NCSB Journal Summer 2026

Th e member must provide the informa tion requested on a petition form pre scribed by the council and must sign the petition under oath. (2) CLE Requirements Before Suspended Unless the member was exempt from such requirements pursuant to Rule .1517 of this subchapter or is subject to the require ments in Subparagraph (d)(4) of this rule, the member must satisfy the minimum continuing legal education (CLE) require ments, as set forth in Rule .1518 of this subchapter, for the calendar year in which the member was suspended (the “subject year”) if such transfer occurred on or after July 1 of the subject year, including any deficit from a prior year that was carried forward and recorded in the member’s CLE record for the subject year. Th emem ber shall also sign and file any delinquent CLE annual report form. (3) Additional CLE Requirements ... Rule .1517, Exemptions (a) Notification of Board. To qualify for an exemption, a member shall notify the Board of the exemption during the annual membership renewal process or in another manner as directed by the Board. All active members who are exempt are encouraged to attend and participate in legal education pro grams. (b) Government O ffi cials and Members of Armed Forces. Th e governor, the lieutenant governor, and all members of the council of state, members of the United States Senate, members of the United States House of Representatives, members and full-time employees of the North Carolina General Assembly, full-time principal chiefs and vice chiefs of any Indian tribe o ffi cially recognized by the United States or North Carolina state governments, and members of the United States Armed Forces on full-time active duty are exempt from the requirements of these rules for any calendar year in which they serve some portion thereof in such capacity. (c) Judiciary and Clerks. Members of the state judiciary who are required by virtue of their judicial o ffi ces to take continuing judicial or other legal education and all members of the federal judiciary are exempt from the requirements of these rules for any calendar year in which they serve some portion thereof in such judicial capacities. Additionally, a full time law clerk for a member of the federal or

state judiciary is exempt from the require ments of these rules for any calendar year in which the clerk serves some portion thereof in such capacity. (d) Nonresidents. Th e Board may exempt an active member from the continuing legal education requirements if, for at least six con secutive months immediately prior to request ing an exemption, (i) the member resides out side of North Carolina, (ii) the member does not practice law in North Carolina, and (iii) the member does not represent North Carolina clients on matters governed by North Carolina law. Members must claim the exemption annually. If, after claiming the exemption, the member no longer satisfies these requirements, the exemption shall ter minate immediately. Th e member must then comply with the continuing legal education requirements set out in Rule .1518 and promptly notify the State Bar of the change in circumstances. (e) Law Teachers and General Assembly Employees. An exemption from the require ments of these rules shall be given to any active member who does not practice in North Carolina or represent North Carolina clients on matters governed by North Carolina law and who is: (1) A full-time teacher at the School of Government of the University of North Carolina; (2) A full-time teacher at a law school in North Carolina that is accredited by the American Bar Association; or (3) A full-time teacher of law-related courses at a graduate level professional school accredited by its respective profes sional accrediting agency; or (4) A full-time employee of the North Carolina General Assembly. (f) Special Circumstances Exemptions. Th e Board may exempt an active member from the continuing legal education require ments for a period of not more than one year at a time upon a finding by the Board of spe cial circumstances unique to that member constituting undue hardship or other reason able basis for exemption. (g) Pro Hac Vice Admission. Nonresident lawyers from other jurisdictions who are tem porarily admitted to practice in a particular case or proceeding pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 84-4.1 shall not be subject to the requirements of these rules. (h) Senior Exemption. Th e Board may exempt an active member from the continu-

must petition for reinstatement to active sta tus pursuant to Rule .0904(b)-(h) of this Subchapter. (g i ) Administrative Suspension Pursuant to Statute. Th e provisions of this rule notwith standing, if any section of the North Carolina General Statutes requires suspension of an occupational license, the procedure for sus pension pursuant to such statute shall be as established by the statute. If no procedure is established by said statute, then the proce dures specified in this rule shall be followed. Rule .0904, Reinstatement from Suspension ( a) Compliance Within 30 45 Days of Service of Suspension Order. A member who receives an order of sus pension for failure to comply with an obliga tion of membership may preclude the order from becoming e ff ective and shall not be required to file a formal reinstatement petition or pay the reinstatement fee if the member shows within 30 45 days after service of the suspension order that the member has done the following: (1) fulfilled the obligations of membership set forth in the order; (2) paid the administrative fees associated with the issuance of the suspension order, including the costs of service; (3) paid any other delinquency shown on the financial records of the State Bar including outstanding judicial district bar dues; (4) signed and filed CLE annual report forms as required by Rule .1522 of this subchapter; (5 4 ) completed CLE hours as required by Rules .1518 and .1522 of this subchapter; and (6 5 ) filed any IOLTA certification required by Rule .1319 of this subchapter. (b) Reinstatement More than 30 45 Days after Service of Suspension Order. At any time more than 30 45 days after service of an order of suspension on a mem ber, a member who has been suspended for failure to comply with an obligation of mem bership may petition the council for an order of reinstatement. (c) Definition of “Year.” As used in this rule, a year is a 365 day period of time unless a calendar year is speci fied. (d) Requirements for Reinstatement (1) Completion of Petition

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THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE BAR JOURNAL