Anaya Nolan
CLE credits are an essential part of legal practice, ensuring attorneys remain competent and up-to-date with legal developments, ethics, and innovations. While CLE requirements vary by jurisdiction, they are generally a minimum requirement to practice law. CLE credits are earned through ongoing training and can be obtained through various methods, including online courses, webinars, legal conferences, and mentorship. Law students and newly admitted attorneys often have different CLE requirements than experienced attorneys, and these requirements may be influenced by previous legal practice in other jurisdictions. This introduction aims to address the topic of CLE credit attainment for law students and how it fits into their legal education and future practice.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| CLE credits for law students | Yes, CLE credits are available for law students in most states with mandatory CLE requirements. |
| CLE credit providers | CLE credit providers include law schools, legal conferences, online courses, webinars, and private state-approved CLE providers. |
| CLE credit activities | CLE credits can be earned through attendance at accredited courses, webinars, legal conferences, volunteering, mentorship, teaching CLE courses, and pro bono work. |
| CLE credit requirements | CLE credit requirements vary by jurisdiction, including the number of credits, reporting period, and due date. For example, in New York, newly admitted attorneys must complete 16 credits annually for the first two years, while experienced attorneys in New York must complete 24 credits every two years. |
| CLE credit exemptions | Exemptions from CLE requirements vary by jurisdiction. In New York, exemptions include attorneys who do not practice law in the state, active members of the U.S. Armed Forces, attorneys with temporary admissions, and retired attorneys. |
| CLE credit tracking | Attorneys are generally responsible for tracking and reporting their own CLE credits, often through attendance logs provided by CLE credit providers. |
What You'll Learn
CLE credit requirements for law students in New York
CLE, or Continuing Legal Education, is an important part of a lawyer's career, helping them stay updated on legal practices, ethics, and developments. While CLE credits are a minimum requirement to practice law in a given jurisdiction, they can also be viewed as an opportunity for ongoing education and staying abreast of changes in the profession.
In New York, CLE credit requirements vary depending on an attorney's experience level. Attorneys admitted to the New York State Bar for two years or fewer are considered "newly admitted attorneys." This category includes those who were practicing law in another jurisdiction before being admitted to the New York Bar, as long as it was for at least five of the seven years immediately preceding admission. Newly admitted attorneys in New York must complete 32 CLE credit hours over their first two years, or 16 credits annually. They must also complete at least 1 CLE credit hour in the "Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Data Protection" category. This requirement can be fulfilled by taking either a general or ethics program or a combination of the two.
Experienced attorneys in New York, on the other hand, have a biennial requirement of 24 CLE credit hours. These credits can be earned in various ways, including through participation in accredited CLE programs, teaching law courses, preparing students for and judging law competitions, and more. Additionally, experienced attorneys can earn up to 6 CLE credit hours in a reporting cycle for participating in a law school competition and up to 12 credits for publications during any one reporting cycle.
It is important to note that CLE requirements can vary by jurisdiction, and attorneys practicing in multiple jurisdictions must fulfill the requirements of each. New York does allow for credit for out-of-state courses as long as they are accredited by New York Approved Jurisdictions.
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CLE credits for pro bono work
CLE credits are an incentive for lawyers to engage in pro bono work, which in turn aids access to justice reforms by providing low-income communities with competent legal representation. The concept of CLE credit for pro bono service was introduced in the early 2000s, and since then, many states have gradually adopted their own rules for pro bono service CLE credits. As of June 2023, nearly half of the U.S. states have implemented rules that allow CLE credit to be provided for pro bono service.
The rules and regulations regarding CLE credits for pro bono work vary across states. For example, the Florida Supreme Court has approved an amendment to Bar rules that allows lawyers to earn one hour of general CLE credit for every hour of pro bono service, up to five credit hours for each three-year reporting cycle. On the other hand, the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board (CLE Board) allows attorneys to earn one CLE skills credit hour for every two 60-minute hours of pro bono legal services, up to ten CLE credits during any two-year reporting cycle. Similarly, the State Bar of Wisconsin also lists pro bono opportunities for lawyers to earn CLE credits.
Some states have specific rules regarding the type of pro bono work that qualifies for CLE credits. For instance, in New York, attorneys can earn CLE credits for pro bono legal services performed for nonprofit clients serving the poor. Additionally, most states designate a list of service providers that pro bono volunteers must work with to receive CLE credit.
To claim CLE credits for pro bono work, attorneys must typically complete an Affirmation of Participation form, describing the services provided and stating the number of hours of pro bono legal service performed. This form is then submitted to the relevant organization, such as the Lawyers Alliance in New York, which will draft a Letter of Participation for the attorney to retain along with their time records as proof of earned CLE credit.
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Online courses for CLE credits
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) is an essential part of a lawyer's professional development. It helps attorneys stay updated with the latest developments in the law and maintain their competency. CLE credits are important as part of a minimum requirement to practice law in a particular jurisdiction. While the requirements vary across jurisdictions, CLE credits generally include attendance at online courses, webinars, and legal conferences.
There are several online platforms that offer CLE courses. For instance, Clio provides CLE-eligible webinars every month, covering topics such as new legal technologies and best practices for running a law firm. These webinars are free and open to everyone. Similarly, CLECenter.com offers accredited online CLE courses for several states, including New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, Florida, and Virginia. They offer a premium subscription with unlimited access to their courses, which can be accessed on any internet-connected device. TRTCLE is another leading provider of online CLE, offering courses that are cross-platform and work with any modern web browser.
In addition to these, many state bar associations and the American Bar Association (ABA) can direct attorneys to private state-approved CLE providers. It is important to note that CLE requirements vary by jurisdiction, and it is the responsibility of the attorney to ensure they are meeting the requirements of their particular state bar. For example, New York has different CLE requirements for newly admitted attorneys (admitted to the bar for two years or less) compared to experienced attorneys. Newly admitted attorneys must complete 16 credits annually over their first two years, while experienced attorneys in New York need 24 credits every two years.
Overall, online CLE courses provide a convenient and flexible way for attorneys to meet their continuing legal education requirements and stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the legal field.
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Legal conferences for CLE credits
Legal conferences are a great way for law students and lawyers to earn CLE credits while also networking and staying updated with the latest industry developments. CLE credits are important as they are a minimum requirement to practice law in your jurisdiction.
The Federal Bar Association (FBA) hosts national conferences throughout the year, with CLE information posted on the event webpage and emailed to attendees in advance. The FBA also offers complimentary live webinars and discounted on-demand CLEs for its members each month, with content from its various sections, divisions, and committees.
The American Conference Institute (ACI) is another accredited CLE sponsor in California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas. ACI offers financial scholarships for government employees, judges, law students, and non-profit entities.
Clio, a company that provides CLE-eligible webinars, published a blog post in 2021 listing the best conferences for lawyers in 2025, including legal CLE conferences. Their recommendations for 2025 include the Clio Cloud Conference, which took place on October 16-17 in Boston, MA, and offered both in-person and virtual tickets.
When choosing a legal conference to attend, it is important to consider your specific goals and interests, as well as the cost, location, and format of the conference. Additionally, it is worth checking with state bar associations and the American Bar Association (ABA) for recommendations and guidance on CLE credits.
It is also important to note that CLE requirements vary by jurisdiction, and the number of credits required, the reporting period, and the time of year the credits are due may differ. For example, in New York, newly admitted attorneys must complete 16 credits annually over their first two years, while experienced attorneys need 24 credits every two years. In California, attorneys must complete 25 CLE hours every three years, with at least half of those hours being "participatory" and the remaining self-study.
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CLE credit requirements for law students in California
In California, CLE (Continuing Legal Education) credits are mandatory for attorneys to ensure they remain up-to-date with the most current laws, ethics requirements, and professional competency. The State Bar of California mandates the requirements for fulfilling the Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) requirements.
According to the California CLE requirements, attorneys must complete 25 CLE hours every three years. Out of the total hours, at least half, which is 12.5 hours, must be dedicated to "participatory" CLE credit, and a maximum of 12.5 hours can be self-study. The "participatory" CLE credit requires signing in at the time of the activity, either physically or electronically, and the CLE provider must keep a record of the signed-in participants.
The CLE credits can be earned through various methods, including attendance at online courses, webinars, legal conferences, and listening to podcasts. Additionally, certain specialty credits can be obtained through OnDemand CLE webinars and "CLEtoGo" podcasts offered by the California Lawyers Association.
The CLE requirements in California also specify the topics that attorneys must cover. These include Legal Ethics, with a minimum requirement of four credit hours, Elimination of Bias, with a minimum of two credit hours, addressing competence, technology in the legal practice, and civility in the legal profession.
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Frequently asked questions
CLE credits are generally for attorneys and law professors to stay up to date with legal practices and developments. Law school professors and instructors are not awarded CLE credit for teaching full or part-time law students.
You are entitled to one hour of CLE credit for every ten minutes of actual instruction.
Yes, you can receive CLE credit for teaching a law school class or a paralegal program.
Yes, lawyers may carry over up to 12 total hours into the next reporting period. However, this does not include Professional Well-Being, Ethics, and Technology credits.
Over 2 years, lawyers must complete 24 hours of CLE, including 4 ethics hours, 1 technology training hour, and 1 professional well-being hour.
