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New Jersey CLE Requirements

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

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New Jersey CLE Requirements - General Information

General Information
CLE credit requirement

24 credits every 2 years

Categories

19 General

5 Ethics (2 must be Diversity, inclusion, and elimination of bias)

CLE Compliance deadline

December 31

CLE Reporting deadline

December 31

Approved Quimbee formats

COVID-19 Update: Until further notice, attorneys may complete all credits through alternative verifiable learning formats, including on-demand courses.


On-demand, up to 12 credits


Carryover

12 credits

CLE reporting instructions

New Jersey is a self-reporting jurisdiction and Quimbee does not report your completed courses to the Supreme Court of New Jersey Board on Continuing Legal Education. Quimbee on-demand courses are considered alternative verifiable learning format courses. You are limited to 12 AVL credits per reporting cycle. Please retain your certificate as proof of your attendance. You may also access your certificates from our website at any time.

COVID-19 Update: Until further notice, all 24 credits may be earned through alternative verifiable formats.

New Jersey CLE Requirements

New Jersey-licensed attorneys must complete 24 credits, including 5 ethics credits every two years. At least 2 out of the 5 required ethics credits must be in diversity, inclusion, and elimination of bias.

COVID-19 Update: Due to the Covid-19 crisis, the New Jersey Board on Continuing Legal Education has relaxed the live, in-person requirement and attorneys may earn all 24 credits through alternative verifiable formats until further notice.


New Jersey attorneys may complete up to 12 credits through Quimbee’s on-demand courses.

  • Attend live, in-person approved courses.
  • Complete alternate verifiable learning (AVL) format courses. AVL courses include videotape, audiotape, remote-place viewing, on-line Internet computer presentations, webinars, webcasts, podcasts, satellite simulcasts, teleconferences, videoconferences, and Internet computer self-study.
  • Teach an accredited CLE course. Attorneys who teach can earn twice the credit for the amount of time spent teaching.
  • Participate in an Inns of Court program. Attorneys participating as masters, barristers or pupils in Inns of Court programs can earn 1 credit for each hour of participation.

Each New Jersey attorney is assigned to one of two compliance groups:

  • Group 1 (birthday during January 1 through June 30). Attorneys in Group 1 are required to complete their MCLE credits by December 31 in odd-numbered years.
  • Group 2 (birthday during July 1 through December 31). Attorneys in Group 2 are required to complete their MCLE credits by December 31 in even-numbered years.

Yes, attorneys can carry over up to 12 credits into the following reporting cycle.

Newly Admitted Attorneys

New attorneys’ first compliance period begins January 1 of the year immediately following admission to the New Jersey Bar. Newly admitted attorneys will automatically be assigned to a compliance group based on their birthdays.

During their first full two-year compliance period, newly admitted attorneys must complete 15 of the 24 credit hours in five of the following nine subject areas: NJ basic estate administration; NJ basic estate planning; NJ civil or criminal trial preparation; NJ family law practice; NJ real estate closing procedures; NJ trust and business accounting; NJ landlord/tenant practice; NJ municipal court practice; and NJ law-office management.

CLE Compliance and Reporting

Each New Jersey attorney is assigned to one of two reporting groups:

  • Group 1 (birthday during January 1 through June 30). Attorneys in Group 1 are required to complete their credits by December 31 in odd-numbered years and certify their compliance on their Annual Attorney Registration and Billing Statement the following year.
  • Group 2 (birthday during July 1 through December 31). Attorneys in Group 2 are required to complete their credits by December 31 in even-numbered years and certify their compliance on their Annual Attorney Registration and Billing Statement the following year.

New Jersey attorneys certify their compliance on their Annual Attorney Registration and Billing Statement. Group 1 certifies compliance in even-numbered years and Group 2 certifies compliance in odd-numbered years.

The New Jersey Board on Continuing Legal Education will conduct random audits to monitor compliance.


Resources

Supreme Court of New Jersey Board on Continuing Legal Education 

Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex 

25 Market Street, 8th Floor, North Wing 

Trenton, NJ 08625-0965 

609-815-2930  

[email protected]

New Jersey CLE Board Regulations

New Jersey CLE FAQ

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