Big changes are coming for Alaska's legal community, and who better to walk through them than Kara Bridge, the CLE Director of the Alaska Bar Association? In this exclusive video, Ms. Bridge breaks down what's changing under Alaska's new MCLE requirements, why the Alaska Supreme Court approved the update, and how Alaska attorneys can use the transition to sharpen their practice rather than simply check a compliance box.

Whether you've practiced Alaska law for decades or were only recently admitted to the bar, the new credit-hour structure changes how you'll plan your continuing education going forward. Here's what you need to know, and how NBI can help you stay ahead of it.

 What's Changing in Alaska's CLE Requirements

Alaska Bar Rule 65 — the rule governing continuing legal education for the state's legal profession — was amended by the Alaska Supreme Court to raise the bar (literally) on what active members must complete each year. The changes took effect January 1, 2025, and the first reporting deadline under the new structure lands February 1, 2026.

The New 12-Credit Hour Mandate

All active members of the Alaska Bar Association must now obtain 12 CLE credits per reporting period. That's a meaningful increase from the prior voluntary structure, which encouraged — but didn't require — credit hours beyond the ethics minimum. Under the new rule, those 12 credit hours are mandatory, not aspirational.

Ethics CLE Credits Take a Bigger Role

Three of those 12 mandatory credits must be dedicated to ethics CLE. Qualifying ethics credits can cover professional responsibility, workplace ethics, law office management, malpractice prevention, collegiality, attorney wellness, and professionalism. That breadth gives attorneys real flexibility in how they satisfy the ethics requirement, while still anchoring the rule in the core goal of protecting clients and the public.

Reporting Period and Deadlines

The Alaska CLE reporting period remains a one-year cycle running from January 1 to December 31. Credits earned during that window must be reported on or before February 1 of the following year. Attorneys report through the Alaska Bar Association's member portal, where they can also review their own CLE transcript and confirm which credits have already been logged.

Live and OnDemand Credit Hour Flexibility

Alaska continues to allow credit hours to be earned through both live and OnDemand programming, including technology-delivered courses. That flexibility matters in a state where geography alone can make in-person attendance impractical for a large share of the bar.

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

Attorneys who fail to meet Alaska's CLE requirements within a given reporting period face administrative suspension. Bar Rule 66 governs the noncompliance and suspension process, and the Association sends formal notice before any suspension takes effect — but the responsibility to track and report credit hours rests with each individual attorney.

Why the Alaska Bar Association Raised the Bar

According to the commentary accompanying the rule change, the Alaska Supreme Court and the Alaska Bar Association view mandatory CLE as a direct investment in lawyer competence — and, by extension, in public confidence in the profession. The prior framework's voluntary credit hours were rarely tracked consistently across the bar, which made it difficult for the Association to gauge how much continuing education its members were actually completing. Moving general credits from voluntary to mandatory closes that gap while preserving the same emphasis on ethics and professionalism that has anchored Alaska law for years.

Carry-Over Credits and Newly Admitted Attorneys

Two provisions in the updated rule are worth flagging for attorneys mapping out their first year under the new structure.

First, carry-over: members may carry forward a maximum of 12 credits — including up to 3 ethics credits — earned in the calendar year immediately before the current reporting period. That means CLE credits attorneys completed voluntarily in 2024 can be applied toward the new 2025 requirement, softening the transition for anyone who got an early start.

Second, newly admitted attorneys are exempt from CLE reporting during the calendar year in which they're first admitted to the Alaska Bar Association. An attorney admitted partway through a given year doesn't begin their first full reporting cycle until the following January 1, though any credits they happen to earn before then can still carry forward into that first cycle.

Where Alaska Attorneys Practice — And Why CLE Flexibility Matters

Alaska's legal profession doesn't operate in a vacuum. Attorneys licensed under the Alaska Bar Association move between private practice, the trial courts and appellate courts of the Alaska Court System, and government roles scattered across the state's civic infrastructure. Some advise or appear before the Alaska State Legislature, including policy work tied to the state senate. Others practice within or alongside executive branch agencies — the Alaska Department of Revenue, which administers programs connected to the Alaska Permanent Fund and the annual permanent fund dividend; the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development; and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, which intersects with institutions like AVTEC, Alaska's Institute of Technology, on workforce training matters.

Still others handle matters involving public safety officers and the Alaska State Troopers, where administrative law, employment law, and regulatory compliance frequently overlap. This sheer range of practice settings is part of why Alaska's MCLE requirements are built the way they are: a mandatory ethics floor paired with broad, flexible general credit options that can stretch across whatever corner of Alaska law an attorney happens to practice in.

How to Track, Report, and Carry Over Your CLE Credits

Staying compliant under the new rule comes down to three habits:

• Track as you go. Log each credit hour as you earn it rather than reconstructing your year in January. Your CLE transcript in the Alaska Bar Association's member portal is the official record, but keeping your own running list makes reporting far less stressful.

• Watch your ethics minimum separately. Because 3 of your 12 credits must be ethics credits, it's worth confirming that requirement is satisfied independently rather than assuming your general coursework will cover it.

• Plan your carry-over deliberately. If you expect to exceed 12 credits in a given year, confirm which credits you want applied to the current period versus carried forward, since the carry-over cap applies to the total, not just the ethics portion.

How NBI Can Help Alaska Attorneys Thrive

Change can be daunting, but it's also an opportunity to grow — and NBI is here to support Alaska attorneys every step of the way. As a leading provider of high-quality, engaging CLE courses, we offer:

• A diverse selection of courses tailored to meet the legal needs of nearly all legal practice areas.

• Flexible learning options, including live webinars, OnDemand courses, and CLE-accredited podcasts to fit your schedule.

• Ethics and specialty credit opportunities to meet all your mandatory requirements with ease.

NBI's course library also pairs well with the other paths Alaska Bar Rule 65 recognizes for earning credit hours — including pro bono legal service. Attorneys who provide pro bono legal service through a qualified legal services provider can earn one general credit hour for every two hours of service, and substantive courses in the relevant practice area can help make that volunteer work even more effective.

Whether you're looking to sharpen your skills, explore a new area of Alaska law, or simply satisfy your CLE requirements with ease, NBI has the tools and resources to help you stay ahead. For a deeper breakdown of specific credit-hour rules, visit NBI's Alaska CLE Requirements page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Alaska's CLE Requirements

How many CLE credits do Alaska attorneys need each year?

Active members of the Alaska Bar Association must complete 12 CLE credits per reporting period, effective January 1, 2025.

How many of those credits must be ethics credits?

Three of the 12 required credit hours must be ethics CLE. Attorneys may apply more than 3 credits toward ethics if they choose, but 3 is the mandatory minimum.

When is the Alaska CLE reporting deadline?

The reporting period runs January 1 through December 31 each year, and credits must be reported by February 1 of the following year through the Alaska Bar Association's member portal.

Can I carry over CLE credits to the next reporting period?

Yes. Alaska attorneys may carry forward up to 12 credits, including up to 3 ethics credits, earned in the prior calendar year.

Are newly admitted attorneys required to complete CLE right away?

No. Newly admitted attorneys are exempt from CLE reporting for the remainder of the calendar year in which they're first admitted to the Alaska Bar Association. Their first full reporting cycle begins the following January 1.

What happens if I don't meet Alaska's CLE requirements?

Attorneys who don't meet their mandatory credit hours within the reporting period are subject to administrative suspension under Bar Rule 66, following formal notice from the Association.

Can I complete all my Alaska CLE credits online?

Yes. Alaska allows both live and OnDemand, technology-delivered courses to count toward the full 12-credit requirement, including the ethics portion.

Get Started Today

The Alaska Bar Association is building a stronger, better-prepared legal community with this update to its MCLE requirements — and getting ahead of it now means one less thing to track later in the year. Watch the video above to hear Kara Bridge walk through the details firsthand, then head to NBI's CLE Catalog to build out your Alaska CLE plan for the year ahead. Here's to a smoother transition into Alaska's next chapter of continuing legal education - and a stronger legal community because of it.