Update on PLI New York and
San Francisco Programs

Please note that beginning March 16 programs scheduled at PLI’s conference centers in New York and San Francisco will only be offered via live webcast. Speakers will be participating remotely via audio. As always, webcast attendees will have access to all program materials, and will be able to view all program slides and submit questions to the speakers during the audio presentation. This change impacts programs through the end of May but as this situation develops we do expect additional changes, which will be communicated to registrants. We thank you for your understanding as we follow the guidance of local health officials and work to provide a safe learning environment for both attendees and faculty.

As we continue to follow the guidance around this developing situation we will share any additional details regarding future program dates. Should you have any questions or require further assistance please contact PLI’s Customer Service Department at 800.260.4754 or by email at info@pli.edu.

CLE Credit Update

Alabama: The Alabama State Bar is currently reviewing all rules and regulatory requirements to determine those that may be difficult to satisfy based on impacts of the Coronavirus. The Alabama State Bar is in dialogue with the Supreme Court of Alabama to determine what accommodations, if any, will be made in this regard. Updates will be posted as they are available.

Georgia: In response to recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the COVID-19 virus, the Supreme Court of Georgia has issued an order temporarily waiving the 6-hour in-person CLE requirement. Attorneys are still required to fulfill their 12-hour CLE requirement by March 31, but the order allows attorneys to obtain all of their hours through self-study, in-house or online seminars. Please note that the Supreme Court has not ordered the cancellation of any scheduled CLE programs. For additional information, please see State Bar Rule 8-106 (B) on the Supreme Court of Georgia website.

Iowa: In the matter of preparation for COVID-19's impact on the office of regulation, The Iowa Supreme Court has issued an order allowing attorneys to complete all 15 hours of their requirement online through webinars or on-demand programming effective March 16, 2020. View all PLI's on-demand programs approved for credit for Iowa.

Kansas: The Kansas CLE Board has been in contact with attorneys who have already been affected with cancelled programs and travel restrictions. Please keep in mind that an attorney licensed in Kansas can currently complete the entire 12 hour requirement online, including ethics. The 6-hour cap only applies to prerecorded programming. For additional information, please see the COVID-19 and CLE statement on the Kansas CLE website.

Louisiana: The Louisiana State Bar Association is closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak. The Louisiana Supreme Court has not lifted the 4 hour online course limitation in Louisiana at this time. Should any changes to the Rules occur, the membership will be notified.

Maine: Effective March 13th, 2020 and until further order, any in-person participation requirements for continuing legal education, including but not limited to the requirement in M. Bar. R. 5(c)(3), are hereby suspended and participation may be by an electronic medium. View all PLI’s electronic programs approved for credit for Maine.

Minnesota: The Minnesota Supreme Court has issued an order temporarily suspending the 15-hour cap on earning credits with on-demand programming effective March 18,2020. Minnesota attorneys may now complete all 45 credits online with live webinars or on-demand programs. View all PLI's on-demand programs approved for credit for Minnesota.

Nebraska: The Nebraska Supreme Court issued an order this week lifting the 5-hour cap on distance-based courses. For attorney CLE reports due prior to January 20, 2021, attorneys may submit up to 10 credits of distance learning to satisfy the annual requirement. View all PLI's on-demand programs approved for credit for Nebraska.

New Jersey: In response to the growing public health crisis worldwide and in New Jersey, The Supreme Court of New Jersey Board on Continuing Legal Education has issued an order to relax the live classroom instruction requirement. Effective immediately, all twenty-four credit hours for the compliance period may be fulfilled through approved courses offered in alternative verifiable learning formats until further notice. For additional information, please see the order on The Supreme Court of New Jersey Board on Continuing Legal Education website.

New York: Effective March 11 through June 30, 2020, newly admitted attorneys (those admitted to the New York State Bar for two years or less) may participate in Skills CLE courses by either individual participation (self-study) or group participation, in the following live, nontraditional formats, where questions are allowed during the program: webconference, teleconference, and videoconference. Newly Admitted New York attorneys may earn Skills CLE courses via PLI’s live webcasts and live groupcasts. For additional information, please see the Changes to CLE Program Format Restrictions in Response to COVID-19 Coronavirus statement on the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board website.    

Ohio: At this time, The Commission on Continuing Legal Education in Ohio is not recommending a waiver of Ohio’s twelve-hour cap on self-study. The CLE deadline for attorneys whose last names start M-Z is not until December 31, 2020 and for attorneys whose last name starts with A-L, it is not until December 31, 2021. In addition, the Supreme Court of Ohio approved a new program type in July 2019 called “live interactive webinar” and although activities that have been approved in Ohio as “live interactive webinars” are self-study, they do not count towards the 12-hour cap, and can be used to fulfill up to 24 hours of the CLE requirements. For additional information, please see the notice to attorneys on the Commission on Continuing Legal Education, Supreme Court of Ohio website.

Pennsylvania: In response to the current public health crisis of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued an order to extend the April 30, 2020 CLE compliance deadline applicable to Compliance Group 1 to August 31, 2020. All other 2020 annual compliance deadlines remain unchanged and on standard schedule. 

South Carolina: Based on the continued development of COVID-19, the South Carolina Supreme Court has issued an order that allows lawyers to allowing lawyers to earn all or any portion of the required 14 hours of CLE credit through online or telephonic programs for the 2019-2020 annual reporting year. View all PLI's online programs approved for credit for South Carolina.

Tennessee: The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order allowing unlimited online hours towards 2019 CLE compliance. The order is effective March 13 through March 31, 2020. For additional information, please see the order on the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization website.

Utah: The Supreme Court Board of Continuing Education has suspended all requirements for in-person CLE attendance for the remainder of the current reporting cycle, which ends on June 30, 2020. This means that Utah-licensed attorneys will be able to meet their full requirement via PLI's online programs. For additional information, please see the Change to MCLE live requirement for the MCLE cycle statement on the Utah State Bar website.

West Virginia: The West Virginia Mandatory CLE Commission has suspended the live requirement effective March 12, 2020, through June 30, 2020. West Virginia-licensed attorneys will be able to meet their full requirement via PLI live webcasts and on-demand programs approved in West Virginia. For additional information, please see the Temporary Waiver of Online Continuing Legal Education Credit Limit on the West Virginia State Bar website.

Wisconsin: In an effort to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has lifted the cap on credits earned via repeated, on-demand programs from 15 to 30 credits effective March 17 through December 31, 2020. For additional information, please see the notice on the State Bar of Wisconsin website. View PLI’s on-demand programs approved for Wisconsin.

For more information, go to pli.edu/credit or email PLIcredits@pli.edu.