It’s important to know that if you are offering a fee-based seminar/conference for IL MCLE (Minimum Continuing Legal Education) credit, a financial hardship policy must be reflected in your advertising and made available to qualified attorneys.
As directed by IL MCLE: Course providers must have a financial hardship policy for any course where participants must pay to attend. The provider may have a policy offering a full or partial fee waiver based on financial hardship. But, for courses costing over $500, the policy must explicitly state that attorneys who qualify will receive at least a 50% reduction in the course fee(s). It does not need to include any reduction in meals, lodging, or travel costs associated with the course.
The provider can set its own parameters for this assistance. Learn more at FAQ: Provider financial hardship policy.
All providers that charge attorneys any fee to attend a course, “shall have available a financial hardship policy for attorneys who wish to attend its courses, but for whom the cost of such courses would be a financial hardship. Such policy may be in the form of scholarships, waivers of course fees, reduced course fees, or discounts.” Rule 795(f).