California CLE Requirements

To meet the California CLE requirements, attorneys must complete 25 credit hours per reporting period.

California requires 4 hours of ethics, 1 hour of competency issues, and 2 hours of elimination of bias (including at least 1 hour of implicit bias) per reporting period.

The deadline is January 31 at the end of each three-year reporting period.

California attorneys are divided into three compliance groups based on their last name: Group 1 (A-G), Group 2 (H-M), and Group 3 (N-Z), each with a three-year compliance cycle.

Yes, California allows all 25 CLE credit hours to be completed through approved online participatory programs, including live webcasts and interactive, previously recorded courses.

Newly admitted attorneys in California must complete a 10-hour New Attorney Training program, which counts towards their general CLE requirement.

Attorneys who cannot meet the CLE deadline may apply for an extension or compliance plan, which must be filed before the deadline at the California State Bar.

Yes, the California Bar requires additional credit types beyond general and ethics credits. California attorneys must complete at least four hours of ethics credits every three years and one hour focused on competence issues, including topics like mental health and substance abuse. Additionally, they must complete two hours on eliminating bias.

Seek out CLE courses focusing on recent legal reforms, technology impact on law practice, and future trends. These courses can provide critical insights and keep you ahead in your field.

They can consult their state bar association's website, CLE accreditation bodies, or private CLE providers that offer courses tailored to specific legal disciplines such as tax law, environmental law, or intellectual property.

Yes, many CLE providers offer courses specifically designed to address recent changes in the law, including new legislation, landmark court decisions, and evolving legal theories to keep practitioners current.