Summary of Continuing Legal Education Required in States

The following jurisdictions (43) require lawyers to take continuing legal education (CLE) courses  to practice law in the state.

Alabama -  Two year reporting period with 24 credits of approved CLE including 2 ethics credits per reporting period

Alaska - 12 hrs. per calendar year. Reporting date: December 31.

Arizona - 15 hrs. Per calendar year including 3 hrs. ethics/professional responsibility, professionalism, substance abuse, or ADR. Reporting date: September 15.

Arkansas - 12 hrs. Per year including 1 hour of legal ethics. Reporting date: June 30.

California - 25 hrs. over 3-year period including 4 hrs. of legal ethics; 1 hr. substance abuse and 1 hr. elimination of bias in the profession. Reporting date: January 31.

Colorado - 45 hrs. over 3-year period including 7 hrs. legal ethics, professionalism. Reporting date: anytime within 3 year period.

Delaware - 24 hrs. over 2-year period including 4 hrs. Enhanced Ethics, Fundamentals of Law 3-day series for new admittees (within 4yrs of admission) Reporting date: December 31.

Florida - 30 hrs. over 3-year period including 5hrs. legal ethics, professionalism, substance abuse, or mental illness awareness; basic skills course for newly admitted attorneys. Reporting date: assigned month every 3 years.

Georgia - 12 hrs. per year including 1 hr. legal ethics, professionalism, basic skills within 1st 2 yrs., ADR 3 hrs. one time only. Reporting date: January 31.

Idaho - 30 hrs. over 3-year period including 2 hrs. legal ethics, basic skills course for new admittees. Reporting date: every 3rd year..

Illinois - 20 hrs. for first two years.  24 hrs. for the subsequent reporting years. 4  hours professionalism, diversity issues, mental illness and addiction issues, civility, or legal ethics. Reporting date: June 30.

Indiana - 36 hrs. over 3 calendar year period with 6 hr. minimum per year including 3 hrs. legal ethics. Reporting date: December 31.

Iowa - 15 hrs. per calendar year including 2 hrs. legal ethics every 2 years. Reporting date: March 1.

Kansas

12 hrs. per year including 2 hrs. legal ethics. Reporting date: 30 days after program.

Kentucky

12.50 hrs. per year including 2 hrs. legal ethics, new lawyer skills training within 12 mos. of admission. Reporting date: June 30.

Louisiana -12.50 hrs per year including 1 hr ethics and 1 hr professionalism. Newly admitted attorneys need 12.50 hrs including 8 hrs ethics, professionalism or law practice management. CLE Completion deadline: December 31. Reporting date January 31.

Maine - 11 hours per year including 1 hour ethics/professional responsibility. Reporting date: Annually with registration statement.

Minnesota - 45 hrs. over 3-year period, 3 hrs. legal ethics, 2 hrs. elimination of bias required, maximum of 6 hrs. law office management. Reporting date: August 30.

Mississippi - 12 hrs. per year including 1 hr. legal ethics, professional responsibility, or malpractice prevention each year. Reporting date: July 31.

Missouri - 15 hours per year including 3 hrs. ethics every 3 years, new admittees 3 hrs. professionalism, legal/judicial ethics within 12 mos. Reporting date: July 31.

Montana - 15 hrs. per year. Reporting date: March 1.

Nevada - 12 hrs. per year of which 2 must be in ethics. Reporting date: March 1.

New Hampshire - 12 hrs. per year/at least 6 from out of the office live programs, including 2 hrs legal ethics/professionalism, or substance abuse. Reporting date:August 1.

New Mexico - 12 hours per year including one (1) hr ethics, one (1) credit must be professionalism. Reporting date: December 31st each year.

New York - Newly Admitted Attorneys: Practicing less than 2 years in NY (or less than 5 years in another jurisdiction immediately preceding admission to the NY Bar.)  32 hrs. "transitional" education within the first two years admission to the Bar. 16 hrs. completed each year including 3 hrs ethics/professionalism, 6 hrs. practical skills, 7 hrs. practice management and areas of professional practice. Experienced Attorneys:  24 hrs. over two year period including 4 hrs. ethics/professionalism. All attorneys report every two years from the time admitted to the bar.

North Carolina - 12 hrs. per year including 2 hrs. ethics, 9 of the 12 hrs. in practical skills during first 3 yrs. of admission, and 1 hr. substance abuse or debilitating mental conditions every 3 yrs. Reporting date: February 28.

North Dakota - 45 hrs. over 3-year period, 3 hrs. ethics every 3 yrs. Reporting date: June 30.

Ohio - 24 hrs. every two years including 2 hr. of ethics based on the Code of Professional Responsibility, 1 hr of professionalism based on A Lawyer’s Creed and A Lawyer’s Aspirational Ideals and thirty minutes of substance abuse education that includes a discussion of prevention, detection, causes and treatment alternatives. Reporting dates is January 31 every two years determined alphabetically

Oklahoma - 12 hrs. per year including 1 hr. ethics. Reporting date: February 15.

Oregon - 45 hrs. over 3-year period including 6 hrs. ethics, 1 of those 6 hrs. on child abuse reporting, 3 of the general hours on racial and ethnic issues, gender fairness, disability issues, and access to justice. New admittees-15 hrs. of which 10 must be in practical skills and 2 hrs. in ethics. Reporting date: December 31st every 3 years.

Pennsylvania 12 hrs. per year for all 3 compliance groups. 1 hr. ethics, professionalism, or substance abuse and a minimum of 11 hrs. of substantive law, practice and procedure, CLE crs. for ethics, professionalism, or substance abuse may be applied to any substantive law, practice and procedure requirement.  Reporting date: 30 days after program.

Puerto Rico - 24 credit hours of continuing legal education per compliance period.

Rhode Island - 10 hrs. per year including 2 hrs. ethics. Reporting date: June 30.

South Carolina - 14 hrs. per year including 2 hrs. ethics/professional responsibility each reporting period. Reporting date: March 1.

Tennessee - 15 hrs. per year. Including 3 hrs. ethics/professionalism. Reporting date: March 1.

Texas - 15 hrs. per year including 3 hrs. legal ethics. Reporting date: last day of birth month.

Utah - 27 hrs. every 2-years including 3 hrs. ethics each reporting period . Reporting date: end of second year compliance period.

Vermont - 20 hrs. every  2-yrs. including 2 hrs. ethics .Reporting date: July 15.

Virginia - 12 hrs. per year including 2 hrs. ethics each reporting period. Reporting date: December 15.

Washington - 45 hrs. over 3 yrs. including 6 hrs. ethics, professional responsibility, professionalism, anti-bias and diversity. Reporting date: January 31.

West Virginia - 24 hrs. over 2-yrs. including 3 hrs. ethics or office management or substance abuse per cycle. Reporting date: June 30 every 2 yrs.

Wisconsin - 30 hrs. over 2-yrs. including 3 hrs. ethics and professional responsibility. Reporting date: December 31st every other year.

Wyoming  - 15 hrs. per year including 1 hr. ethics. Reporting date: January 30.