Utah Courts
UCJA Rule 14-404 (Code of Judicial Administration)
UCJA Rule 14-404 (Code of Judicial Administration)
Rule 14-404. 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. 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:
(1) 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;
(2) the remaining six hours of CLE may include Elective CLE or Verified CLE;
(3) the 12 hours of CLE must include a minimum of one hour of Ethics CLE and one hour of Professionalism and Civility CLE.
(b) Inactive status, NLTP, and New Lawyer Ethics Program.
(1) Inactive status. Lawyers or 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 subsection (b)(3) will receive 6 Accredited Verified CLE hours for the Compliance Cycle during which the lawyer described in subsection (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 shall comply with subsection (a) during the Compliance Cycle that begins after the lawyer is admitted on motion.
(d) Multi-State Reciprocity Compliance. An active lawyer or paralegal practitioner who practices in a Multi-State Compliance Reciprocity State (Idaho, Oregon, or Washington) may elect to meet the CLE requirements in that other state and use that state’s CLE compliance as compliance in Utah by filing a “Comity Certificate” for Utah CLE compliance.
(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 has completed the hours of continuing legal education 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 twelve 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 shall 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, shall comply with subsection (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 shall comply with subsection (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 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 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) Paralegal practitioners. Each paralegal practitioner licensed in Utah must complete, during each Compliance Cycle, a minimum of 6 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.