IN RE: MINIMUM

CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION RULES

___ S.W.3d ___

Supreme Court of Arkansas

Delivered June 27, 2002

Per Curiam. The Continuing Legal Education (CLE) rules include a requirement that attorneys electing inactive status renew that status annually. Experience has shown that the number of attorneys electing inactive status is small, approximately 200, and that number has remained constant for over ten years. Further, the number of attorneys returning to active status from the inactive designation is smaller still, approximately two a year. Finally, attorneys are presently obliged, by Rule 2.(D)(2) to notify the CLE Board upon return to active practice.

For these reasons, the CLE Board recommends annual renewal of inactive status be removed from the CLE rules. We concur and adopt Rules 2.(D)(1) and 6.(A) of the Arkansas Rules and Regulations for Minimum Continuing Legal Education as they appear on the attachment to this order.

2.(D)

(1) At anytime during a reporting period, an attorney on activestatus, with the exception of sitting judges, may take inactive status pursuant to these rules. Inactive status, for the purpose of these rules only, means that an attorney, subsequent to declaration of inactive status, will not engage in the practice of law during the remainder of that reporting period or subsequent reporting periods. Election of inactive status must be in writing. By taking inactive status, the attorney shall be exempt from the minimum educational requirements of Rule 3 for that reporting period and subsequent reporting periods.

6(A)

If an attorney to whom these rules apply either fails: to file timely the acknowledgement of deficiency or cure the deficiency as required by Rule 5.(D); or, to file timely an out of state certification form in accord with Rule 2.(C), the attorney shall not be in compliance with these rules.