Utah Courts
SCRP Rule 1-604 (Supreme Court Rules of Professional Practice)
SCRP Rule 1-604 (Supreme Court Rules of Professional Practice)
The Utah Code of Judicial Administration Chapters 11-15 have been moved to the Supreme Court Rules of Professional Practice Chapters 1-5
This rule was previously UCJA Rule 11-604. Active status lawyers MCLE, NLTP, admission on motion, multi-state compliance reciprocity, house counsel and UBE requirements; MCLE requirements for Paralegal Practitioners.
Rule 1-604. Active status lawyers MCLE, NLTP, admission on motion, multi-state compliance reciprocity, house counsel and UBE requirements; MCLE requirements for Paralegal Practitioners.
(a) Active status lawyers.
(1) Each active status lawyer admitted to practice in Utah must complete, during each Compliance Cycle, a minimum of 12 hours of Accredited CLE, as follows:
(A) at least six hours of the CLE must be Verified CLE, which may include any combination of In-person CLE, Remote Group CLE, or Verified E-CLE;
(B) the remaining six hours of CLE may include Elective CLE or Verified CLE; and
(C) the 12 hours of CLE must include a minimum of one hour of Ethics CLE and one hour of Professionalism and Civility CLE.
(2) Up to six hours of excess Accredited Verified CLE earned by a lawyer in the current Compliance Cycle may be carried forward to the immediate next Compliance Cycle if the lawyer has met the mandatory CLE requirements by June 30 of the current Compliance Cycle. Carry-Forward Hours as defined in Rule 11-602(j):
(A) may only be carried forward to the immediate next Compliance Cycle;
(B) do not include Ethics CLE hours or Professionalism and Civility CLE hours;
(C) are not available to Active Emeritus Lawyers or lawyers that must comply with the New Lawyer Training Program requirements pursuant to paragraph (b) and Rule 14-808; and
(D) may be accumulated beginning July 1, 2026 for use in the Compliance Cycle beginning July 1, 2027. The Court may extend the implementation date if necessary.
(b) Inactive status, NLTP, and New Lawyer Ethics Program.
(1) Inactive status. Lawyers or licensed paralegal practitioners on inactive status are not subject to the requirements of this rule, or (for lawyers) the NLTP requirements.
(2) Active status and NLTP. Lawyers on active status who reside in Utah and who are subject to the NLTP under Rule 14-808 must complete the NLTP requirements before the end of the Compliance Cycle that begins after the lawyer is admitted to practice in Utah. If a lawyer on active status who resides in Utah is granted an extension of time to complete the NLTP, the lawyer must, during the extension period, comply with the regular CLE requirements for an active status lawyer.
(3) NLTP credit. A lawyer who is obligated to and who successfully fulfills the requirements of the NLTP will receive 12 Accredited Verified CLE hours for the Compliance Cycle during which the lawyer completes the NLTP requirements.
(4) NLTP Mentor. A mentor for a lawyer described in paragraph (b)(3) will receive six Accredited Verified CLE hours for the Compliance Cycle during which the lawyer described in paragraph (b)(3) successfully fulfills the NLTP requirements.
(5) New Lawyer Ethics Program. New lawyers are required to attend the New Lawyer Ethics Program. This program satisfies the Ethics CLE requirement and the Professionalism and Civility CLE requirement for the Compliance Cycle during which the new lawyer completes the NLTP requirements.
(c) Admission on motion. A lawyer who is admitted on motion must comply with paragraph (a) during the Compliance Cycle that begins after the lawyer is admitted on motion.
(d) Multi-State Reciprocity Compliance. A lawyer who is licensed in another state that has a mandatory CLE requirement, whose principal office for the practice of law is not in Utah, and who has met the mandatory CLE requirement in the other state may use that state’s CLE compliance as compliance in Utah by:
(1) completing a minimum of one hour of Utah accredited Ethics CLE and a minimum of one hour of Utah accredited Professionalism and Civility CLE; and
(2) filing a Designation of MCLE Reporting State form and an Out of State Certificate of Compliance form.
(e) House Counsel lawyers.
(1) Compliance reporting. House Counsel lawyers must pay the designated filing fee and file with the MCLE Board by July 31 of each year a House Counsel Certificate signed by the jurisdiction where House Counsel maintains an active license evidencing that the lawyer completed the hours of CLE required of active lawyers in the jurisdiction where House Counsel is licensed.
(2) MCLE requirements. A House Counsel lawyer must complete 12 hours of Accredited CLE each Compliance Cycle, to include one hour of Ethics CLE and one hour of Professionalism and Civility CLE, if: the jurisdiction where the lawyer maintains an active license does not have a CLE requirement; or the lawyer complies in a jurisdiction where CLE is self-reporting and the jurisdiction does not sign the House Counsel Certificate. At least six of the 12 hours must be Verified CLE.
(f) UBE Applicants.
(1) A lawyer who gains admission by transferring a UBE score and has less than two years of legal practice must comply with the New Lawyer Training Program during the Compliance Cycle that begins after the lawyer gains admission.
(2) A lawyer who gains admission by transferring a UBE score, has less than two years of legal practice, and receives a waiver of the New Lawyer Training Program because the lawyer lives out of the state, must comply with paragraph (a) during the Compliance Cycle that begins after the lawyer gains admission.
(3) A lawyer who gains admission by transferring a UBE score and who has at least two years of legal practice must comply with paragraph (a) during the Compliance Cycle that begins after the lawyer gains admission.
(g) Out-of-state CLE activities. CLE Accreditation may be awarded for out-of-state CLE that the Board determines meets standards in furthering a lawyer’s or licensed paralegal practitioner’s legal education. The Board determines whether to Accredit the CLE and, if Accredited, the number of hours of credit to allow for such CLE.
(h) Application for accreditation. A lawyer’s or licensed paralegal practitioner’s application for Accreditation of CLE must be submitted in writing to the Board if the activity has not been previously Accredited for CLE credit in Utah.
(i) Advertising legal services. Programs and topics focused on advertising legal services will be denied Accreditation, except to the extent they deal with the ethical restrictions concerning advertising.
(j) Judicial officers. State judges, federal judges, federal magistrates, court commissioners, active senior judges, and active justice court judges, both full and part time, meet CLE requirements through the Administrative Office of the Courts.
(k) Licensed paralegal practitioners. Each licensed paralegal practitioner licensed in Utah must complete, during each Compliance Cycle, a minimum of six hours of Accredited CLE, as follows:
(1) at least three hours of the CLE must be Verified CLE, which may include any combination of In-person CLE, Remote Group CLE, or Verified E-CLE;
(2) the remaining three hours of CLE may include Elective CLE or Verified CLE;
(3) the six hours of CLE must include a minimum of one hour of Ethics CLE and one hour of Professionalism and Civility CLE.
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