Opinion
Appellate Case 2020-000447
03-31-2021
Waiver of Distance Learning Limitations for Continuing Legal Education Requirements
ORDER
Donald W. Beatty C.J.
By order dated June 16, 2020, this Court waived the limitations on distance learning for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements for the 2020-2021 reporting year based on the emergency caused by COVID-19. See Section V(B)(3), Appendix C to Part IV, SCACR (Members of the South Carolina Bar may obtain no more than eight credit hours of CLE via online or telephonic courses in an annual reporting year.). Following consultation with the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, and based on the continued development of issues caused by COVID-19 and a potential lack of available in-person courses, the limitation on distance learning hours is waived for the 2021-2022 annual reporting year.
Accordingly, lawyers and judges may earn all or any portion of the CLE credit they are required to obtain for the 2021-2022 annual reporting year through online or telephonic programs.
Consistent with our prior order, this order does not waive the restriction on carrying forward online and telephone credit in Section A(3) of Appendix C, which provides, "Credit for online and telephone courses in excess of the maximum eight (8) hours per reporting year cannot be carried forward."
John W. Kittredge J., Kaye G. Hearn J., John Cannon Few J., George C. James, Jr. J.