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Washington CLE Requirements

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

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Washington CLE Requirements - General Information

General Information
CLE credit requirement45 credits every 3 years
Categories

24 Any category

15 Law and legal procedure

6 Ethics

CLE Compliance deadline

COVID-19 Update: The Supreme Court of Washington has extended the reporting period for those in Group 2 (reporting period 2018-2020) to December 31, 2021. The next reporting period will be a shortened two year reporting period: 2022-2023. The order allows for the additional 15 carryover credits (30 total carryover credits, up to 4 of which may be ethics) to be earned in the extended reporting period.


December 31

CLE Reporting deadline

COVID-19 Update: The Supreme Court of Washington has extended the reporting deadline for those in Group 2 (reporting period 2018-2020) to February 1, 2022.


February 1

Approved Quimbee formats

Quimbee CLE courses for Washington attorneys are coming soon. Click here to be notified via email.


On-demand

Carryover

15 credits, including 2 ethics credits

CLE reporting instructions

Washington attorneys self-report attendance using the MCLE Online System.

Washington CLE Requirements

Washington attorneys must complete 45 credits, including 15 law and legal procedure credits and 6 ethics credits, every 3 years.

Quimbee CLE courses for Washington attorneys are coming soon. Click here to be notified via email.

Washington attorneys can complete all 45 credits through Quimbee’s on-demand courses.

  • Attend approved, live CLE courses.

  • Attend bar review courses for jurisdictions other than Washington.

  • Attend law school courses.

  • Teach an approved CLE course.

  • Publish legal writing.

  • Teach law school classes.

  • Perform pro bono services.

  • Participate in a mentoring program.

  • Judge and prepare students for moot court, mock trials, and recognized competitions.

COVID-19 Update: The Supreme Court of Washington has extended the reporting period for those in Group 2 (reporting period 2018-2020) to December 31, 2021. The next reporting period will be a shortened two year reporting period: 2022-2023. The order allows for the additional 15 carryover credits (30 total carryover credits, up to 4 of which may be ethics) to be earned in the extended reporting period.


Washington attorneys must complete their requirements by December 31 of their reporting year.

  • Group 1 (2020-2022)

  • Group 2 (2018-2020)

  • Group 3 (2019-2021)

Yes, up to 15 credits, including 2 ethics credits, may be carried over to the following reporting cycle.

Newly Admitted Attorneys

Newly admitted Washington attorneys are exempt from the CLE requirement during the calendar year in which they are admitted.

CLE Compliance and Reporting

COVID-19 Update: The Supreme Court of Washington has extended the reporting deadline for those in Group 2 (reporting period 2018-2020) to February 1, 2022.


Washington attorneys must report CLE credits by February 1 following their reporting year.

Washington attorneys must self-report their attendance using the MCLE Online System.

Resources

WA State Board of CLE 

2101 Fourth Avenue, 4th Floor 

Seattle, WA 98121-2330 

206-733-5987

WA MCLE Rules

WA MCLE Info for sponsors

Newest Washington courses

Stress, Competence, and the Seven Elements of Self

by Jason Potter
On demand
1h 3m 43s
Stress can cause serious harm to one’s health, or even death. Approximately 120,000 people die every year as a direct result of work-related stress, and over 75% of physician visits pertain to stress-related issues. Over the years, stress has been normalized in the legal ecosystem, with success and achievement outweighing balance and wellbeing. Chronic stress can have a dangerous impact on attorney wellbeing and competence to practice law, but there’s a movement within the profession to change all that. In this presentation, we’ll take a humorous look at stress and burnout in the context of attorney competence and explore the concept of attorney wellbeing. We’ll then use a self-mastery framework called the “Elements of Self” to explore individual techniques and practices for reducing stress, achieving wellbeing, and maintaining competence.
Buy this course - $49

A Primer on Excessive Force and the Fourth Amendment

by Jason Potter
On demand
1h 0m 37s
All police must comply with the U.S. Constitution. When they don’t, the harm police cause is unjustified, and its impact can be far reaching. In this presentation, we introduce you to the major issues that arise in representing people harmed by police during an “arrest, investigatory stop, or other seizure.” We will take a practical look at the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable seizures, and the primary vehicle for addressing excessive police force—42 U.S.C. § 1983. In doing so, we will explore Fourth Amendment excessive force caselaw, including the doctrine of qualified immunity, and touch on the hot topic of police bodycams.
Buy this course - $49

Ethics. Writing. Tacos.

by Jason Potter
On demand
1h 3m 48s
Legal writing is perhaps the most important tool of the legal profession. Nonetheless, attorneys regularly violate ethical duties in their writing, and those violations go undetected. Systemic unethical legal writing impacts the entire legal profession, as well as those we serve and the community in which we practice. In this presentation, we examine seven common ethical issues in legal research, writing, and advocacy in the context of litigation. We examine the ethical duties of competence, diligence, and candor as embodied in the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. And how do tacos factor in? Well, you’ll just have to see—it just might guac your world!
Buy this course - $49

Fighting BAC: Defending Breath Test Prosecutions

by Jason Potter
On demand
1h 3m 12s
Over the past several years, there has been a trend toward scrutinizing DWI breath test technology. In a 2019 investigative study, the New York Times discovered what DWI attorneys have known for a long time: that breath tests are “often unreliable.” In this presentation, we will explore some foundational issues in defending a “breath test” prosecution. Core concepts will include Henry’s Law, Beer’s law, and the variable of temperature. This presentation isn’t meant to make you an expert in the area, but it will introduce you to some core issues involved in beating bad breath.
Buy this course - $49
See all Washington courses