Welcome! This page provides essential information regarding the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) requirements for attorneys in California, as mandated by the State Bar of California.

California MCLE Requirements Overview

California attorneys are required to complete 25 hours of MCLE every three years. These hours must include specific categories to ensure a well-rounded legal education :

• 4 hours in Legal Ethics
• 2 hours in Elimination of Bias, with 1 hour specifically covering Implicit Bias 
• 2 hours in Competence, including 1 hour focused on Prevention and Detection and 1 hour on Wellness Competence
• 1 hour in Technology and the Practice of Law
• 1 hour in Civility in the Legal Profession 
• The remaining 15 hours can be fulfilled through general MCLE courses .

California MCLE Compliance Groups and Deadlines

The State Bar of California assigns attorneys to one of three compliance groups based on the first letter of their last name as it appears on their admit card [5, 6, 9, 10]. Each group has a specific three-year compliance period and a reporting deadline.

• Group 1 (Last Names A-G)
  • Compliance Period: February 1, 2022 – March 30, 2025
  • Reporting Deadline: April 1, 2025
• Group 2 (Last Names H-M)
  • Compliance Period: February 1, 2024 – March 29, 2027 
  • Reporting Deadline: March 30, 2027 
• Group 3 (Last Names N-Z)
  • Compliance Period: February 1, 2023 – March 29, 2026 
  • Reporting Deadline: March 30, 2026 

Attorneys must complete their MCLE requirements within their designated compliance period and submit their credits by the reporting deadline .

Reporting Your California MCLE Compliance

Generally, MCLE providers like LexVid will report your completed credits directly to the State Bar of California for you, often without additional fees.

Special Circumstances

• Newly Admitted Attorneys: New attorneys in California have a reduced MCLE requirement, proportional to the time they have been a member of the bar, as outlined in Rule 2.72(C). You can find the proportional requirement table at the provided link: https://www.calbar.ca.gov/ .
• Inactive or Exempt Attorneys: Attorneys who were inactive or exempt for any part of their CLE cycle are also subject to the same proportional requirement as new attorneys under Rule 2.72(C). The relevant table can be found here: https://www.calbar.ca.gov/ .

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with the MCLE deadline will result in a $75 late fee. You must pay this fine and complete your requirements by June 30th of your deadline year . If you fail to do so, you may need to request an extension or risk disciplinary action.

If you are audited and fail to submit adequate proof of compliance by the stated deadline, a $75 penalty will be issued, along with a 60-day Notice of Non-Compliance. Failure to submit proof and pay the penalty by the final deadline of October 30th will result in being placed on Not Eligible to Practice status effective October 31st of your audit year.

Out-of-State CLE Courses

Attorneys can receive credit for CLE courses taken while physically outside of California, provided the course was accredited by an Approved Jurisdiction. A list of these jurisdictions can be found here: https://www.calbar.ca.gov/.

Calculation of CLE Credit Hours

CLE credit is calculated by rounding the length of the program instruction to the nearest 1/4 hour .

Carry-Over of Excess Credits

According to Rule 2.72(D), attorneys who earn more than 25 hours during a compliance period cannot carry any excess hours forward to the next compliance period.

Participatory vs. Self-Study Credits

All of LexVid’s on-demand programs are considered participatory in California. While you can fulfill your entire MCLE requirement with participatory credits], you can earn up to a maximum of 12.5 self-study credits. Self-study activities include completing non-verified MCLE programs, taking self-test exams, and participating in activities where attendance isn’t verified.

Record Keeping

Attorneys are required to maintain their records of CLE program attendance for one year from the time compliance is reported in case of an audit. If you use LexVid, all of your certificates can be found at lexvid.com/secure/completed/california-mcle.

MCLE Audits

The California Bar will notify you via mail and email if your MCLE compliance is being audited [16, 24]. If audited, you will need to log into your State Bar Profile and complete the online MCLE Summary Log. You will then need to email your certificates of compliance as a single PDF attachment to auditsubmission@calbar.ca.gov, referencing your bar number in the subject line. You can download all your LexVid certificates at once as a ZIP file at lexvid.com/secure/completed/california-mcle.

Definition of Experienced Attorney

In California, attorneys are considered “experienced” if they actively practice law after fulfilling their New Admission requirements.

Alternative Ways to Earn MCLE Credit for Experienced Attorneys

Experienced attorneys in California have several alternative methods to earn MCLE credit:

• Self-Study: Up to 12.5 credits can be earned through non-verified programs, self-tests, and activities without verified attendance.
• Legal Writing: Credit can be received for authoring or co-authoring published legal materials that contribute to legal education.
• Teaching Law School Courses: Teaching a law school class approved by the California Bar Association can earn credit, calculated by multiplying the course units by 12 (e.g., a 2-unit class qualifies for 24 hours of MCLE credit).
• Teaching CLE Activities: Attorneys who teach or speak at approved CLE activities can earn credit. For first-time presentations, speakers receive four times the actual speaking time; repeat presentations only qualify for the actual speaking time.
• Pro Bono Service: While the provided text mentions the Florida Supreme Court allowing CLE credit for pro bono work, up to five credits per three-year cycle , it’s important to verify with the California State Bar whether a similar provision exists in California, as this information was provided in the context of Florida’s rules.

Contact the California MCLE Board

For further questions, you can contact the State Bar of California MCLE Department:

We hope this information is helpful in understanding your California MCLE requirements. Please refer to the official website of the State Bar of California for the most up-to-date rules and regulations.