Navigating NY CLE Requirements
New York imposes continuing legal education requirements on every attorney practicing within its jurisdiction, and the rules differ meaningfully depending on how long you've held your license. New York CLE requirements are designed to keep attorneys current on legal developments, technology, and professional responsibility throughout their careers, and the program has grown more detailed in recent years as new specialty categories - most recently cybersecurity - have been layered onto the original framework. This guide walks through exactly what experienced and newly admitted attorneys need to complete, which formats actually count for which category, and how reporting and deadlines work in practice.
NY CLE Requirements for Experienced Attorneys
Experienced attorneys (those admitted to the New York bar for more than two years) must complete 24 CLE credit hours every two years. This is New York's biennial reporting cycle, and unlike states that run on a fixed calendar window, your reporting period is tied to your own birthday rather than a shared start date. Attorneys due to register in even-numbered years complete their cycle on that schedule; attorneys due in odd-numbered years follow the same pattern offset by a year.
Of the 24 cle credit hours required, the breakdown looks like this:
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At least 4 credits in Ethics and Professionalism
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At least 1 credit in Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias
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At least 1 credit in Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Data Protection
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The remaining hours (roughly 18) in any approved category
You can satisfy your Cybersecurity requirement with either Cybersecurity General or Cybersecurity Ethics credit (or a mix of both). Up to 3 hours of Cybersecurity Ethics credit can also count toward your 4-credit Ethics and Professionalism requirement — Cybersecurity General cannot.
New York New Attorney CLE Requirements
Newly admitted attorneys - those admitted two years or less - follow a separate transitional structure. The New York continuing legal education requirement here is 32 total credit hours, split evenly into 16 credits in each of the first two years following admission, due by the first and second anniversary of admission respectively.
Each 16-credit year must include:
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3 credits in Ethics & Professionalism
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6 Skills credits
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7 credits in Law Practice Management and/or Areas of Professional Practice credit
Somewhere across those two years, newly admitted attorneys must also complete at least 1 credit in Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection - it doesn't add to the 32-credit total, since it's satisfied from within the existing categories (Cybersecurity Ethics toward the Ethics & Professionalism bucket, Cybersecurity General toward Law Practice Management/Areas of Professional Practice). Unlike experienced attorneys, newly admitted attorneys are not required to complete Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias credit, though many choose to take it voluntarily since it can later apply toward their first experienced-attorney cycle.
Approved CLE Formats: Live Classroom, Videoconference, and More
New York's CLE Program Rules treat different credit categories differently when it comes to format, and this is where attorneys most often get tripped up.
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Skills credits for newly admitted attorneys must be completed in a traditional live classroom setting or by fully interactive videoconference with group participation. This format restriction tightened as of January 1, 2026 - webinar and teleconference formats with real-time questions no longer satisfy the Skills requirement.
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Ethics & Professionalism and Cybersecurity Ethics credit (for both newly admitted and experienced attorneys) can be earned in a traditional live classroom setting, by fully interactive videoconference, or through any format offering synchronous interactivity — meaning a live simultaneous transmission, such as a webinar or teleconference, where attendees can ask questions during the program.
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Law Practice Management, Areas of Professional Practice credit, and Cybersecurity General can be completed in any approved format, including non-participatory, on-demand programming.
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Experienced attorneys have no such restrictions at all - all 24 credit hours, including ethics, may be satisfied through non-traditional formats like on-demand videos and podcasts if preferred.
Carryover Credits
Carryover rules differ depending on where you are in your CLE timeline, and it's worth getting the numbers right since they're easy to mix up:
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Experienced attorneys may carry over up to 6 excess CLE credit hours, in any category, into the next biennial reporting cycle once their current 24-credit requirement is met.
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Newly admitted attorneys who complete more than 16 transitional credits in their first year may carry up to 8 excess credits (excluding Ethics & Professionalism) into their second-year requirement.
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Once the second-year requirement is satisfied, newly admitted attorneys may carry up to 6 additional second-year credits (excluding Ethics & Professionalism and Cybersecurity Ethics) into their first experienced-attorney compliance period.
For the full breakdown with worked examples, see New York's Carryover CLE FAQ.
Out-of-State and Reciprocal CLE Credit
Attorneys who split their practice between New York and other jurisdictions don't necessarily need to duplicate every course. Credits earned through other approved jurisdictions may be transferable toward your New York CLE requirement, provided the originating program meets the standards on the CLE Board's Approved Jurisdiction list. It's worth confirming a course qualifies before assuming it will transfer, since approval depends on where - and how - the credit was originally earned, not just the subject matter.
Reporting, Deadlines, and Recordkeeping
New York's CLE program is regulated by the New York State CLE Board (often shortened to the NY CLE Board), part of the New York State Unified Court System — a separate body from the New York State Bar Association, which is a voluntary membership organization and CLE provider but does not set or enforce the requirements themselves.
New York is a self-reporting system: you don't submit certificates of attendance to the CLE Board. Instead, you certify your compliance when you file your Attorney Registration Form, due within 30 days after your birthday - your compliance deadline and reporting deadline for that cycle. Hang onto your certificates of attendance for at least four years in case of an audit, since you'll need them to substantiate your certification if it's ever questioned.
Frequently Asked Questions About NY CLE Requirements
How many CLE credit hours do experienced New York attorneys need?
Experienced attorneys must complete 24 CLE credit hours every two years, including at least 4 in Ethics and Professionalism, 1 in Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias, and 1 in Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection.
How many CLE credits do newly admitted attorneys need?
Newly admitted attorneys must complete 32 total credit hours over their first two years of admission (16 each year) including Ethics & Professionalism, Skills, and Law Practice Management/Areas of Professional Practice credit, plus at least 1 Cybersecurity credit somewhere across the two years.
When is the NY CLE reporting deadline?
Both experienced and newly admitted attorneys must complete and certify their CLE requirement within 30 days after their birthday, on the cycle that applies to their admission status.
Can I carry over CLE credits to my next reporting period?
Yes, with limits. Experienced attorneys may carry over up to 6 credits in any category. Newly admitted attorneys may carry up to 8 credits (excluding ethics) from year one into year two, and up to 6 credits into their first experienced-attorney cycle once their transitional requirement is complete.
Do newly admitted attorneys need Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias credit?
No. That requirement applies only to experienced attorneys, though newly admitted attorneys may take such courses voluntarily.
Can I complete all my New York CLE credits online?
Experienced attorneys can complete all 24 credits through non-traditional formats. Newly admitted attorneys have more restrictions - Skills and Ethics & Professionalism credit require live classroom, videoconference, or synchronous formats, while Law Practice Management, Areas of Professional Practice, and Cybersecurity General credit can be completed entirely online.
Can I use out-of-state CLE credit toward my New York requirement?
Often, yes. Credit earned in another approved jurisdiction can typically transfer toward your New York CLE requirement, but you should confirm the originating course and provider meet the CLE Board's Approved Jurisdiction standards before relying on it.
Resources for Further Information
Stay Compliant With NY CLE Requirements
Whether you're tracking your first 16-credit year as a newly admitted attorney or your next biennial cycle as an experienced one, NBI - a leader in the CLE industry for over 40 years - offers thousands of live and on-demand New York-accredited courses to help you hit every category on time.