Active Colorado attorneys must complete 45 credit hours of continuing legal education every three years, and at least seven of those hours have to cover professional responsibility. Those are the core Colorado CLE requirements under Rule 250 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure, enforced by the Colorado Supreme Court through the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel.1Colorado Supreme Court. Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 250 – Mandatory Continuing Legal and Judicial Education Falling short can cost you your license.
How the 45 Hours Break Down
The seven professional responsibility hours have their own internal split. At least five must cover legal ethics or legal professionalism, and at least two must address equity, diversity, and inclusivity.1Colorado Supreme Court. Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 250 – Mandatory Continuing Legal and Judicial Education The remaining 38 hours can cover any accredited legal subject.
Hitting 45 total hours while missing one of the professional responsibility subcategories still counts as noncompliance. Track ethics, professionalism, and EDI hours separately as you go rather than sorting them out at the end of the cycle.
Your Compliance Period
A compliance period runs three calendar years. For attorneys already in the system, a new period starts on January 1 following the end of the previous one and runs through December 31 of the third full calendar year.1Colorado Supreme Court. Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 250 – Mandatory Continuing Legal and Judicial Education For newly admitted attorneys, the first period starts on the date of admission and runs through December 31 of the third full calendar year after the year of admission.
Colorado does not allow carryover. Hours earned beyond the required 45 in one period cannot roll into the next.2Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. Continuing Legal Education FAQs Front-loading credits early is fine for peace of mind, but stockpiling extras has no future payoff, and credits earned outside your assigned window don’t count at all.
Extra Requirements for Newly Admitted Attorneys
New attorneys have to complete a six-hour Practicing with Professionalism course presented by the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel in cooperation with the Colorado Bar Association.3Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. Professionalism Course FAQs Attorneys admitted by exam must complete it as a condition of admission, and the admission ceremony may be delayed if they haven’t finished. Attorneys admitted on motion or by UBE score transfer must complete it within six months of admission.
The course counts for six general credits toward the first compliance period, so it provides a meaningful head start on the 45-hour total.
What Counts Toward Your Credits
Rule 250.6 accredits a broad range of activities, as long as the primary objective is promoting professional competence and the subject matter relates directly to law practice or judicial duties.4Colorado Supreme Court. Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 250 – Mandatory Continuing Legal and Judicial Education – Rule 250.6
Live and On-Demand Programs
On-demand programs accredited by the Colorado CLJE Office count toward the 45-hour requirement and offer the most scheduling flexibility.
Independent Study
Self-directed research and similar independent study is capped at nine general credit hours per compliance period, and none of it can satisfy the professional responsibility requirement.2Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. Continuing Legal Education FAQs If you still need ethics or EDI hours, independent study won’t fill the gap.
Teaching
Teaching an accredited CLE program earns five credit hours for every 50 minutes of instruction. Moderating a panel or serving as a panelist earns two credit hours per 50 minutes, prorated for shorter segments.5Colorado Judicial Branch. Regulations Governing Mandatory Continuing Legal and Judicial Education for the State of Colorado Teaching done as part of routine employment or normal judicial duties does not qualify.
Graduate Law Courses
Enrollment in accredited graduate-level legal courses at recognized law schools counts toward the 45-hour requirement. An LL.M. program can generate substantial credits. Confirm accreditation with the CLJE Office before relying on coursework.
Pro Bono Work
Uncompensated pro bono representation of an indigent or near-indigent client earns one CLE credit for every five billable-equivalent hours. Supervising a law student in a pro bono matter earns three credits per completed matter. Pro bono credits are capped at nine per compliance period and cannot be applied to the professional responsibility requirement.6Colorado Supreme Court. Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 250 – Mandatory Continuing Legal and Judicial Education – Rule 250.9 The matter must be assigned through a court, bar association program, law school, or organized nonprofit such as Metro Volunteer Lawyers or the Colorado Lawyers Committee. Free work you arrange on your own doesn’t count.
Who’s Exempt
Not every active attorney owes CLE credits. Attorneys become exempt on their 72nd birthday, automatically, and can remain on active status and keep practicing without completing further hours.7Colorado Supreme Court. Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 250 – Mandatory Continuing Legal and Judicial Education – Rule 250.2(7)(b)
An attorney on inactive status, disability inactive status, or under suspension for an entire compliance period is excused for that period.8Colorado Supreme Court. Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 250 – Mandatory Continuing Legal and Judicial Education – Rule 250.2(7)(a) The exemption applies only when the status covered all three years. Switching to inactive partway through a cycle may still leave credits owed for the active portion.
The CLJE Office can also defer compliance for good cause. Full-time active military duty at a deployment outside the United States is specifically identified in the rule as qualifying good cause, with a copy of military orders or official documentation showing the date, location, and duration of deployment required.9Colorado Supreme Court. Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 250 – Mandatory Continuing Legal and Judicial Education – Rule 250.2(8) Other hardship situations may also qualify, but the rule does not list them exhaustively.
Reporting Your Credits
Attorneys self-report through the online transcript system at cletrack.coloradosupremecourt.com.10Colorado CLE Track. Colorado CLE Track There is no paper form or mailed affidavit for standard reporting.
For Colorado-accredited programs, have the Colorado Program ID in hand before you start entering credits. Every accredited provider should be able to give it to you; it was assigned when the CLJE Office approved the program.11Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. Continuing Legal Education Overview and Requirements Entering credits with the Program ID is quick and minimizes errors.
Activities not accredited through Colorado’s system use separate forms available on the Colorado Supreme Court’s website. That category covers self-accredited individual credit, teaching, publications, independent study, LL.M. coursework, and pro bono representation. These require more detailed documentation: dates, activity descriptions, and for pro bono work, confirmation from the assigning organization.
Keep a running log of course names, dates, providers, and Program IDs across the three-year cycle. Entries submitted online take at least 24 hours to appear on your transcript, so don’t wait until the final day of your compliance period to report.
What Happens If You Miss the Deadline
If you fail to meet the requirements, the CLJE Office issues a formal statement of noncompliance. You then have 14 days from the date of that statement to either correct the deficiency or request a hearing before the CLJE Committee. If you do neither, the CLJE Office files the statement with the Colorado Supreme Court, which can suspend your license.12Colorado Judicial Branch. Rule Change 2019(04) – Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 250
Reinstatement after a CLE suspension requires completing the missing credits, filing a petition with the CLJE Office that details every corrective CLE activity and its completion date, and paying a reinstatement filing fee set by the CLJE Committee. The CLJE Office forwards the petition with a recommendation to the Court within 14 days.12Colorado Judicial Branch. Rule Change 2019(04) – Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 250
The stakes climb sharply if a suspension drags on. An attorney suspended for CLE noncompliance for five continuous years or longer must retake and pass the Colorado bar examination on top of meeting all other reinstatement requirements.