MCLE Information

The Idaho State Bar Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (“MCLE”) Department administers the rules governing accreditation of CLE programming in Idaho and monitors Idaho attorneys’ compliance with MCLE requirements.

Course Accreditation

A program must meet the accreditation standards in the Idaho Bar Commission Rules. The MCLE Department receives over 6,000 accreditation applications annually. Individual Idaho lawyers do not pay application fees. Commercial course providers pay a $75 application fee.

Compliance

Idaho attorneys must complete at least 30 Idaho-accredited CLE programs every three-year reporting period, including at least three ethics credits. No more than 15 of the 30 credits can be “self-study,” which refers to an attorney watching a recorded program. Live CLE programs include in-person classes as well as live webcasts. Attorneys can earn three hours of CLE credit for each hour spent teaching a CLE. Attorneys can also earn up to six CLE credits per reporting period for published legal writing.

Every year, approximately 1,750 Idaho attorneys (one-third of the Active members of the Idaho State Bar) are required to report their MCLE compliance to the Idaho State Bar. The MCLE Department verifies Idaho attorneys’ compliance with the MCLE requirements.

Improvements to the Compliance Process

The Idaho State Bar is developing an online form for attorneys to certify their compliance with MCLE requirements. The online form will be self-guided and prompt you to provide information based on your selections. This online form will be available by Fall 2024 for attorneys whose reporting period ends December 31, 2024. The online form will improve attorneys’ experience in verifying their compliance with MCLE requirements.

Spotlight on MCLE Department Staff

The Idaho State Bar is fortunate to have experienced and talented staff in the MCLE Department. Nelda Adolf, Calle Belodoff, Karen Carlisle, and Kim Wilson skillfully handle thousands of applications, field inquiries from course providers and attorneys, and help attorneys navigate the MCLE compliance process. I am fortunate to work with them and appreciate their hard work.

Maureen Ryan Braley is the newly selected Executive Director of the Idaho State Bar and the Idaho Law Foundation. Her job duties include overseeing MCLE accreditation and compliance in Idaho. She clerked for Chief Justice Gerald F. Schroeder of the Idaho Supreme Court and practiced law for six years in Boise before joining the Idaho State Bar staff in 2011. Maureen is a “double Zag,” having earned an undergraduate degree in history and a law degree from Gonzaga University.

Licensing Information

All Idaho State Bar members must comply with the annual licensing requirements of Section III of the Idaho Bar Commission Rules. The Licensing Department administers these rules and assists members with compliance.

Annual Licensing Renewal

The 2025 annual licensing renewal will begin in late November/early December when the online licensing portal is opened, and the paper licensing packets are mailed. The normal February 1^st and March 1^st deadlines fall on Saturdays in 2025 and will be extended to the following Mondays. The deadline for paying the 2025 licensing fee and completing the required forms is February 3, 2025. Licensing not received by February 3^rd will be subject to the licensing late fee. The final deadline is March 3, 2025. The names of attorneys who do not submit by March 3^rd will be given to the Idaho Supreme Court for cancelation of their licenses.

Attorneys who completed their licensing renewal online within the past two years will automatically be presumed to be renewing online again for 2025. An email will be sent to all licensed members notifying them of the upcoming licensing and allowing them to choose an alternate renewal process.

Online licensing renewal is encouraged for all members. It reduces paper, postage and time. Individual attorneys and firms can submit licensing online and payments can be made by credit card or electronic check. In addition, firms can submit the licensing online and pay with a paper check by using the voucher option.

The online licensing portal will close beginning on March 4, 2025, and will not reopen until the 2026 licensing renewal period begins. All firm renewal attorney rosters from the past year will be cleared out before the next renewal period begins.

New membership cards will be mailed in mid-March 2025 following the final licensing deadline.

Membership Information

All members are required to provide the following membership information, which shall be considered public information: Full name, Name of employer or firm (if applicable), Mailing address, Phone number, Email address, and eService Email address (active and house counsel members only).

Licensing and Status Changes

In addition to changes to membership information, licensing and status changes occur throughout the year. Attorneys whose trust account or professional liability insurance changes need to update their records with the Bar. New trust account and professional liability insurance certificates can be requested at any time.

Attorneys interested in changing status should review Section III of the Idaho Bar Commission Rules and contact Annette Strauser at 208-334-4500 or astrauser@isb.idaho.gov. Please note that most transfers to inactive or senior status can be made with annual licensing. All other changes need to be made through the Licensing Department.

Questions?

Please feel free to contact the Bar if you have any questions about the licensing requirements, either by phone at 208-334-4500 or email at licensing@isb.idaho.gov.

We are here to assist you with your licensing needs.

Annette Strauser is the Licensing/IT Administrator responsible for licensing, membership and IT services.  She was born and raised in Idaho, graduated from Boise State University and has been with the Idaho State Bar for 41 years.