Rule 3 Continuing Legal Education Requirements

Every active attorney in the Commonwealth shall complete 20 hours of Continuing Legal Education (“CLE”) every two years. An active attorney is defined as a person who has active status in the CNMI Bar Association. The reporting requirements for the compliance period shall be prorated based upon the number of months which the attorney is active for. For the purpose of this calculation, an attorney is considered active for a month if they are active on any days of that month. Provided that, current and former full-time judges or justices of the courts of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands shall be exempt from any of the Continuing Legal Education requirements provided for in these rules. The CLE requirements may be met by any one or more of the following activities and as approved by this Rule:

(1) Attending courses;

(2) Completing any other continuing legal education activitives; and

(3) Self-studying, teaching, writing for CLE publications, conducting pro bono services in family court and criminal actions, participating in educational activities, participating in conferences, seminars and/or training programs, participating in the CNMI Bar Association commitees and Supreme Court rules committees, the Mock Trial and Summer Pre-Law programs, and in-office law firm continuing legal education efforts.

In addition to the requirements under Rule 3(a), every attorney admitted after July 1, 2002, shall attend and complete a course in Professionalism sponsored jointly by the Commonwealth Supreme Court and the CNMI Bar Association.