N.H. Sup. Ct. R. 53.2

A. Annual Certification Requirement.

1. All lawyers in any New Hampshire Bar Association active membership status at any time during the reporting year must make an annual certification as prescribed in Rule 53.3. Such certification may, if applicable, indicate an exemption from the minimum credit requirements for the reporting period under provisions of Rule 53.2(B).

2. The certification requirement of this rule shall not apply to any full-time judge, full-time magistrate, judicial referee, full-time marital master, the state reporter appointed pursuant to RSA 505:1, or any full-time supreme, superior, and circuit court clerk or deputy clerk who occupies such position at any time during the reporting year in the State of New Hampshire.

3. The certification requirement of this rule shall not apply to any part-time judge, part-time magistrate, part-time marital master, part-time judicial referee or any part-time supreme, superior and circuit court clerk or deputy clerk; unless such individual was in the active practice of law at any time during the reporting year in the State of New Hampshire.

4. The certification requirement of this rule shall not apply to any attorney who has elected New Hampshire Bar Association Limited Active Status membership as certified by the directors of 603 Legal Aid, NH Legal Assistance, or the Disability Rights Center.

5. The certification requirement of this rule shall not apply to any attorney who is an Honorary Member of the New Hampshire Bar Association as of December 1 of the reporting year for which CLE credits would otherwise be required.

6. The certification requirement of this rule shall not apply to lawyers first admitted to New Hampshire practice on or after December 1 of that reporting year but must do so in any subsequent reporting year during which they hold any New Hampshire Bar Association active membership status for an aggregated total of more than six (6) months during the reporting year.

7. The certification requirement of this rule shall not apply to lawyers on active duty for the United States Armed Forces for more than three (3) months of the reporting year.

8. The certification requirement of this rule shall not apply to lawyers who change from any New Hampshire Bar Association active membership status to any inactive membership status before December 1 of any reporting year, and who maintain inactive membership status for the remainder of that reporting year, but must do so in any subsequent reporting year during which they hold any New Hampshire Bar Association active membership status for an aggregated total of more than six (6) months during the reporting year.

9. The certification requirement of this rule shall not apply to lawyers who are elected State or Federal officials not engaged in the practice of law during a reporting year, but must do so in any subsequent reporting year during which they hold any New Hampshire Bar Association active membership status for an aggregated total of more than six (6) months during the reporting year.

B. Exemptions From the Minimum CLE Requirement.

1. Those exempt from annual certification requirements under Rule 53.2(A)(2), 53.2(A)(3), 53.2(A)(4), 53.2(A)(5), 53.2(A)(6), 53.2(A)(7) or 53.2(A)(8) are not required to meet the minimum CLE requirements of Rule 53.1(B)(1) for that reporting year.

2. Lawyers may be exempted from meeting the minimum CLE requirements of Rule 53.1(B)(1), in whole or in part, by the NHMCLE Board, upon petition, for compelling reasons. Such reasons may include, but are not limited to, financial, physical, or other hardship which prevents compliance with this rule during the period of such hardship.