2024 California Rules of Court
Rule 10.471. Minimum education requirements for Supreme Court and Court of Appeal clerks/executive officers
(a) Applicability
All clerk/executive officers of the California Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal must complete these minimum education requirements. All clerk/executive officers should participate in more education than is required, related to each individual's responsibilities and in accordance with the education recommendations set forth in rule 10.479.
(Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2023; previously amended effective January 1, 2018.)
(b) Hours-based requirement
(1) Clerk/executive officers must complete 30 hours of continuing education every three years beginning on the following dates:
(A) For a new clerk/executive officer, the first three-year period begins on January 1 of the year following his or her hire.
(B) For all other clerk/executive officers, the first three-year cycle begins on January 1, 2008.
(2) The following education applies toward the required 30 hours of continuing education:
(A) Any education offered by an approved provider (under rule 10.481(a)) and any other education approved by the Chief Justice or the administrative presiding justice as meeting the criteria listed in rule 10.481(b).
(B) Each hour of participation in education by an approved provider under rule 10.481, including education that is instructor-led (live remote or in-person), asynchronous (such as videos and e-learning), and self-directed study, counts toward the continuing education requirement on an hour-for-hour basis. The Chief Justice or the administrative presiding justice has discretion to determine the number of hours, if any, of instructor-led (live remote or in-person) education required to meet the continuing education requirement.
(C) A clerk/executive officer who serves as faculty by teaching legal or judicial education to a legal or judicial audience may apply education hours as faculty service. There is no restriction on the number or percentage of hours that a clerk/executive officer may claim as faculty service. Credit for faculty service counts toward the continuing education requirement on an hour-for-hour basis in the same manner as all other types of education.
(Subd (b) amended effective January 1, 2023; previously amended effective January 1, 2012, January 1, 2014, and January 1, 2018.)
(c) Extension of time
(1) Upon request and for good cause, the Chief Justice or the administrative presiding justice may grant a clerk/executive officer an extension of time, up to one year, to complete the education requirements in (b).
(2) If the Chief Justice or the administrative presiding justice grants a request for an extension of time, the Chief Justice or the administrative presiding justice and the clerk/executive officer must pursue interim means of obtaining relevant educational content.
(3) An extension of time to complete the hours-based requirement does not affect the timing of the clerk/executive officer's next three-year education cycle.
(Subd (c) amended effective January 1, 2023; previously amended effective January 1, 2018.)
(d) Record of participation; statement of completion
Clerk/executive officers are responsible for:
(1) Tracking their own participation in education and keeping a record of participation for three years after each course or activity that is applied toward the requirements;
(2) At the end of each year, giving the Chief Justice or the administrative presiding justice a copy of their record of participation in education for that year; and
(3) At the end of each three-year education cycle, giving the Chief Justice or the administrative presiding justice a signed statement of completion for that three-year education cycle.
(Subd (d) amended effective January 1, 2023; previously amended effective January 1, 2018.)
Rule 10.471 amended effective January 1, 2023; adopted effective January 1, 2008; previously amended effective January 1, 2012, January 1, 2014, and January 1, 2018.