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California CLE Requirements

Whether you're an experienced California attorney or a California newly admitted attorney, here's what you need to know about California’s mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) requirements.

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California CLE Requirements - General Information

General Information
CLE credit requirement

25 credits every 3 years

Categories

4 ethics

1 elimination of Bias

1 competence Issues

19 general

CLE Compliance deadline

January 31

CLE Reporting deadline

February 1

Approved Quimbee formats

On-demand

Carryover

Carryover is not allowed.

CLE reporting instructions

California is a self-reporting jurisdiction and Quimbee does not report your completed courses to the State Bar of California. Please retain your certificate as a record of your attendance for at least one year from the time your CLE compliance is reported. You may also access your certificates from our website at any time.

California CLE Requirements

California-licensed attorneys are required to complete 25 credits, including 4 ethics credits, 1 elimination of bias credit, and 1 competence issues credit every three years.

All of Quimbee’s on-demand courses are considered participatory and can fulfill the California CLE requirement. Quimbee’s California bundle provides all 25 required credits, including ethics, elimination of bias, and competence issues credits.

California approves two types of education: participatory or self-study. No more than 12.5 self-study credits are allowed per reporting cycle.

Participatory activities

  • Attend approved CLE courses, in person or delivered via live or recorded technology.
  • Teach at an approved CLE course. Single speakers may earn the total credit of the actual minutes of speaking times 4. Panelists may earn the actual minutes of speaking time 4, plus the remaining time in attendance.
  • Attending a law school class. Attorneys may earn 1 credit for each hour of attendance.
  • Teaching a law school class. Attorneys may earn the total credits of the number of units of the course times 12.

Self-Study activities

  • Self-assessment tests
  • Writing published legal materials. Attorneys may earn 1 credit for each hour writing published legal materials.
  • Unverified electronic education (CDs, online courses, etc.)

California attorneys will report credit based on their compliance group. Attorneys are assigned to one of three compliance groups based on the last name on their admit cards when they are sworn in. An attorney will remain in the same compliance group, even if there is a name change.

  • Group 1 (A-G): Reports February 1, 2022
  • Group 2 (H-M): Reports February 1, 2021
  • Group 3 (N-Z): Reports February 3, 2020

No, carryover is not allowed.

Newly Admitted Attorneys

A new California attorney’s first reporting cycle begins on the first day of the month of admission and ends when the assigned compliance group cycle ends. If the attorney’s initial cycle is less than three years, the requirement may be reduced. See the Proportional Requirements table to determine if you have a reduced requirement.

New California attorneys are required to complete the State Bar New Attorney Training.

Program within 12 months of admission. This is a 10-hour program accessed through the attorney’s State Bar Profile. The training includes 4 hours of ethics, 3 hours of basic skills, 1.5 hours of competence, and 1.5 hours on the elimination of bias that can be applied toward the CLE requirement.

CLE Compliance and Reporting

California attorneys must report compliance by February 1 of their reporting year. See California’s Compliance Group page to see when each group reports.

California attorneys must submit a statement of compliance by logging into their California State Bar profile.

Resources

MCLE Program

The State Bar of California

180 Howard Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

888-800-3400

[email protected]

California MCLE Rules - Attorneys

California MCLE FAQ

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