Missouri 2025 Regular Session

Missouri Senate Bill SB506 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	EXPLANATION-Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in this bill is not enacted
3	3	and is intended to be omitted in the law.
4	4	FIRST REGULAR SESSION
5	5	SENATE BILL NO. 506
6	6	103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
7	7	INTRODUCED BY SENATOR SCHROER.
8	8	1626S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
9	9	AN ACT
10	10	To amend supreme court rule 15.05, relating to continuing legal education requirements for
11	11	lawyers.
12	12
13	13	Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
14	14	Section A. Supreme court rule 15.05 is amended, to read 1
15	15	as follows:2
16	16	15.05. Continuing Legal Education Requirements 1
17	17	(a) After July 1, 1988, except as provided in Rule 2
18	18	15.05(c), each lawyer shall complete and report, during each 3
19	19	reporting year, a total of at least 15 credit hours of 4
20	20	accredited programs, seminars, and activities. For each 5
21	21	reporting year: 6
22	22	(1) at least [three] two of the total 15 credit hours 7
23	23	must be devoted exclusively to accredited ethics programs, 8
24	24	seminars, and activities, including professionalism, 9
25	25	substance abuse, mental health, legal or judicial ethics, 10
26	26	malpractice prevention, explicit or implicit bias, 11
27	27	diversity, inclusion, or cultural competency programs, 12
28	28	seminars, and activities [; and 13
29	29	(2) at least one of the three ethics credit hours 14
30	30	required under Rule 15.05(a)(1) must be devoted exclusively 15
31	31	to explicit or implicit bias, diversity, inclusion, or 16
32	32	cultural competency]. 17
33	33	(b) Completion of the requirements of Rule 15.05(a) 18
34	34	shall be reported to The Missouri Bar as specified by The 19 SB 506 2
35	35	Missouri Bar. A lawyer reporting completion of more than a 20
36	36	total of 15 credit hours of accredited programs, seminars, 21
37	37	and activities during one reporting ye ar may receive credit 22
38	38	in the next succeeding reporting year for the excess credit 23
39	39	hours. 24
40	40	(c) A lawyer is not required to complete or report any 25
41	41	credit hours in the reporting year in which the lawyer is 26
42	42	initially licensed to practice law in this st ate except as 27
43	43	provided in Rule 15.05(d). Any lawyer not an active judge 28
44	44	who has not actively practiced law in Missouri during a 29
45	45	reporting year or has given notice of inactive status 30
46	46	pursuant to Rule 6.03 shall not be required to complete or 31
47	47	report any credit hours during that reporting year. Upon 32
48	48	written application and for good cause shown, waivers or 33
49	49	extensions of time of the credit hour or reporting 34
50	50	requirements of this Rule 15 may be granted in individual 35
51	51	cases or classes of cases involving har dship or extenuating 36
52	52	circumstances. 37
53	53	(d) A person seeking admission under Rule 8.10 shall, 38
54	54	prior to being issued a license, attend The Missouri Bar 39
55	55	Annual Law Update Program or a continuing legal education 40
56	56	program accredited as provided in this Rul e 15 that has 41
57	57	intellectual and practical content substantially equivalent 42
58	58	to The Missouri Bar Annual Law Update Program. Attendance 43
59	59	shall be no earlier than 12 months prior to the date the 44
60	60	application for admission under Rule 8.10 is filed. The 45
61	61	person shall report the completion of this requirement to 46
62	62	the board of law examiners as the board shall specify. 47
63	63	(e) For each reporting year, not more than six credit 48
64	64	hours may consist of self -study, videotape, audiotape, or 49
65	65	other similar accredited prog rams, seminars, or activities. 50
66	66	A speaker at an accredited program, seminar, or activity may 51 SB 506 3
67	67	receive credit for preparation and presentation time. An 52
68	68	author may receive credit for research and composition time 53
69	69	for written materials that have been or wil l be published by 54
70	70	an accredited sponsor, in a professional journal, or as a 55
71	71	monograph. 56
72	72	(f) Each judge of the family court division and each 57
73	73	commissioner of the family court division shall complete at 58
74	74	least six hours of continuing legal education c ourses 59
75	75	relating to family court issues and law not later than six 60
76	76	months after designation or appointment. The hours completed 61
77	77	to fulfill this requirement may be used to fulfill the 62
78	78	requirements of Rule 15.05(a). 63
79	79	Each year thereafter, such judges and commissioners 64
80	80	shall complete at least six hours of continuing legal 65
81	81	education courses relating to family court issues and law. 66
82	82	The hours completed on an annual basis may be used to 67
83	83	fulfill the requirements of Rule 15.05(a). 68
84	84	Completion of the requirements of this Rule 15.05(f) 69
85	85	shall be reported to The Missouri Bar as specified by The 70
86	86	Missouri Bar. 71
87	87	This Rule 15.05(f) shall apply to all reporting years 72
88	88	beginning on or after September 1, 2020. This Rule 15.05(f) 73
89	89	shall not apply to judges w ho are temporarily transferred or 74
90	90	assigned to family court divisions; however, judges who have 75
91	91	met the requirements of this Rule 15.05(f) shall be 76
92	92	preferred for such transfers and assignments. 77
93	93	(g) Each lawyer who is a member or employee of the 78
94	94	general assembly may report in each reporting year credit 79
95	95	for 15 hours of continuing legal education for service 80
96	96	during that reporting year's regular legislative session. 81
97	97	Such credits shall not satisfy the Rule 15.05(a)(1) 82 SB 506 4
98	98	requirement for [three] two credit hours devoted exclusively 83
99	99	to ethics programs, seminars, or activities. 84
100	100	