MCLE Information

MCLE Compliance Rules

Attorneys, including those who are Exempt, are required to report compliance to the State Bar through My State Bar Profile to verify that they have complied with their MCLE requirement. California’s attorney membership is divided into three compliance groups. Compliance periods for the three groups are staggered, so that each group reports compliance in a different year. Compliance periods are 36 months (three years) in length. Reporting deadlines for each compliance group are listed below.

Minimum Continuing Legal Education

• Total hours required every three years: 25 hours
• Maximum “self-study” hours: 12.5 hours
• Members must fulfill at least one-half of their MCLE requirement with activities approved for “participatory” MCLE credit.

Special Requirements within the total hours required (may be taken as participatory or self-study):

• Legal Ethics: 4 hours (required)
• Detection/Prevention of Substance Abuse or Mental Illness: 1 hour (required)
• Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession: 1 hour (required)

GROUP 1 (A-G)
Period: 2/1/19 – 1/31/22
Deadline: Feb. 1, 2022

GROUP 2 (H-M)
Period: 2/1/18 – 1/31/21
Deadline: Feb. 1, 2021

GROUP 3 (N-Z)
Period: 2/1/17 – 1/31/20
Deadline: Feb. 3, 2020

Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) refers to the approved continuing legal education required of California attorneys.

Attorneys are required to complete a total of 25 hours of approved credit every three years. Go to https://mcle.calbar.ca.gov/Attorneys/Requirements.aspx for credit details, exemptions and modified requirements.  To ensure that lawyers receive quality legal education, the State Bar approves MCLE Providers and education activities.

MCLE Requirements In Other States