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 31st
Reporting period: 1 year
Specialty credit requirement: 1 ethics credit
Browse Courses: Ethics
Alaska CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: December 31st
Reporting period: 1 year
Specialty credit requirement: 4 ethics credits
Browse Courses: Ethics
Arkansas CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: June 30th
Reporting period: 1 year
Specialty credit requirement: 1 ethics credit
Browse Courses: Ethics
Arizona CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: June 30th
Reporting period: 1 year
Specialty credit requirement: 3 professional responsibility/ ethics credits
Browse Courses: Ethics
California MCLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: January 31st
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 30th
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 30th
Reporting period: 1 year
Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics credits
Browse Courses: Ethics and Professionalism
Kentucky CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: June 30th
Reporting period: 1 year
Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics
Browse Courses: Ethics
Louisiana CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: December 31st
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:
Browse Courses:
Maryland CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: CLE is recommended, not required
Reporting period:
Browse Courses:
Maine CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: December 31st
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:
Browse Courses:
Minnesota CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: June 30th
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 30th
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 30th
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 30th
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 31st
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 31st
Reporting period: 1 year
Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics or professionalism credits
Browse Courses: Ethics
Nevada CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: December 31st
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 30th
Reporting period: 1 year
Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics credits
Browse Courses: Ethics
South Carolina CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: March 1st
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:
Browse Courses:
Tennessee CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: December 31st
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 30th
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 31st
Reporting period: 1 year
Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics or professional responsibility credits
Browse Courses: Ethics
Vermont CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: June 30th
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 31st
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
Wisconsin CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: December 31st
Reporting period: 2 years based on when admitted
Specialty credit requirement: 3 ethics or professional responsibility credits (must be taken as a live webinar)
Browse Courses: Ethics
West Virginia CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: June 30th
Reporting period: Even years
Specialty credit requirement: 3 ethics, office management, substance abuse, or elimination of bias credits
Browse Courses: Ethics, Elimination of Bias, Substance Abuse, Law Office Management
Wyoming CLE Ethics Requirements
Deadline: December 31st
Reporting period: 1 year
Specialty credit requirement: 2 ethics credits
Browse Courses: Ethics
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