Frequently Asked Questions
National Academy of Continuing Legal Education is a CLE provider accredited by the California State Bar, Provider #11481. You can find our CLE provider listing on the California Bar website at: http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/cert_detail.aspx?PID=11481&SpecCode=.
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 attorneys are assigned a compliance group based on the first letter of their last name.
- Attorneys with last names beginning with A-G are assigned to Group 1 whose current compliance period is 2/1/2022-3/29/2025
- Attorneys with last names beginning with H-M are assigned to Group 2 whose current compliance period is 2/1/2024-3/29/2027
- Attorneys with last names beginning with N-Z are assigned to Group 3 whose current compliance period is 2/1/2023-3/29/2026
The deadline to report your compliance is on 3/30, one day after your compliance deadline.
California attorneys are assigned to a compliance group only once and always remain in that same group, even if the member subsequently changes his/her last name.
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.
The State Bar of California has increased its Elimination of Bias requirement from one credit to two, with one credit focusing on Implicit Bias. California attorneys are still required to take a minimum of 25 total credits. This rule goes into effect starting with attorneys whose compliance period ends on 1/31/23.
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)
*The State Bar of California Board of Trustees has approved AB 3279 which includes changes to the MCLE compliance deadlines. Last names A-G: Extended to a single 38-month cycle ending March 29, 2025. Report deadline: March 29, 2025. Compliance groups 2 and 3: Extended to a single 38-month cycle ending March 29, 2026, or 2027. Report deadline: March 30. After the single 38-month cycle, each group returns to a standard 36-month cycle starting March 30 of their respective year and ending the day before the deadline 36 months later.
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.
California Paralegals are required to complete 4 hours of continuing legal education in legal ethics and 4 additional hours in general law or in an area of specialized law every 2 years. CA LDAs and UDAs are required to take 15 CLE credits every 2 years. CA paralegals can take any of our courses to satisfy their MCLE requirement.
State Bar of California
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1639
(t) 415-538-2100
(f) 415-538-2180
mcle.calbar.ca.gov
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