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Iowa CLE Requirements

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

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Iowa CLE Requirements - General Information

General Information
CLE credit requirement15 credits every year
Categories13 General
1 Ethics
1 Attorney Wellness or Diversity and Inclusion
CLE Compliance deadlineDecember 31
CLE Reporting deadlineMarch 10
Approved Quimbee formatsOn-demand
CarryoverYes, you may carry over excess credits to the following reporting cycle.
CLE reporting instructionsIowa is a self-reporting jurisdiction and Quimbee does not report your completed courses to the Iowa Commission on Continuing Legal Education. Please retain your certificate as proof of your attendance. You may also access your certificate from our website at any time.

Iowa CLE Requirements

Iowa-licensed attorneys must complete 15 credits each year, including 1 Ethics credit and 1 Attorney Wellness or Diversity and Inclusion credit.

Iowa attorneys may complete up to 6 credits through Quimbee's on-demand courses.

  • Approved moderated activities, such as 
    • Attend approved, in-person courses. 
    • Attend satellite, videoconference, live webcast, live teleconference, video or audio replay. 
  • Approved unmoderated activities, such as pre-recorded audio or video, CD, podcast, CD-ROM, DVD, and self-paced computer-based instruction.

Attorneys must complete their MCLE requirement by December 31.

Yes, you may carry over excess credits to the following reporting cycle. Excess credits in ethics, attorney wellness and diversity and inclusion may be carried over to fulfill the general requirement. Attorneys must still complete the ethics, attorney wellness or diversity and inclusion credits each year.

Newly Admitted Attorneys

Newly admitted Iowa attorneys must complete an approved Basic Skills Course within one year of admission.

CLE Compliance and Reporting

Iowa attorneys must report all credits they have earned during the reporting period by March 1.

Iowa attorneys must log into the Iowa Commission on CLE website to report the credits they have earned.

Resources

Commission on CLE 
State Capital 
Des Moines, IA 50319 
515-697-7874 
[email protected]

Iowa CLE FAQ

Newest Iowa courses

Attorney Professionalism: There’s More to it Than Just Making a Lot of Money and Having a Lot of Clients

by Ken Kula
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An attorney is a professional; and being a good and respected attorney means more than just making lots of money and having lots of clients. It means displaying, encouraging, and garnering reciprocal professionalism. In this introduction to legal professionalism, we cover some of the major temptations, quandaries, and slip ups that attorneys can handle properly if they adhere to a high standard of professionalism. We also review a sample state’s creed on professionalism, as well as a recent ethics - related case before ending with a summary of suggested best practices for maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and avoiding the scrutiny of the local bar’s ethics board.
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Cannabis Conundrum: Weeding Among the Hazy Legal Ethics Lines

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The entrepreneurial cannabis industry requires legal assistance like any other growing, innovative business sector. However, the cannabis industry does not necessarily resemble other evolving start-up business areas. Unlike most other industries, cannabis continues to be a federally designated illegal controlled substance, while various states have legalized cannabis and planted a patchwork garden of cannabis statutes, regulations, and ethics advisory opinions. What’s a lawyer to do? Legal ethics questions abound! What type of legal assistance may a lawyer provide to a client involved in the cannabis industry? May a lawyer accept product or an interest in a cannabis business in lieu of fees? Will a lawyer who participates in a medical marijuana program or indulges in recreational cannabis face ethical repercussions? This course will explore the historical context of the cannabis debate, the legal ethics implications for lawyers seeking to represent cannabis clients, and the current state of the legal profession’s response to legal ethics questions posed by lawyers traipsing through the patchwork garden of state regulations.
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This course provides an advanced overview of criminal mitigation as a key strategic tool for criminal defense lawyers, and reviews various humanizing processes that a criminal law attorney can utilize to better advocate for his or her client. Mr. Silver discusses how the use of psycho-social analysis, which can also impact the factual analysis of the case, can provide a more positive and informed narrative of a client and increase their chances of success in the courtroom. Both experienced and novice lawyers will gain important insight into various criteria to consider and deploy at the pre-sentence or pre-plea stage of representation.
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Introduction to Copyright Law: The Charles Dickens of Law

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Copyright Law can be the Charles Dickens of the law. It can be the best of times; it can be the worst of times. It truly is A Tale of Two Scenarios. If the attorney handling the copyright matter for the client is well prepared, does the initial research, and understands the general principles, it will be the best of times—going from initial application through final issuance and, possibly, victory at trial. If the attorney handling the copyright matter is unprepared, does not conduct sufficient research ahead of time, or does not understand the general principles of copyright law, then it will be the worst of times. The initial application may result in rejection from the U.S. Copyright Office, or the attorney could find himself embroiled in protracted and, ultimately, unsuccessful copyright-infringement litigation. In this introduction to Copyright Law, we cover the basics from application through litigation in an effort to ensure the attorney practices Copyright Law in the best of times.
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