Election offers service, CLE opportunity for lawyers

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Election Day will offer South Carolina lawyers more than an opportunity to vote.

An order from the state’s Supreme Court offers lawyers the chance to earn continuing legal education credit for volunteering as poll workers Nov. 5.

“To encourage lawyers to assist their communities by volunteering to serve as poll workers for the upcoming election, we find it appropriate to permit a lawyer admitted in South Carolina who provides this valuable service to receive six (6) hours of continuing legal education (CLE) credit required under Rule 408 of the South Carolina Appellate Court Rules (SCACR),” the order says.

The order outlines several rules governing the opportunity, including:

• A lawyer must meet poll worker training requirements, which can vary by county, and be eligible to serve as a volunteer.
• Lawyers must work all of Election Day, generally 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the polls except for lunch and normal breaks. Partial credit will not be awarded for working less than a full day.
• Any pay for working or training must be declined. Should it not be possible to decline the pay, the money must be donated to the South Carolina Bar Foundation.
• The work must be certified by the lawyer and an election official using a form included in the order. The form must be submitted by Nov. 30 to the South Carolina Supreme Court Commission on CLE and Specialization; P.O. Box 2138; Columbia 29202; or [email protected].
• The CLE hours do not satisfy the legal ethics and professional responsibility requirement of the substance abuse and mental health requirement in Rule 408(a)(2) of the South Carolina Appellate Court Rules or any specialization CLE requirements in certified specialization fields.

Judges are not eligible for CLE credit for working at the polls, the order says.

For more information, contact Jacob Blalock, CLE accreditation coordinator, at 803-799-5578 or [email protected].