California CLE Requirements for Attorneys

Attorneys are considered “experienced” in California if they are actively practicing law after completing their New Admission requirement.

Attorneys practicing law in California must complete 25 CLE credit hours every 3 years. CLE credits should include the following:

• At least 4 hours of Ethics
• At least 2 hours of Competence (1 hour in prevention and detection and 1 hour in Attorney Wellness)
• At least 2 hours of Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession  (1 of these must specifically be in Implicit Bias)
• At least 1 hour of Technology
• At least 1 hour of Civility in the Legal Profession

Attorneys may receive CA MCLE credit for attending MCLE courses that have been approved by the California State Bar, or that are given by providers who have been approved by the State Bar to offer MCLE programs. Some examples of approved participatory activities are:

• Live Webcasts
• On Demand Video or Audio CLE courses
• Traditional In Person Courses

Attorneys can complete all 25 credits on Lawline. Our California courses can be found here. 

All courses on Lawline qualify for Participatory Credit.

Yes! Attorneys can receive credit towards their CLE requirement through the following:

• Self-Study: Attorneys can earn up to 12.5 CLE credits (half the credits required in a reporting period) though completing non-verified MCLE programs or taking open or closed book self-test exams and submitting to the provider to grade. Some examples of self-study include:
  • Writing: Attorneys will be awarded CLE credit if they have written or co-wrote published articles or materials that contributed to their legal education (including but not limited to articles, chapters, or books).
  • Completing MCLE activities where attendance is not verified by a provider.
  • Taking an open- or closed-book self-test and submitting the test to a provider to grade.
• Teaching Law School Classes: Hours for teaching a law class approved by the California Bar Association can be computed by multiplying the number of units granted by the law school for for completing the class by twelve (12). For example, if the class taught is offering two (2) units, you will be eligible for 24 hours of credit
• Teaching CLE Activities: You can earn credit if you teach or speak on an approved CLE activity. A speaker can claim actual speaking time multiple by four (4) for their first presentation. Repeat presentations may claim only actual speaking time.
• Pro Bono Service: The Florida Supreme Court recently authorized Florida lawyers to receive one hour of general CLE credit for every hour of pro bono service performed, not to exceed five credits per three-year reporting cycle. Florida attorneys will need to fill out the form to request the pro bono hours be applied to their general credit. Pro Bono Service Request for CLE Credit Form.
  

The deadline to complete MCLE credits in California is March 29th of the third year of the attorney’s reporting cycle.

Attorneys are assigned to a compliance group based on the first letter of the last name on their admit cards.

The compliance groups are as follows:

No, attorneys practicing in California cannot carry over CLE credits into the next reporting period.

Providers of MCLE activities in California are required to report attendance for attorneys.

Lawline will automatically report your completion of this course after you claim credit to California. We report weekly on Tuesdays. Please ensure that your bar number is filled out and correct in your profile and allow up to 5 business days for your credits to be processed by the State Bar.

You can check your status status using Attorney Search: Attorney Search. The State Bar of California doesn’t track education hours completed by attorneys. Attorneys track their own hours and report their compliance to the bar. Lawline users can use the Free CLE Tracker to track hours, including those completed with other CLE providers.

Attorneys must mail in the affidavit sent to them by the State Bar or electronically submit a statement of compliance through their My State Bar profile.

Attorneys in California have until the March 30th immediately following their compliance deadline to report their CLE compliance.