Certificate Program Policies

The following policies apply to ICLE’s certificate programs that involve live events and On-Demand Seminars. For certificate programs that involve only Online Training, please see Online Training Policies.

To participate, you must be a Michigan lawyer and a member in good standing of the State Bar of Michigan.

You may complete requirements by attending a live seminar or watching an on-demand seminar. Listening to an audio recording does not count toward your requirements.

You must complete all requirements within three years of the date you sign up for the Certificate program (the date your application and registration fee are entered in ICLE's records). Seminars attended before you sign up do not count toward your Certificate requirements. However, you can sign up for the Certificate program within two weeks after attending a Certificate seminar and receive credit for attending that seminar only.

You can check your information at any time by logging in to ICLE's website. The records show your beginning date in the program (the date the three years for completion is counted from).

Full payment is due at sign-up and is nonrefundable and nontransferable.

Michigan does not have an approved "specialty certification" program for lawyers. Therefore, lawyers in this state may not advertise that they are "certified specialists" or "specialists" in a particular area of the law. By participating in this program, you are attending specified seminars offered by ICLE, which are designed to provide an organized approach to the education necessary to practice at the basic to intermediate level. When you complete this program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion, which will be suitable for framing. You may advertise the fact that you have this Certificate of Completion, as long as your advertisement does not imply that you are a certified specialist. When you receive your certificate, you will also receive sample language you can use for advertising. For any questions regarding lawyer advertising, contact the State Bar of Michigan Ethics Hotline at 517-485-ETHX (3849).

• Completing the program signifies that you have completed the educational program in a particular year and received a Certificate of Completion.
• After you have earned the Certificate of Completion, we will send you a certificate indicating it's been updated if you
  • attend either ICLE's Annual Family Law Institute, for the Family Law Certificate Program, or ICLE's Annual Probate and Estate Planning Institute, for the Probate and Estate Planning Certificate Program, and
  • remain a member of the State Bar of Michigan in good standing.
• Updating your certificate is completely voluntary.
• The opportunity to earn an updated certificate is not available after a gap of more than three years since you last earned or updated your certificate.