any former attorneys?

Thinking of leaving my job to be a SAHM. What do you do about CLEs and attorney registration? Is there some kind of inactive status I apply for? What happens if you want to return to practice one day? I've been admitted since 1/09 in case that matters and I am in good standing. Thanks

Re: any former attorneys?

I am an attorney. I haven't practiced law since 2010, but I do keep my license active and I re-register with the NY State Bar every 2 years. I use www.attorneycredits.com to get my CLE credits. It's all online, so you can take courses at your leisure. I found the site to be reasonable in terms of cost... It's like $125 for the whole bundle of courses you need, and there's a good selection.

I don't think NY has an inactive status the way some other states do. I think there's a retired status, but that's a different thing.

But I would recommend staying active, even if you are not currently practicing. It's not that much trouble to do it, and you never know when you may want to jump back in. Feel free to contact me with any questions!

ETA - I had to notify the ny state bar when I left my job at my firm, and make sure my home address was updated. The attorney registration renewal notice gets sent to my home address every 2 years as my birthday approaches (since you have to renew within 30 days of your birthday).

Message edited 4/2/2013 10:54:20 PM.

Re: any former attorneys?

I believe that the only way to be inactive would be to surrender your license to practice, which I would never recommend. First of all, that is published and people assume all sorts of things. Second of all, I do not believe that the Bar has an obligation to reinstate you. They do reinstate people but the tide could change. If I was not practicing I think I would still take the courses that interest me or go to conferences. I generally go to conferences that provide about 20 credits at once. They are very expensive but practical and they may spark your interest in a field to get into later on or keep you on top of your former practice area.