Rule 501: Continuing Judicial Education for Appellate and District Judges

(a)   Applicability. This rule applies to each active Supreme Court justice, Court of Appeals judge, district judge, district magistrate judge, and retired justice or judge who is acting under a senior judge contract in Kansas. A retired justice or judge who is not acting under a senior judge contract but who serves as a judge pro tem. or hearing officer must meet the requirements under the Rules Relating to Continuing Legal Education rather than the requirements under this rule.

(b)   Administration. The Supreme Court through the Office of Judicial Administration regulates and administers Kansas continuing judicial education. Subject to approval by the Supreme Court, the Office of Judicial Administration will develop any necessary forms.

(c)   Definitions. The following definitions apply in this rule.

(1)   “Compliance period” means the period of one year beginning July 1 and ending June 30.

(2)   “Continuing judicial education” or “CJE” means a judicial education program, course, or activity designed to maintain and improve a justice’s or judge’s professional competence.

(3)   “OJA” means the Kansas Supreme Court’s Office of Judicial Administration.

(d)   Education Requirement. A justice or judge must earn a minimum of 13 CJE credit hours each compliance period. Of the 13 credit hours, at least 2 credit hours must be judicial ethics. A justice or judge can apply CJE credit hours earned from January 1, 2023 through June 30, 2023, to the compliance period starting July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024.   

(e)   Carryover Credit Hours. A justice or judge who completes more than the minimum education requirement in subsection (d) may carry over up to six unused general CJE credit hours to the next compliance period. A justice or judge may carry over judicial ethics credit hours as general CJE credit hours but not as judicial ethics credit hours. The justice or judge must satisfy the following requirements:

(1)   report the carryover credit hours in the annual compliance report required under subsection (m) for the compliance period in which the justice or judge earned the credit hours; and  

(2)   designate the credit hours as carryover credit hours. 

(f)   Credit Calculation. A justice or judge can earn one credit hour for each 50 minutes of attendance and one-half credit hour for each 25 minutes of attendance at instructional activities of an approved program.

(g)  Approval Not Required. A justice or judge can earn general CJE credit hours at a program OJA has approved for Kansas continuing legal education. The justice or judge does not need to seek OJA approval of the program for CJE.

(h)   Presumptive Approval. As provided in this subsection, a justice or judge can earn credit hours for attendance at a program OJA has not previously approved. The justice or judge does not need written notice of accreditation from OJA before using attendance at the program to satisfy the education requirement under subsection (d).

(1)   General CJE. A justice or judge can earn general CJE credit hours at a continuing judicial or legal education program sponsored by OJA or one of the following organizations: 

(A)   National Judicial College;

(B)  American Bar Association;

(C)   American Academy of Judicial Education; 

(D)   National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; 

(E)   American Judicature Society;

(F)   Institute for Court Management;

(G)   National Courts and Sciences Institute;

(H)   American Parole and Probation Association; 

(I)   Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, United States Department of Justice;

(J)   National Drug Court Institute;

(K)   National Association of Drug Court Professionals; 

(L)   National Center for State Courts;

(M)   National Association of Women Judges;

(N)   American Judges Association; 

(O)   Association of American Family and Conciliation Courts;

(P)   any Kansas Inn of Court; and 

(Q)   any state continuing legal education accrediting organization other than the Kansas Continuing Legal Education Board. 

(2)   Judicial Ethics. A justice or judge can earn judicial ethics credit hours at a judicial ethics program sponsored by OJA or one of the following organizations:

(A)   National Judicial College;

(B)   American Academy of Judicial Education;

(C)   National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges;

(D)   American Judicature Society;

(E)   National Center for State Courts;

(F)   National Association of Women Judges;

(G)   American Judges Association; and 

(H)   Association of American Family and Conciliation Courts. 

(i)   Prior Approval Required. If a program is not approved for Kansas continuing legal education or presumptively approved under subsection (h), OJA must approve the program before a justice or judge can use attendance at the program to satisfy the education requirement under subsection (d). When approving a program, OJA will designate the number of general CJE and judicial ethics credit hours a justice or judge can earn by attending the program.

(j)   Form. A justice or judge must use a form provided by OJA to request approval of a program not sponsored by OJA or approved for Kansas continuing legal education. 

(1)   Presumptively Approved. If the program is presumptively approved under subsection (h), the justice or judge may submit the request at the same time the justice or judge submits the annual compliance report required under subsection (m). 

(2)   Prior Approval Necessary. If the program is not presumptively approved under subsection (h), the justice or judge must submit the request no later than 30 days before the program. The justice or judge cannot use attendance at the program to satisfy the education requirement under subsection (d) until the justice or judge receives notice of accreditation from OJA. 

(k)   Teaching Credit Hours. A justice or judge can earn up to five CJE credit hours for each 50 minutes spent teaching an approved continuing judicial or legal education program. In calculating the number of credit hours to award, OJA will consider time spent in preparation and teaching. A justice or judge cannot carry over credit hours earned for teaching.

(l)   Legislative Service. Upon a written request submitted to OJA, a part-time judge as defined by the Kansas Code of Judicial Conduct serving in the Kansas Legislature will receive a reduction of 6.5 of the 11 general CJE credit hours required for the compliance period in which the judge serves in the Legislature.

(m)   Annual Compliance Report. Each justice or judge must submit an annual report of compliance with this rule on a form provided by OJA. The justice or judge must submit the report to OJA no later than September 1 following the compliance period in which the justice or judge earned the credit hours. 

(n)   Waiver; Extension of Time. OJA may grant a waiver of the requirements of this rule or an extension of time to complete the education requirement under subsection (d) because of hardship, disability, or other good cause. A justice or judge must submit a written request for waiver or extension to OJA prior to September 1 following the compliance period for which the justice or judge is requesting the waiver or extension. 

[History: Prior Rule 501 repealed effective May 25, 2010; Rule effective May 26, 2010; Rule adopted effective January 1, 2013; Am. effective December 31, 2020; Am. effective September 18, 2023.]