Rule 53.3 - Reporting And Affidavit of Compliance with Rule 53A. On or before July 1 of each year, every lawyer having been in any New Hampshire Bar Association active membership status at any time during the immediately preceding June 1 - May 31 reporting year and not exempt pursuant to Rule 53.2(A)(2), 53.2(A)(3), 53.2(A)(4), 53.2(A)(5), 53.2(A)(6), 53.2(A)(7) or 53.2(A)(8) shall file an Affidavit of Compliance with the NHMCLE Board, in such form as the NHMCLE Board shall prescribe, concerning either his or her completion of CLE during the previous reporting year, or the basis for his or her claim of exemption under Rule 53.2(B). A lawyer who has inadvertently neglected to report in their initial Affidavit of Compliance all credits earned in the immediately preceding reporting year can reopen the initial Affidavit of Compliance once within thirty days of the initial filing, but not later than July 31. Lawyers may engage in and report CLE performed after the close of the reporting year and prior to the filing of an Affidavit of Compliance, provided that such CLE may not also be used to satisfy the requirement for the reporting year in which it is performed.
B. Each such lawyer shall maintain such records or certificates of attendance as may be required to substantiate his or her compliance or exemption for a period of two (2) years following the close of a reporting year. C. The court shall assess each lawyer in New Hampshire Bar Association active membership status as of the assessment date an annual sum to support the administration of Rule 53.D. Lawyers exempt under Rule 53.2(B) who wish to claim NHMCLE credit for activities completed during a reporting year for which such exemption applies (e.g., for purposes of carrying over such credits pursuant to Rule 53.1(D)) may do so by either (1) filing an Affidavit of Compliance for the reporting year in which the activity was completed, or (2) reporting such activities on the Affidavit of Compliance filed for the following reporting year if no exemption is then available.E. The NHMCLE Board shall from time to time audit the Affidavits of Compliance filed by lawyers in accordance with this rule to determine whether the information reported is accurate and/or to determine whether the activities reported are qualifying activities. The NHMCLE Board may select Affidavits of Compliance for audit based on apparent deficiencies in the Affidavits, or based on any other factor that the NHMCLE Board, in its discretion, deems appropriate. Affidavits may also be selected for audit on a random basis. The NHMCLE Board shall notify a lawyer whose Affidavits of Compliance has been selected for audit of the reporting period or periods to be audited. The NHMCLE Board shall request that, within thirty (30) days of the notification, the lawyer provide information about the CLE activities reported and/or evidence to substantiate that the lawyer completed the CLE activities reported. If the information provided by the lawyer is insufficient to establish that the Affidavits of Compliance is accurate and/or that the activities reported are qualifying activities, the NHMCLE Board shall notify the lawyer of the issue(s) involved and invite the lawyer to submit a written response. If, upon consideration of the lawyer's response and any other facts and circumstances that the NHMCLE Board considers pertinent, the NHMCLE Board determines that a lawyer's Affidavits of Compliance is inaccurate and/or deficient, it shall determine whether the lawyer should be required to take remedial action, and if so, the remedial action required. The decision of the NHMCLE Board as to the remedial action required shall be final.Renumbered and amended May 2, 2016, eff. 7/1/2016; amended February 26, 2021, eff. 2/26/2021; amended March 30, 2023, eff. 6/1/2023.