CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT

Except as otherwise provided by the regulations to this rule, every Court Administrator, Deputy Court Administrator, and Assistant Court Administrator of a Circuit, Chancery, County or Youth Court in the State of Mississippi shall attend a minimum of twelve (12) Instructional hours each calendar year as offered by the Mississippi Judicial College or an AOC-approved continuing education program. Regulations 3.1 3.2 An “instruction hour” means at least fifty (50) minutes of instruction time. No credit shall be given for program introductory remarks, meal breaks, or business meetings. A court administrator with a physical disability that makes attending a program offered by the Mississippi Judicial College extremely difficult may file a request with the AOC for a permanent substitute program in lieu of attendance. Such request shall set out continuing education plans that are tailored to that court administrator’s duties and physical abilities. The AOC shall, without delay, approve or disapprove the request in accordance with its administrative policies and procedures. 3.3 A court administrator for reasons of hardship or extenuating circumstances may file a request for substituted compliance, a partial waiver, or other exemption in lieu of attendance. The AOC shall, 3.4 3.5 without delay, approve or disapprove the request in accordance with its administrative policies and procedures. As an exception to this rule, a court administrator is only required to attend in the first year of being employed by the AOC or appointed by court order only those instructional hours offered by the Mississippi Judicial College after the date that the court administrator’s employment with the AOC commenced or of appointment by court order. As soon as practicable after January 1 of each year, the Mississippi Judicial College shall forward the name of each court administrator who did not complete the twelve (12) instructional hours offered by the Mississippi Judicial College in the preceding year to the AOC. Any court administrator requesting credit hours for attending an AOC- approved continuing education program not offered by the Mississippi Judicial College must submit proof of attendance to the AOC by December 31 of the year in which the program was attended.