Illinois CLE — Mental Health & Substance Abuse

Earn your 1 hour of Illinois wellness CLE.

One of three Professional Responsibility sub-categories. Each course individually approved by the Illinois MCLE Board with its own PCAM course ID.

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Illinois Mental Health & Substance Abuse Courses

4 courses approved for IL Mental Health/Substance Abuse credit

A Healthier Legal Future71 minIL 1 hr

A Healthier Legal Future

Dean David Jaffe

American University Washington College of Law

A Lawyer's Addiction90 minIL 1.5 hrs

A Lawyer's Addiction

Brian Cuban

Author and addiction recovery activist

Mindfulness & Attorney Stress55IL 0.75 hrs

Mindfulness & Attorney Stress

Prof. Nathalie Martin

University of New Mexico School of Law

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Coverage

What counts as Illinois MH/SA CLE

The Illinois MCLE Board accepts mental-health and substance-abuse coursework across these areas.

Substance Use & Recovery

Recognizing substance-use disorders in the legal profession, available treatment paths, and the discipline-and-disability framework that overlaps with Bar conduct rules.

Mental Health Awareness

Depression, anxiety, and other conditions that disproportionately affect attorneys — including how to recognize symptoms in yourself, partners, and supervisees.

Stress Management & Burnout

Practical strategies for sustaining a legal career: workload calibration, recovery routines, the science of burnout, and the warning signs that precede crises.

Attorney Wellness & Resilience

Evidence-based wellness practices applied to legal work — sleep, exercise, social connection, and the structural changes that move firms beyond rhetoric.

Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Programs

Illinois recognizes participation in approved Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Programs as a way to satisfy this 1-hour requirement, alongside accredited courses.

Pathways to Support

Confidential resources available to Illinois attorneys — Lawyers' Assistance Program (LAP), peer support, and the discipline-process implications of seeking help.

Compliance

How the Illinois MH/SA requirement works

Illinois requires 1 hour of Mental Health & Substance Abuse within each 2-year CLE cycle, as one of three sub-categories that comprise the 6-hour Professional Responsibility requirement (4 hours core PR + 1 hour D&I + 1 hour MH/SA).

Two ways to satisfy this hour: (a) complete an accredited MH/SA course (every course on this page qualifies), or (b) participate in an approved Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program. Both options count equally for reporting purposes.

Every Illinois MH/SA course on TalksOnLaw is individually approved by the Illinois MCLE Board, each with its own PCAM course ID printed on your certificate for reporting.

Common questions

Illinois Wellness CLE — Q&A

Is the Mental Health & Substance Abuse hour part of the broader Professional Responsibility requirement?

Yes. Illinois requires 6 hours of PR every 2-year cycle, broken into three sub-categories: 4 hours core Professional Responsibility, 1 hour Diversity & Inclusion, and 1 hour Mental Health & Substance Abuse (this page). The 1-hour MH/SA requirement counts within — not on top of — the 6-hour PR bucket.

Can I satisfy this through a Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program instead of a course?

Yes. Participation in an approved Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program may be used to satisfy the 1-hour requirement. Check with the Illinois MCLE Board for the current list of approved programs. If you prefer a course, every Illinois MH/SA course on this page qualifies.

Are TalksOnLaw mental health & substance abuse courses approved for Illinois?

Yes — every Illinois MH/SA course on TalksOnLaw has been individually filed with and approved by the Illinois MCLE Board, each with its own PCAM course ID. The approval number prints on your certificate for reporting.

Why does Illinois require this category?

The Illinois Supreme Court adopted the requirement in recognition that lawyers face elevated rates of substance-use disorders, depression, and anxiety relative to the general population. Mandating an hour of education is one piece of a broader effort — alongside the Lawyers' Assistance Program and reform of attorney-discipline rules — to make seeking help less costly.

Earn your Illinois wellness credit today.

One hour of approved MH/SA CLE, on demand. Pre-approved courses, instant certificates.

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