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California attorneys must complete a minimum of 25 credit hours of approved continuing legal education activities every 3 years including at least 4 hours of Ethics, 1 hour of Substance Abuse Prevention and 2 hours of Elimination of Bias. Additionally, at least one of the hours in Elimination of Bias must be an approved Implicit Bias program.
At least 12.5 of the credit hours must be in a "Participatory" format. The remaining hours can be in a self-study format.
**The State Bar of California is implementing changes to the MCLE course requirements effective October 1, 2023. Beginning with the compliance period ending March 29, 2025, licensees will be required to also complete and report compliance on the following new subfields:
Technology in the Practice of Law (one credit)
Civility in the Legal Profession (one credit)
Competence (Increased from one credit to two)
California attorneys may earn all 25 hours with the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education. Our Online and iOS/Android App platforms are automatically deemed participatory and our Audio CDs, DVDs, USB Stick, and MP3/MP4 downloaded courses may also be taken in participatory form as well.
California MCLE rules do not allow carryover. Credit for participating in a CLE activity may not be earned forward from one compliance period to another.
Members are required to comply online under “My State Bar Profile” www.calbar.ca.gov by attesting under penalty of perjury that the member has complied with the education requirement or is exempt and the nature of the exemption. Attorneys who are unable to comply online must contact the State Bar’s Member Services Center 888-800-3400.
State Bar of California
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1639
(t) 415-538-2100
(f) 415-538-2180 mcle.calbar.ca.gov
Estate Planning Retainer Agreements and Engagement Letters
MCLE Courses Available on DVDs, Audio CDs, USB Stick, Online & iOS/Android App!
Ethics Credits
1
$50
About This Course
Retainer agreements (engagement letters) are critical to establish and document the understanding the practitioner has with the client. They are an important step that practitioners can take to identify expected actions and protect practitioners from a myriad of potential issues, or worse, ethical problems or suits. What should practitioners consider including in a retainer agreement? How has technology changed the issues that might be addressed? Are text messages an issue? Why is it important to communicate billing practices? What options are available in doing so? What special precautions might be considered and addressed when representing married couples? Should practitioners consider warning clients about their obligations to the estate planning process? What caveats might practitioners consider inserting into the agreement? When should agreements be revisited? What are the logistics of retention and conflict waiver agreements? Are there benefits to addressing the practitioner’s obligations?
