Tennessee CLE News & Updates
Supreme Court Appoints Commission Member, Chair
The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed attorney Laura Durbin to the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education. Durbin, who is an attorney with Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, TN was appointed to a three-year term beginning January 1, 2026. The
Supreme Court Amends Rule 21 to Align BPR, CLE Statuses
As attorney mobility continues to increase and more lawyers practice in multiple states, the Tennessee Supreme Court has amended Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 21 and its accompanying regulations to ease the requirements for attorneys who hold a Tennessee law license
CLE Commission Files Petition to Modify Rule 21, Regulations
The eleven-member Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education filed a petition with the Tennessee Supreme Court April 3, asking the Court to revise Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 21 and to approve the Commission’s overhaul of the regulations that guide the
March 31 Compliance Deadline
Attorneys who did not complete the required 15 hours of CLE (3 ethics and 12 general) during 2024 must earn the hours and pay a $100 compliance fee by March 31, 2025 to avoid additional penalties. Any hours earned in
December 31 Completion Deadline & March 31 Reporting Deadline
Attorneys have until 11:59 p.m. on December 31 to earn their 2024 CLE hours – 3 ethics (or dual) and 12 general. However, the deadline for reporting the hours to the Commission or clearing up any errors is March 31,
Court Appoints CLE Commission Members
The Tennessee Supreme Court appointed three attorneys and a bar association executive to the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education. The appointments are: Amy J. Farrar Tennessee Center for Estate & Elder Law Murfreesboro Joseph W. Smith Miles Mason Family
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Compliance Deadlines
| December 31 | Earn CLE hours without penalty. |
| March 31 | File Annual Report Statements for attorneys who wish to claim an exemption, report hours completed during compliance year, and/or pay outstanding fees. Compliance means all CLE hours are reported or a valid exemption has been claimed and all outstanding fees are paid. Attorneys who remain noncompliant after March 31 are assessed a $100 noncompliance fee. |
| June 1 | Establish compliance, by completing and reporting all CLE hours or claiming a valid exemption, prior to imposition of the $200 continuing noncompliance fee. (If CLE hours are complete but are not yet reported, an attorney must file a notarized Affidavit of Compliance.) |
| August 10 | Establish compliance to avoid suspension. All CLE hours must be complete and reported (an attorney may file a notarized Affidavit of Compliance, if necessary) or claim a valid exemption. All outstanding fees must be paid. |
For more information, please review the full Compliance Calendar.