West Virginia CLE Requirements

In West Virginia, active status attorneys must complete 24.00 CLE credits (including 3.00 Ethics which may include Legal Ethics, Office Management, Attorney Well-Being, and/or Elimination of Bias) every 2 years to maintain good standing with the West Virginia State Bar.

West Virginia attorneys must complete all 24.00 required credits by June 30 and report their CLE credits by July 1 every even-numbered year.

The West Virginia CLE reporting period is 2 years and ends on June 30 of even-numbered years for all attorneys.

NBI reports your credit to the West Virginia MCLE Commission.

To confirm credits that have been submitted and to add them to your transcript, view the “Awaiting your approval” section at the bottom of your transcript at the West Virginia State Bar Membership Portal.

Experienced attorneys can fulfill their West Virginia CLE requirement by completing courses approved and accredited by the West Virginia MCLE Commission. Examples of accepted course formats include:

Live CLE (Minimum 12.00 Hours)

• Interactive Webcast
• In Person Courses

Pre-Recorded (Maximum 12.00 Hours)

• OnDemand

You may carry over 6.00 CLE credits to the next reporting period. You may not carry over any credits in ethics, office management, attorney well-being, or elimination of bias in the legal profession.

You may earn a maximum of 12.00 CLE credits with pre-recorded courses or in-house activities.

West Virginia attorneys must complete 3.00 ethics credits every reporting period (2 years) which may include ethics, office management, attorney well-being, and/or elimination of bias in the legal profession.

No. In-program attendance verification is not required.

• State Contact Information:
  • Address: The West Virginia State Bar, 2000 Deitrick Boulevard, Charleston, WV 25311-1231
  • Phone Number: (304) 553-7220, Toll Free: 866-989-8227
  • Website: https://wvbar.org/

• West Virginia CLE Rules and Helpful Resources
  • West Virginia CLE Rules
  • List of Approved CLE Providers
  • Tips for CLE Credit Submission

All new attorneys must complete a mandatory Bridge the Gap program within 24 months of admission to the West Virginia State Bar. Bridge the Gap courses can be used to satisfy CLE requirements.

If you are admitted to the West Virginia State Bar in the first 12 months of the 2-year reporting period, you must complete 12.00 CLE credits by the end of the reporting period. Those credits must include 3.00 credits in ethics, office management, attorney well-being, or elimination of bias in the legal profession.

If you are admitted in the second 12 months of the reporting period, you are exempt for that reporting period.

If you are admitted to the West Virginia State Bar in the first 12 months of the 2-year reporting period, you must complete 12.00 CLE credits by the end of the reporting period. Those credits must include 3.00 credits in ethics, office management, attorney well-being, or elimination of bias in the legal profession. If you are admitted in the second 12 months of the reporting period, you are exempt for that reporting period. Examples of accepted course formats include:

Live CLE

• Interactive Webcast
• In Person Courses

Pre-Recorded

• OnDemand

All new attorneys must complete a mandatory Bridge the Gap program within 24 months of admission to the West Virginia State Bar. Bridge the Gap courses can be used to satisfy CLE requirements.

Yes.If you are exempt from West Virginia CLE reporting requirements during your first year of practice because you were admitted in the second 12 months of the reporting period, any CLE credit you earn during that time (after admission) can be carried over to your first reporting period.

If you were admitted in the first 12 months of the reporting period and earn more than the 12.00 required CLE credits for your first reporting period, any CLE credits earned (after admission) may be carried over to the next reporting period.

The reporting period for all West Virginia attorneys ends June 30 in even-numbered years. If you are admitted to the West Virginia State Bar during the first 12 months of the reporting period, your reporting period ends on June 30 of the first even-numbered year after you were admitted.

If you were admitted to the West Virginia State Bar during the second 12 months of the reporting period, you are exempt from that reporting period. Your first reporting period begins on the first July 1 after your date of admission to the bar and ends on June 30, two years later.

Yes. New West Virginia attorneys must complete a Bridge the Gap program within 24 months of the date they were admitted to the West Virginia State Bar. The Bridge the Gap program is sponsored by the West Virginia State Bar and is offered twice a year.