CLE Ethics and Specialty Credits by State

Posted on 04/05/22 By Evan Stiger

Attorneys must renew their license to continue the practice of law. For most states this includes obtaining Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits including ethics or professional responsibility credit.

If CLE requirements are not met, it can mean serious repercussions such as license suspension.

Learn each state’s CLE ethics requirements and deadlines below.

This post was last updated on March 30, 2022.

AL| AK | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT | DE | FL | GA | HI | ID | IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | LA | ME | MD | MA | MI | MN | MS | MO | MT | NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY | NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VT | VA | WA | WV | WI | WY

Alabama CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31^st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 1 ethics credit

Browse Courses: Ethics

Alaska CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31^st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 4 ethics credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

Arkansas CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 1 ethics credit

Browse Courses: Ethics

Arizona CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 3 professional responsibility/ ethics credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

California MCLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: January 31^st

Reporting period: 3 years based on last name

Specialty credit requirement: 4 ethics credits, 1 hour of competence issues and 1 hour of recognition and elimination of bias in the legal profession and society

Browse Courses: Ethics, Elimination of Bias, Competence Issues

Colorado CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 3 years based on when admitted

Specialty credit requirement: 5 ethics credits; 2 EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusivity) credits

Browse Courses: Ethics; Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI)

Connecticut CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 hours of ethics and/or professionalism

Browse Courses: Ethics

Delaware CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 2 years based on when admitted

Specialty credit requirement: 4 ethics credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

Florida Ethics CLER

Deadline: Date issued

Reporting period: 3 years based on when admitted

Specialty credit requirement: 5 ethics, professionalism, or mental illness and 3 technical credits

Browse Courses: Ethics, Substance Abuse, Mental Illness

Georgia CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 1 ethics credit, 1 professionalism credit, and 3 hours of trial practice for trail attorneys only

Browse Courses: Ethics

Hawaii CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 1 ethics credit every 3 years

Browse Courses: Ethics

Iowa CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 1 “traditional” ethics credit and 1 wellness or diversity and inclusion credit

Browse Courses: Ethics, Diversity and Inclusion, Attorney Wellness

Idaho CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 3 years based on when admitted

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics or professional responsibility credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

Illinois CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 2 years based on last name

Specialty credit requirement: 6 professional responsibility credits, including 1 diversity and inclusion credit and 1 mental health or substance abuse credit

Browse Courses: Ethics, Professionalism, Diversity and Inclusion, Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Indiana CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 3 years based on when admitted

Specialty credit requirement: 3 ethics credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

Kansas CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics credits

Browse Courses: Ethics and Professionalism

Kentucky CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics

Browse Courses: Ethics

Louisiana CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31^st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 1 ethics and 1 professionalism credit

Browse Courses: Ethics, Professionalism

Massachusetts CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: CLE is recommended, not required

Reporting period:

Specialty credit requirement:

Browse Courses:

Maryland CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: CLE is recommended, not required

Reporting period:

Specialty credit requirement:

Browse Courses:

Maine CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31^st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 1 live, online ethics or professional responsibility credit and 1 in-person, harassment or discrimination credit

Browse Courses: Ethics

Michigan CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: CLE is recommended, not required

Reporting period:

Specialty credit requirement:

Browse Courses:

Minnesota CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 3 years based on when admitted

Specialty credit requirement: 3 ethics credits and 2 elimination of bias credits

Browse Courses: Ethics, Elimination of Bias

Missouri CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics, professionalism, or malpractice prevention, 1 explicit or implicit bias, diversity, inclusion, or cultural competency credit (must be taken as a live webinar)

Browse Courses: Ethics

Mississippi CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: July 31st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 1 legal ethics, professional responsibility, professionalism, malpractice prevention, substance abuse or mental health credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

Montana CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: April 1st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 hours of ethics or professionalism

Browse Courses: Ethics

North Carolina CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics or professionalism credits, 1 technology training credit, and 1 substance abuse credit

Browse Courses: Ethics, Technology, Substance Abuse

North Dakota CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 3 years based on when admitted

Specialty credit requirement: 3 ethics credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

Nebraska CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics or professional responsibility credits

Browse Courses: Professional Responsibility

New Hampshire MCLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics, professionalism, substance abuse, prevention of malpractice, or attorney-client relations credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

New Jersey CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31^st

Reporting period: 2 years based on birthday

Specialty credit requirement: 5 ethics or professionalism credits, including 2 credits on diversity, inclusion, and elimination of bias

Browse Courses: Ethics; Diversity, Inclusion, Elimination of Bias

New Mexico CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31^st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics or professionalism credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

Nevada CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31^st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics credits and 1 substance abuse credit

Browse Courses: Ethics, Substance Abuse

New York CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: Birth month

Reporting period: 2 years based on when admitted

Specialty credit requirement: 4 ethics and professionalism credits and 1 diversity, inclusion, and elimination of bias credit

Browse Courses: Ethics and Professionalism; Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias

Ohio CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 2 years based on last name

Specialty credit requirement: 2.5 professional development credits

Browse Courses: Professional Conduct

Oklahoma CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 1 ethics credit

Browse Courses: Ethics

Oregon CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31st

Reporting period: 3 years based on when admitted

Specialty credit requirement: 5 ethics or professionalism credits and 1 lawyers’ statutory duty to report child abuse credit. In alternate reporting periods, at least 3 additional elimination of bias credits and 1 mental health and substance use credit

Browse Courses: Ethics, Access to Justice, Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Pennsylvania CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: Based on group assignment (4/30, 8/31, 12/31)

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

Rhode Island CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

South Carolina CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: March 1^st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics or professional responsibility credits. At least once every 3 annual reporting periods, 1 of the 2 specialty hours must be substance abuse or mental health issues credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

South Dakota CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: CLE is recommended, not required

Reporting period:

Specialty credit requirement:

Browse Courses:

Tennessee CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31^st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 3 ethics credits

Browse Courses: Dual

Texas MCLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: Birth month

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 3 ethics or professional development credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

Utah CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 1 ethics credit and 1 professionalism and civility credit

Browse Courses: Ethics, Professionalism and Civility

Virginia CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: October 31^st

Reporting period: 1 year

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics or professional responsibility credits

Browse Courses: Ethics

Vermont CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: June 30^th

Reporting period: 2 years based on when admitted

Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics credits, 1 diversity credit, and 1 wellness credit

Browse Courses: Ethics

Washington CLE Ethics Requirements

Deadline: December 31^st

Reporting period: 3 years based on when admitted

Specialty credit requirement: 6 ethics and professional responsibility credits, including 1 equity, inclusion, and mitigation of bias credit; 15 law and legal procedure credits

Browse Courses: Ethics, Law and Legal, Other