Purpose and History
In September 2005, the Illinois Supreme Court established minimum continuing legal education ("MCLE") requirements for Illinois attorneys. The Court, as part of that undertaking, created the MCLE Board to operate as an arm of the Court and administer the MCLE program.
The MCLE Board consists of nine members appointed by the Court. With the approval of the Court, the MCLE Board appoints a Director to serve as the principal executive officer of the MCLE program.
The MCLE Board, Director, and staff work daily to administer the MCLE program and educate attorneys and course providers. Those efforts include:
- Maintaining our online tools, including the MCLE Board website; our accreditation management system (“PCAM”); and attorney compliance reporting system;
- Accrediting thousands of MCLE courses each year;
- Ensuring that 105,000 Illinois-licensed attorneys meet their MCLE obligations;
- Responding annually to thousands of inquiries from attorneys and providers;
- Communicating via mail, email, and phone with attorneys about MCLE requirements and upcoming deadlines;
- Communicating with thousands of providers about course requirements, tools (e.g., sample forms, checklists, and worksheets) and upcoming deadlines;
- Giving presentations regarding the MCLE program;
- Writing publications or speaking with the press for various news articles.
The MCLE Board does not sponsor or create content for courses. The content of a course does not reflect the views of the Board, its members, or staff.