Ind. Sup. Ct. Order Amending Rules: order-rules-2026-26S-MS-8-admindisc

In the

Indiana Supreme Court

Cause No. 26S-MS-8

Order Amending Admission and Discipline Rules

The Indiana State Bar Association and the Indiana Commission for Continuing Legal

Education have proposed amendments to the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education and

Mandatory Judicial Education Guidelines, which follow Rule 29 of the Rules for Admission to

the Bar and the Discipline of Attorneys. The proposed amendments expand the opportunities

for attorneys to receive continuing legal education credit for law practice management courses.

The Court has considered the proposed amendments. Under the authority vested in this

Court

to provide by rule for the procedure employed in all courts of this state and this Court’s

inherent authority to supervise the administration of all courts of this state, the Mandatory

Continuing Legal Education and Mandatory Judicial Education Guidelines are amended as set

forth in Exhibit A to this order (deletions shown by strikethrough and new text shown by

underlining).

These amendments are effective July 10, 2026.

Done at Indianapolis, Indiana on __________.

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Loretta H. Rush

Chief Justice of Indiana

A

ll Justices Concur.

6/30/2026

Exhibit A

Rule 29. Mandatory Continuing Legal Education

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Mandatory Continuing Legal Education and Mandatory Judicial Education Guidelines

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Section 3. Accreditation Policies.

(a) Approval of Courses.

The Commission shall approve the course if it determines that the course will make a significant

contribution to the professional competency of Attorneys or Judges who enroll. In determining

if a course meets this standard, the Commission shall consider whether:

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(3) the course deals with matters related directly to the practice of law or the professional

responsibility of Attorneys or Judges. This includes law practice management topics that

contribute to the professional competency of Attorneys.

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(b) Approval of Other Educational Activities.

(1) Credit may be given for the following legal subject matter courses:

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(v) Law Practice Management Courses. An Attorney or Judge who attends a law

practice management course may apply for general CLE credit. Eligible topics may

include trust accounting, client communication, office and personnel management, legal

technology, cybersecurity, financial planning, pricing strategies, business development,

and the ethical marketing of legal services. Credit shall be granted when the course is

designed to improve professional competency, enhance client service, or support the

sustainability of legal practices. Courses primarily devoted to matters not related to law

practice management will be denied credit. A course may receive partial credit if only a

portion qualifies.

(vi) Ethics Concentrated Law Firm Practice Management Courses. An Attorney or

Judge who attends a law firm practice management course with a concentration on:

Trust accounting, ethical client contact, and ethical use of staff and resources, ethics,

professional responsibility, or compliance within a law firm, including topics such as

Exhibit A

trust accounting, ethical client communication, supervision of non-lawyer staff, or the

responsible use of law office technology, may apply for ethics credit. Any portion of the

course dealing with marketing of services or profit enhancement will be denied credit.

ethics-focused portion of a broader program may be submitted for partial ethics credit.

(vii) Teaching Approved Courses. An Attorney or Judge who participates as a teacher,

lecturer, panelist, or author in an approved course will receive credit for:

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(2) Subject to the 12-hour limitation set forth in Rule 28, Section 3(b) and Rule 29, Section

3(a) and the 18-hour limitation set forth in Rule 28, Section 3(a), credit may also be given for

Non Legal Subject Matter (NLS) Courses.

(i) Sponsor Applications for NLS Course Approval. A sponsor may apply for and receive

accreditation of an NLS course. An NLS course may be approved without reference to

Section 3(a)(1) of these guidelines. Courses, including law practice management topics,

that do not meet the criteria under Section 3(a)(3) shall be designated as NLS credit. The

following is a non-exclusive list of courses that may be accredited under this section:

(A) Law Firm Practice Management Courses. A Sponsor may apply for NLS

accreditation of a law practice management course that does not meet the criteria of

Section 3(b)(1)(v) or Section 3(b)(1)(vi) Ethics Concentrated Law Firm Management

courses (above). To be accredited, the course must deal with law firm practice

management as opposed to office management in general. Further, the course must

be directed to Attorneys or law office administrators. Any portions of the course

dealing mainly with profit enhancement or marketing of services will be denied

credit.

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(6) Accreditation of in-house and distance education courses. The Sponsor, Attorney, or

Judge must demonstrate that:

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(vii) the course deals with matters related directly to the practice of law, including law

practice management and operations, management or administration of a court, the

adjudication of cases, or the professional responsibility of Attorneys or Judges;

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