California CLE requirements
Whether you're an experienced California attorney or newly admitted, 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 | 1 implicit bias CLE 1 competence issues CLE 19 general CLE |
| 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
What is my requirement as a California-licensed attorney?
California-licensed attorneys are required to complete 25 credits, including 4 ethics CLE credits, 1 elimination of bias CLE credit, 1 implicit bias CLE credit, and 1 competence issues credit every three years.
How can Quimbee help me complete my CLE requirement?
All of Quimbee’s on-demand courses are considered participatory and can fulfill the California CLE requirement. Quimbee’s California bundle provides multiple required credits, including ethics CLE, elimination of bias CLE, competence issue CLE -implicit bias CLE coming soon!
How else can I earn CLE credit?
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.)
When must I complete my CLE requirement?
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, 2024
- Group 3 (N-Z): Reports February 3, 2023
Can I carry over credit from my last reporting cycle?
No, carryover is not allowed.
Newly Admitted Attorneys
I'm a new attorney. When do I report CLE credit?
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
When do I report the CLE credits that I have earned?
California attorneys must report compliance by February 1 of their reporting year. See California’s Compliance Group page to see when each group reports.
How do I report the CLE credits that I have earned?
California attorneys must submit a statement of compliance by logging into their California State Bar profile.
Resources
Contact info
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
888-800-3400
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