Minnesota Mental Health/Substance Use CLE: What Attorneys Need to Know

Minnesota attorneys must complete 45 CLE credit hours every three years, including a mandatory 1-hour requirement in mental health and substance use (MHSU). This MHSU credit may be earned through approved programs that address the intersection of mental health, substance use, and the practice of law—such as competency, client communication, ethics, crisis intervention, and working with trauma-impacted populations—and can be satisfied via live or certified self-study courses approved by the Minnesota CLE Board. Attorneys should track their compliance carefully, retain certificates of completion, and consider integrating MHSU training into broader professional development (e.g., ethics or skills courses with MHSU content) to both meet the requirement and improve client outcomes, especially for practitioners in criminal, family, elder, and public interest law where mental health and substance use issues frequently arise.