage compliance even for multiple jurisdictions.
Thousands of attorneys currently use the tool to manage their compliance, says Ottiger, who adds: “We are always innovating to improve My Credit Tracker.” Recently, the team developed a homepage widget to show users a dashboard snapshot of My Credit Tracker and added the ability for users to view past and future compliance progress, as well as track their carryover credits. “The ability to click back to see a past compliance period or enter a grace period makes it easy for attorneys to manage their compliance when it matters most: deadline time,” says Ottiger’s PLI colleague Laura Sayer, Director, MCLE Accreditation & Compliance, who has played a key role in developing the My Credit Tracker tool.
MCLE requirements can be tricky, particularly when understanding the contrasting requirements for multiple states. “We often say that the most common answer to an MCLE question is, ‘it depends on the state,’” says Ottiger. “It is particularly tricky during these challenging times, which makes it more critical than ever to provide clear and accurate informational resources and helpful tools for attorneys to meet their MCLE requirements.”
Click here for PLI’s up-to-date list by state: Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Rule Changes Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
To learn more about PLI’s free tool for tracking MCLE compliance, visit: My Credit Tracker.
Practising Law Institute is a nonprofit learning organization dedicated to keeping attorneys and other professionals at the forefront of knowledge and expertise. PLI is chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York, and was founded in 1933 by Harold P. Seligson. The organization provides the highest quality, accredited, continuing legal and professional education programs in a variety of formats which are delivered by more than 4,000 volunteer faculty including prominent lawyers, judges, investment bankers, accountants, corporate counsel, and U.S. and international government regulators. PLI publishes a comprehensive library of Treatises, Course Handbooks, Answer Books and Journals also available through the PLI PLUS online platform. The essence of PLI’s mission is its commitment to the pro bono community.
