CLE Requirements by State

Overview

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) is required for attorneys to maintain their licenses in most U.S. jurisdictions. Requirements vary significantly by state.

Key variables include:

• Total hours required per reporting period
• Ethics/professional responsibility requirements
• Reporting periods (annual, biennial, triennial)
• Carryover rules for excess credits
• New attorney requirements

Common Requirements

Most states require 12-15 CLE hours per year with 1-4 hours of ethics. Common patterns:

Annual Requirements (12-15 hours/year)

States like New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois require annual compliance.

Biennial Requirements (20-30 hours/2 years)

States like California, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey use two-year cycles.

Triennial Requirements (30-45 hours/3 years)

Some states like Washington use three-year cycles.

No CLE Requirements

A few states (Michigan, South Dakota, Massachusetts) don't mandate CLE, though it's still recommended.

Requirements by State

Selected state requirements (always verify with your state bar):

California

25 hours every 3 years, including 4 hours legal ethics, 1 hour elimination of bias, 1 hour competence issues.

New York

24 hours every 2 years, including 4 hours ethics, 1 hour diversity, 1 hour cybersecurity. Newly admitted: 32 hours in first 2 years.

Texas

15 hours per year, including 3 hours ethics.

Florida

33 hours every 3 years, including 5 hours ethics, 5 hours technology, 3 hours mental health/substance abuse.

Illinois

30 hours every 2 years, including 6 hours professional responsibility (4 ethics, 2 professionalism).

Pennsylvania

12 hours per year, including 2 hours ethics.

Compliance Tips

• Track early: Don't wait until the deadline approaches
• Know your deadlines: Set calendar reminders
• Keep certificates: Maintain records even if not required
• Check accreditation: Ensure courses are approved for your state
• Consider unlimited passes: All-access passes make compliance easy