CLE Credits: 6 Questions Answered

Legal education doesn’t end with law school. Though law school lays the foundational knowledge attorneys need to represent their clients, it isn’t enough to keep up with legal developments as lawyers progress throughout their careers. This is where Continuing Legal Education, or CLE, comes into play.

Most jurisdictions mandate that attorneys must keep up to date with legal education throughout their careers. This benefits their clients and the legal community at large. They must complete a certain number of credit hours per reporting period to keep their law license in good standing. Assuming an average career length of 42 years and a 12 credit hour yearly requirement, an attorney will earn 504 Continuing Legal Education credits in their lifetime. This far outstrips the 83 credits they earn in law school.

No matter if you are considering becoming an attorney or have been in practice for decades, here are 6 answers to common questions about CLE credits that you shouldn’t forget.

1. What Are CLE Credits?

At their simplest, CLE credits are units of education attorneys earn by participating in approved legal education activities. These credits are approved by most state bar associations to ensure attorneys remain competent in their practice areas while staying updated on the latest legal developments in their practice areas. CLE program topics are as varied as legal practice. They can cover legal ethics and professionalism, practice area specifics, or legal topics relevant to the betterment of society.

This is all well and good, but what exactly is CLE credit? It is formal recognition of ongoing legal education attorneys need to maintain their licensure. These credits are earned by attending live in-person courses, live online webinars, on demand courses, and other training sessions that meet specific educational criteria identified by state bar associations.

Why are CLE credits mandatory? Most jurisdictions require attorneys to complete a specific number of CLE credits annually, biannually, or triennially. These requirements are in place for several reasons:

• Maintaining Competency: If there is one constant with the law, it’s that it is always changing. CLE ensures attorneys remain up to date on legal developments, case law, and statutory updates.
• Promoting Ethical Practice: Most jurisdictions require attorneys to complete ethics-specific CLE courses. The purpose of these courses is to ensure attorneys make ethical decisions, maintain client confidentiality, and uphold professional responsibility.
• Adapting to New Trends: The legal profession is rapidly changing, especially when AI and other technologies is factored in. CLE courses help attorneys adapt to these changes to ensure they provide competent representation to their clients.
• Protecting the Public: Ongoing education mitigates harm to the public from attorneys who may provide outdated or inadequate counsel. CLE better ensures legal counsel remains competent and up to date.

2. Why do CLE Credits Matter for Attorneys?

   • Maintaining Legal Knowledge

Court decisions, legislative changes, and regulatory updates all mean that the law is constantly changing. CLE credits ensure attorneys take the time out of their busy practices to keep up to date with these changes. CLE courses ensure attorneys continue to competently represent and advise their clients. This reduces malpractice risks and ensures attorneys maintain their licensure, in addition to protecting the public from outdated legal guidance.

• Fulfilling Professional Responsibilities and Ethical Obligations

A certain portion of CLE credits in most states are dedicated to the ethical and professional responsibilities attorneys must maintain as part of the obligations they have to their clients. These courses cover conflicts of interest, attorney-client privilege, and other key portions of the attorney ethical canon.

• Career Growth and Specialization

The opportunity to earn CLE credits isn’t just an obligation – it’s an opportunity for career growth. CLE allows attorneys to specialize in emerging practice areas, switch practice areas, or learn more about niche practices. This knowledge allows them to remain competitive in a packed marketplace and remain valuable to their clients.

3. How do Attorneys Earn CLE Credits?

   • CLE Course Formats

When it comes to earning CLE credits, attorneys have multiple options. Courses are available in several formats, allowing attorneys to fit continuing legal education into their busy schedules. These formats include:

• In-Person Seminars: These are traditional live events where attorneys gather to learn from legal experts. While these are only required in some states, many attorneys prefer them for networking.
• Live Webinars: These courses allow attorneys the flexibility to learn from anywhere while still being able to ask questions and engage with presenters.
• On Demand Courses: These pre-recorded sessions allow attorneys to access CLE at any time, making it easier than ever to fit training into busy schedules.
• CLE Accredited Podcasts: NBI offers fully-accredited podcasts that allow attorneys to earn their credit while commuting or during downtime.

• CLE Providers

Much like CLE courses, not all CLE providers are equal. Though a provider may be accredited, this doesn’t mean their courses provide maximum educational value. Seek out a provider with decades of experience in the CLE marketplace, such as NBI.

4. How do State CLE Requirements Differ?

   • Requirements Vary by Jurisdiction

When it comes to CLE compliance, one of the most challenging aspects is that requirements vary by state, and sometime significantly. Some states allow attorneys to take on demand courses to fulfil their requirements. Others require a certain number of credit hours to be in the form of live webinars. Still others require in-person seminars.

Some states require a certain number of credit hours to be completed every year, while others require attorneys to fulfill their requirements in a two year or three-year period. Many states have special requirements for newly admitted attorneys above and beyond standard CLE obligations. A few states have done away with CLE requirements entirely, leaving professional development up to attorneys.

• CLE Reporting

Most jurisdictions require attorneys to report their CLE credit to the state bar or similar licensing authority. This is typically done through an online portal. If attorneys do not complete their CLE requirements or otherwise fail to report to the board, their license may be suspended. Depending on the jurisdiction, getting reinstated can be onerous.

5. What Topics Do CLE Credits Cover?

   • Diverse Subject Matter

Attorneys can generally pick topics that interest them and inform their practice. Many state CLE boards have special requirements for topics related to ethics and other areas. Topics CLE courses can cover include:

• Core Legal Topics: These courses cover a wide range of practice areas, allowing attorneys to tailor their CLE credit requirements to their specific area of practice.
• Ethics and Professionalism: most states require a portion of credit hour requirements to be devoted to upholding ethical standards in the legal profession.
• Technology: Certain states, such as New York and California, require attorneys to take a certain number of credits in topics related to proper use of technology.
• Elimination of Bias: Some jurisdictions, such as New Jersey and Minnesota, require attorneys to take courses on the elimination of bias.

6. How Do CLE Credits Benefit Attorneys Beyond Compliance?

   • Strengthening Legal Knowledge: The law is ever-changing, and attorneys need to be attuned to the most recent developments if they want to provide top-notch representation to their clients. CLE courses condense this knowledge into manageable chunks and assemble knowledge in one convenient place, so lawyers don’t have to use their valuable time to hunt for resources that provide the same information.
   • Increasing Professional Development: CLE programs allow attorneys to expand into new areas of law. Social change brings new legal questions, and it can also create entirely new practice areas. For example, cannabis law is now a thriving practice area, whereas it was almost unheard of 20 years ago. AI is presenting similar opportunities.
   • Improving Client Representation: The ultimate goal of continuing legal education is to improve client representation. This ensures attorneys remain informed, adaptable and equipped to serve clients from a variety of backgrounds. This creates satisfied clients, which can help prevent malpractice claims.

Conclusion

CLE credits are an integral part of maintaining legal competence, upholding ethical standards, and ensuring career advancement in the legal profession. By staying proactive about earning continuing legal education credits, attorneys retain the knowledge and skill necessary to provide the best possible representation to their clients. Providers such as NBI have the reputation to provide the best possible courses to fulfill CLE requirements.