27 ncAc 01d .1519         ACCREDITATION STANDARDS

The Board shall approve continuing legal education programs that meet the following standards and provisions.

(a)  They shall have significant intellectual or practical content and the primary objective shall be to increase the participant's professional competence and proficiency as a lawyer.

(b)  They shall constitute an organized program of learning dealing with matters directly related to the practice of law, professional responsibility, professionalism, or ethical obligations of lawyers.

(c)  Participation in an online or on-demand program must be verified as provided in Rule .1520(d).

(d)  Continuing legal education materials are to be prepared, and programs conducted, by an individual or group qualified by practical or academic experience. Credit shall not be given for any continuing legal education program taught or presented by a disbarred lawyer except programs on professional responsibility and professional well-being programs taught by a disbarred lawyer whose disbarment date is at least 60 months prior to the date of the program. The advertising for the program shall disclose the lawyer's disbarment.

(e)  Live continuing legal education programs shall be conducted in a setting physically suitable to the educational nature of the program.

(f)  Thorough, high quality, and carefully prepared materials should be distributed to all attendees at or before the time the program is presented, unless materials are not suitable or readily available for a particular subject.

(g)  A sponsor of an approved program must timely remit fees as required and keep and maintain attendance records of each continuing legal education program sponsored by it, which shall be timely furnished to the Board in accordance with Rule .1520(g).

(h)  Except as provided in Rule .1523(d) of this Subchapter, in-house continuing legal education and self-study shall not be approved or accredited.

(i)  Programs that cross academic lines, such as accounting-tax seminars, may be considered for approval by the Board. However, the Board must be satisfied that the content of the program would enhance legal skills or the ability to practice law.

History Note:        Authority - Order of the North Carolina Supreme Court, October 7, 1987, 318 N.C. 711;

Readopted Eff. December 8, 1994;

Amendments Approved by the Supreme Court: March 1, 2001; October 1, 2003; February 5, 2009; March 11, 2010; April 5, 2018; September 25, 2019; December 14, 2021;

Amendments Approved by the Supreme Court June 14, 2023 and re-entered into the Supreme Court's minutes March 20, 2024.