IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO RULES REGULATING THE FLORIDA BAR - RULE 6-10.3
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The Florida Supreme Court approved an amendment to Rule 6-10.3 allowing lawyers to earn continuing legal education (CLE) credit for pro bono service at a rate of one credit hour per hour of service, capped at five hours per three-year cycle, with a modification to the Florida Bar's original proposal.
The Court approved the amendment with modification, allowing lawyers to earn one general CLE credit hour for every hour of pro bono service (rather than every four hours as proposed), capped at five credit hours per three-year reporting cycle, with no credit for monetary donations.
[1] Lawyers may earn general continuing legal education (CLE) credit for pro bono service.
[2] One hour of general CLE credit may be earned for every hour of pro bono service.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“A member may receive 1 general credit hour for every hour of pro bono service as defined in these rules, not to exceed 5 credit hours during a 3-year reporting cycle. Credit will not be awarded for monetary donations.”
The final amended rule language establishing the pro bono CLE credit mechanism.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe Florida Bar petitioned the Court to amend Rule 6-10.3 to incentivize pro bono work by allowing CLE credit. The Bar proposed one CLE credit hour fo…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
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PER CURIAM.
The Florida Bar petitions this Court to amend Rule Regulating The Florida Bar 6-10.3 (Minimum Continuing Legal Education Standards).¹ It proposes amending the rule to allow lawyers to receive one general credit hour of continuing legal education (CLE) for every four hours of pro bono service. Lawyers could earn no more than five credit hours of CLE credit through pro bono service during a three-year reporting cycle under the proposal, and no CLE credit would be awarded for monetary donations.
The proposed amendment was approved by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar on a voice vote without objection, and
1. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 15, Fla. Const.; see also R. Regulating Fla. Bar 1-12.1.
consistent with rule 1-12.1(g), the Bar published formal notice of its intent to file the petition in The Florida Bar News. The notice directed interested parties to file comments directly with the Court. No comments were received.
Having considered the Bar's petition, we amend rule 6-10.3 as proposed with a minor modification. We modify the rule to allow lawyers to earn one hour of general CLE credit for every hour of pro bono service. Lawyers may only earn up to five credit hours of CLE credit through pro bono service during a three-year reporting cycle, and no CLE credit will be awarded for monetary donations.
Accordingly, Rule Regulating The Florida Bar 6-10.3 is amended as set forth in the appendix to this opinion. New language is indicated by underscoring. The amendment becomes effective December 30, 2024, at 12:01 a.m.
It is so ordered.
MUÑIZ, C.J., and CANADY, LABARGA, COURIEL, GROSSHANS, FRANCIS, and SASSO, JJ., concur. THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS AMENDMENT.