Lawyers will have greater flexibility in pursuing continuing legal education relevant to their practice under new Supreme Court (SC) rules that introduce focused programs, legal specialization and expanded ways to earn credits.
Under the 2026 Rules on Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE), lawyers must still complete 36 credit units every three years, including at least six units in Legal Ethics, but may now choose between a general program covering varied subjects and a focused program in a particular field of practice.
According to the SC, the new framework replaces the previous system that prescribed specific subject areas and allocated the required 36 hours among them.
Promulgated by the SC En Banc on April 22, the rules took effect on September 15 following publication in two newspapers of general circulation.
Flexible programs and credits
Under the new framework, the rules establish a system for specialization credentials and create a Committee on Legal Specialization tasked with developing standards for specialization programs and credentials.
In addition, accredited MCLE providers may engage qualified non-lawyers as resource persons in relevant fields under the direct supervision of an accredited lecturer.
Beyond conventional lectures and seminars, lawyers may earn MCLE credits through significant legal publications, postgraduate studies, special education activities and participation in nation-building projects, subject to applicable guidelines.
The rules also require providers to make courses accessible to lawyers regardless of location or disability through technology and reasonable accommodations.
Moreover, up to 15 credit units earned under the Unified Legal Aid Service Rules may be credited toward MCLE compliance, while newly admitted lawyers are deemed compliant from the time they sign the Roll of Attorneys until the end of the current compliance period.
Exemptions and compliance
Under the new rules, lawyers aged 70 or older are exempt from MCLE, provided they have complied with previous requirements and undertake to remain updated on laws and jurisprudence.
The exemption also covers members of the MCLE Governing Board, certain incumbent lawyers in specified judicial and electoral tribunal offices, and lawyers who meet the requirements for 10 continuous academic years of teaching or supervision under the Law Student Practice Rule.
Meanwhile, lawyers must maintain a valid compliance certificate to practice law. “No lawyer shall engage in the practice of law without a valid compliance certificate,” the Rules state.
Accordingly, lawyers must indicate their MCLE compliance number and date of issue in legal documents, including entries of appearance and pleadings filed before courts and quasi-judicial bodies.
The MCLE Office must also periodically publish notices referring the public to the list of compliant lawyers authorized to practice law.
Moreover, noncompliance may result in fines and other sanctions, while the use of a nonexistent or fraudulent compliance number may be sanctioned under the MCLE Rules and the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability.
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