Providers Home Page
If you are a provider/sponsor, call us at (615) 741-3096, or send an e-mail to Tiffany.Drew@CLETN.COM to have us set you up as a sponsor in our system and to send you instructions for the online application process. See Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 21 §5.
No. Attendance submitted more than one year after the date of completion of the course will not be posted. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. § 8.02(a).
You MUST contact the Commission and have the hours previously reported for the speaker deleted from their account. After the hours have been deleted, you can resubmit the proper credit for the speaker. If you submit new attendance prior to deleting the first submission, it is seen as a duplicate posting and ignored. You will not be given a credit for the attendance that was removed so will need to pay the posting fee for the new submittal for the speaker.
A number of things can cause this.
- The batch is still pending; please check for any errors and submit.
- The BPR number used to enter attendance for the attorney was not accurate, so the attorney didn’t get the credit.
- Payment for the attendance batch did not go through. Unpaid attendance will not post.
- The attendance will post within one hour of online payment, no matter when it was paid.
Payments are not applied to specific courses or batches. They are simply credits toward the balance you owe. If the payment is not sufficient to pay the entire balance due for your unposted courses, the batch/course will not post.
To calculate the posting fee, multiply the total number of attendance hours submitted by $2.00. For example, 10 attendees who each attended for 1.5 hours, would cost $30.00. If one of the attendees was the speaker and provided ten pages of handouts, the cost is $27.00 for the attendees (9 x 1.5 hours x $2.00) and $12.00 for the speaker (4 times 1.5 hours times $2.00) for a total amount due of $39.00 ($27.00 + $12.00)
No, there is no automatic calculation. Marking someone as a speaker only allows you to give them more credit than the course was approved for. The provider must calculate the number of hours the speaker should receive based on the number of pages provided as handouts and enter those hours for the speaker.
Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 21
§ 4.03. (a) Credit may be earned through teaching in an approved continuing legal education activity. Presentations accompanied by five (5) or more pages of thorough, high quality, readable and carefully prepared written materials will qualify for CLE credit on the basis of four (4) hours of credit for each hour of presentation. Presentations accompanied by fewer than five pages of outlines, or not accompanied by written materials, will qualify for CLE credit on the basis of two (2) credits per hour of presentation. Repeat presentations qualify for one-half of the credits awarded for the initial presentation. CLE credit is earned as of the date the CLE presentation occurs.
Check and see if you submitted the batches twice. That is generally the problem. If you did, you will need to contact the Commission to have the duplicate attendance batch deleted.
Pull up the course. Click on the MAIN tab, and look in the notes section. The reason(s) for the denial will be listed in this section.
“CLE Commission” is sufficient. You must include your provider acronym on the check or in the correspondence accompanying the check so funds are properly applied.
Tennessee does not charge a fee to accredit a course. Providers pay fees for attorney attendance when attendance is submitted to the Commission. Providers pay $2 per approved credit hour for each attorney licensed in Tennessee who attends the program. This provider’s fee, along with the list of attendees, should be submitted electronically through the Commission’s website within thirty (30) days after the program is held. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 21 §8.02(a).
If the speaker had five or more pages of handouts, they get four times the number of hours they spoke. If they had four or fewer pages of handouts (including no handouts), they get two times the number of hours they spoke. If they present the same CLE at a later date, they receive half as much credit as they did for the original presentation.
Handouts include textual materials. Copies of PowerPoint presentation slides will be calculated as handout materials on a per-word basis. One page of materials is equivalent to 340 words.
For example, if a presenter speaks for 2 hours and they have no handouts, they are eligible for four hours of CLE credit. If they had five pages of handouts, they would receive eight hours of CLE credit.
PLEASE NOTE: Courses should only be accredited for the actual number of hours the course runs. To appropriately credit a speaker, check the instructor box when submitting attendance AND put in the total number of hours the speaker should receive. The system will not calculate the extra hours for speaker credits.
NO. Any subsequent postings to the same attorney’s account for the same course are seen as duplicate postings and are ignored. To correct an erroneously reported attendance amount, you must contact the CLE Commission and request to have the incorrect posting deleted. Then you can submit the correct attendance for that attorney again. Don’t forget to pay the posting fee for the new attendance being reported.
Paying on-line is a two-step process. First you must create an invoice and then you must pay it.
To create an invoice:
• click on the Account tab
• click on [Online Invoices/Payments]
• click on [New]
• create and provide a description for the invoice (be sure to check the category of payment and input the amount you want to pay)
• click on [Next]
• save the invoice by clicking [Save/Print Invoice]
• and click [Return to Invoices]
To pay the invoice you just created:
• click on the sideways black diamond to highlight the invoice you wish to pay
• click [Pay Online]
This should take you to the actual payment processing site. Once you’ve input your credit card information and submitted it, you will have the option to print a receipt. Go to that screen. It will look like the invoice except that it will say “receipt.” If you get the receipt to print, you’re home free. If you have problems, call our office for help at 615-741-3096.
Yes. A speaker whose presentation is accompanied by five or more pages of thorough, high quality, readable and carefully prepared written materials will qualify for CLE credit on the basis of four hours of credit for each hour of presentation. Presentations accompanied by less than five pages of outlines, or not accompanied by written materials, will qualify for CLE credit on the basis of two credits per hour of presentation. Repeat presentations qualify for one-half of the credits awarded for the initial presentation. CLE credit is earned as of the date the CLE presentation occurs.
If attendance has never been submitted for the specific course number, a provider may modify a previously submitted course.
Providers are required to report attorney attendance within 30 days of completion of the course/program. Late reported attendance is subject to a late fee.
The course reporting fee is $2.00 per credit hour per attorney. The fee will increase by 1.00 per credit hour per attorney ($3.00 total) for courses reported more than 45 days after completion of the course. See Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 21 § 8.02(a).
I want to present a course very similar to one we did last year. Do we need to reenter everything?
No. You can highlight the course and click on the copy icon. Make the appropriate changes for the copied course and submit it for approval.
Never modify and resubmit a previously held course where attendance has been submitted. Doing so will remove credit previously reported and posted to the attendees’ accounts and could cause noncompliance issues for the attendees of the previous program, including fees and possible suspension of their law license.
Yes. All digital courses offered in a format the Commission approves may earn credit. The Commission requires all distance learning have a tracking mechanism and attendance certification by the provider.
This includes webinars, recorded online sessions, and audio-only sessions.
Not for private firms or corporations. Governmental departments may offer in-house programs if they are open to all department attorneys in the state and at least fifty percent (50%) of the approved hours are taught by speakers not otherwise associated with the department. See Regulation 5A.
Possibly, if they are open to outside attorneys on a broad basis (e.g., state-wide). Courses strictly limited to in-house counsel and/or clients and not primarily for the benefit of attorneys is not eligible for CLE credit. See Regulation 5A & 5I.
Seminars dealing with the disciplinary rules or ethical considerations applicable to attorneys receive dual credit (counts toward either the E/P or the General requirement, as needed by the attorney). Law practice management topics, stress management, time management, staff training and supervision, substance abuse awareness and action, general skills (e.g., speed reading), budgeting, and similar topics receive E/P credit only.
Training in courtroom presentation, including style, vocal skills, etc., will receive general credit only.
All programs must be primarily intended for attorneys, not a general audience. See Regulation 5H.
“Dual” credits are hours of CLE that can be used either toward the General or toward the Ethics & Professionalism requirement. However, “dual” credits DO NOT COUNT TWICE! (e.g., you cannot receive two (2) hours of credit for one (1) hour of attendance).
Providers have 30 days to report course completion. If the course still has not posted after 45 days contact the provider. See Rule 21, Section 8.02.
No. The provider/ course sponsor must be able to verify the time spent by you taking the course and provide a method of receiving and answering questions. See Rule 21 § 5.01(i).
Credits earned in a year in which you were exempt will only carry forward to the extent that they would have if you were not exempt. e.g. If you submitted sixteen (16) General credits and six (6) Ethics credits in a year you were exempt, then four (4) of the General credits and three (3) of the Ethics credits would carry forward to the next non-exempt year. If you earned sixteen (16) online credits in a year you were exempt, eight (8) would carry forward to the next year. See Regulation 4A.
Yes. To earn one hour of CLE credit, the attorney must complete sixty (60) minutes of instruction not counting breaks, etc. See Regulation 3A.
No. Individuals cannot receive credit for CLE earned prior to becoming an attorney, although new attorneys earn one year of CLE credit for passing the bar exam. If you are licensed in another state prior to becoming licensed in Tennessee, those hours may apply to the Tennessee requirement.
No. As a teacher at a college, university or law school you can only receive credit if you were the primary instructor for the entire semester/quarter/term.
Yes, You earn credits equal to four times the amount of time you teach if you distribute five or more pages of hand-out materials to the participants.
If you distribute less than five pages, you receive two times the number of hours you teach. For second and subsequent presentations of the same materials, you get half the credit of the first presentation.
It is your responsibility to make sure the course provider submits your hours accurately.
See Rule 21 §4.03(a).
Yes, up to one half the annual CLE requirement of both General and Ethics/Professionalism credits (6 hours general and 1.5 hours E/P) for articles printed in approved books or journals whose primary intended readers are attorneys.
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These hours go toward your live hour requirement. You will only receive E/P credit if the ethics section is presented in a section separate from the primary topic and not interspersed with the primary topic. See Rule 21, Section 4.08(b).
Yes. You will receive one hour of Ethics/Professionalism credit for each five billable hours of approved pro bono legal representation provided through court appointment, an organized bar association program or legal services organization. (Rule 21, Section 4.08c.)
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You can receive CLE credit for published writing (4.08b), service as a bar examiner (4.05), service on the Board of Professional Responsibility (4.06), or by passing a bar examination or specialty certification examination (4.06), service on a state or national governmental committee involved in formal sessions for review of proposed legislation, rules or regulations can earn up to one-half of the annual requirementSee Rule 21 §4.07a).
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Yes, you can receive a maximum of three hours of ethics credit for indigent representation work in a compliance year. Attorneys may report up to six hours and carry forward up to three credits to the next compliance year. Credits are calculated based on the one hour of CLE for every five hours of uncompensated work.
Complete the Request for Indigent Representation Credits form. Attach the sheets you submitted to the ACAP system showing the number of in-court and out of court hours worked and send everything to the Commission. See Rule 21 §4.08(d)
Yes. Please have your dean or other appropriate person send us a signed letter on the school’s letterhead confirming the course(s) you taught, the quarter/semester/period you taught and the number of credit hours the students earned for successfully completing the course.
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You will receive credit for four (4) times the number of credit hours of the course.
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You will need to pay the two dollar ($2) per CLE hour reporting fee for those hours. See Rule 21 §4.03(b).
No. You cannot receive CLE credit for giving a law related presentation to a general audience.
No. You can only receive credit for one or the other in any compliance year. See Rule 21 §4.06
No. You can only receive ethics or dual credit for teaching attorneys or law school students. Generally ethics credit is only awarded to instructors teaching a law school course on ethics or professionalism.
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You cannot earn ethics or dual credit teaching legal ethics courses to a general audience. See Regulation 5H(3)
Yes. Dual credit will be awarded for teaching Ethics and Professionalism courses in a law school.
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Any legal instruction may involve an ethics component but the Commission will not attempt to parse out what percentage of a course could qualify for Ethics credit and what percentage of a course should receive General credit.
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Generally ethics credit is only awarded to instructors teaching a law school course on ethics or professionalism. See Regulations 5H §§ 1, 2, and §5.
Yes, an attorney can receive up to one year’s CLE credit for completing a bar exam preparation course, but their attendance must be verified by the provider of the course to receive credit.
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Also, the course must qualify as CLE. A self study course preparing you for the bar exam in another state WILL NOT qualify for CLE credit.
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Keep in mind an attorney cannot receive bar prep course credit and bar passage credit in the same year. See Rule 21 Section 4.08(f).
No. You cannot receive CLE credit for participation in a high school or college moot court or mock court competition.
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You can receive up to three (3) hours of CLE credit for judging or coaching moot courrt or a mock trial at an approved law school.
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Credit is earned at the rate of one hours of E/P (dual) credit for five (5) hours of coaching or judging. See Rule 21 §4.03(c)
No,. Your 15 hours of bar exam credit is linked to the year your passed the bar exam.
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If years have gone by since passing the bar exam, you will probably need to complete your 15 hours of CLE during the year you were actually sworn in because your CLE credit is given when you passed the bar exam, not when you were sworn in.
If the program or presentation was approved for CLE credit, then yes, but it is unlikely that a presentation to someone other than attorneys will be approved for CLE.
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The Commission does not generally award CLE credit for presentations to anyone other than attorneys.
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If you are not giving an approved and accredited continuing legal education program, you are not going to receive credit.
Yes, but you can only receive bar exam credit once in any compliance year. If you received credit for passing the Tennessee bar exam this year, you will not be able to receive credit for the bar exam you passed in another state.
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We award 12 general live CLE credits for passing the bar exam and 3 dual live credits for passing the MPRE.
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This would also apply to bar exam and bar review courses. You can only receive credit for one or the other in any compliance year. See Rule 21 §4.06 & 4.08(f)
A course accreditted in another state may qualify for credit in Tennessee. First, request the provider seek accreditation in Tennessee – most will do so.
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If the provider will not apply for course approval and accreditation, e-mail Attorney Services Specialist Angela Perry requesting instructions on how to submit a course or activity for approval and accreditation.
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See Rule 21 section 8.02 – revised 10.8.2021.
The attorneys will only be able to receive CLE credit if the hours are earned while working for an “Approved Legal Assistance Program” as defined in Supreme Court Rule 21§4.07(c). If the church or agency is interested in applying to the Tennessee Supreme Court to become an Approved Legal Assistance Program they can obtain the application form on the CLE Commission website.
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A list of Approved Legal Assistance Programs can be found at the bottom of the drop down menu after clicking on For Attorney’s tab.
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No. Listening to a podcast or a downloaded audio file, even from a state bar association, is considered self study in Tennessee and not eligible for CLE credit. Tennessee requires tracking of the time spent listening to or watching an electronically delivered CLE presentation. If the provider is not tracking when you started and stopped listening, then the course is not eligible for CLE credit in Tennessee.
Yes. If you were appointed to represent someone as an attorney or a GAL you need to add some additional language to the Order at the conclusion of your appointment.
We suggest you ask the Court to state in its Order that you represented the client pro bono and did not seek compensation for the ____ billable hours your spent on your representation (specify the number of hours ).
If the Order has already been entered, you can have the judge/chancellor write a short letter to the CLE Commission on their court letterhead saying that you were appointed to represent ________________(enter your client’s name) in the case on a pro bono basis and served without financial compensation for the ________(enter the number of hours you worked) worked.
Your CLE credit is based on the number of hours you served so make sure the letter identifies your time. It has been my experience that the judiciary appreciates your stepping up to do this pro bono and will be glad to do a short letter to the CLE Commission so you can get CLE credit.
Providers have 30 days to report attendance. Compliance is not based upon when the providers submit attendance, but when a course is completed. If a course has not been reported within 30 days of completion, attorneys should contact the provider and request the hours are reported.
Not necessarily. However, before you can receive CLE credit, the course/program must be approved and accredited by the Tennessee CLE Commission.
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If the provider didn’t send it to us for for approval accreditation, you, the attendee, will need to. Submitting a course for aaccreditation does not guarantee approval and that it will qualify for CLE credit.
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That is not to say we do not accredit courses that have nothing to do with Tennessee law. Wdo if the ocurse/program meets our accreditation standards.
