General Alabama Continuing Legal Education Credit Requirements
In Alabama, active status attorneys must complete 12.00 CLE credits (including 1.00 ethics/professionalism) every year to maintain good standing with the Alabama State Bar.
Credit Hour: 60 minutes (rounded to the nearest 1/10 hour).
Live CLE includes in-person classroom programs, real-time webcasts, and interactive webinars where attorneys can ask questions or engage in discussion during the session. These must be approved by the Alabama State Bar CLE Commission.
Alabama attorneys must complete all 12.00 required credits by December 31 each year. Attorneys have until February 15 of the following year to report CLE credit earned.
The reporting period is 1 year and ends on December 31 of each year.
Attorneys who do not complete their CLE requirements by December 31, or fail to report them by February 15, may be considered non-compliant and may be referred to the Disciplinary Commission. Late fees or sanctions may also apply.
Yes. Extensions may be granted in cases of military service, medical hardship, or other extraordinary circumstances. Attorneys must apply for an extension with the Alabama State Bar CLE Commission before the reporting deadline.
NBI reports your credits to the Alabama State Bar CLE Commission.
Attorneys should regularly log in to their MyDashboard page on the Alabama State Bar website to view detailed CLE transcripts for the current year and previous years.
Attorneys can view their CLE transcript by logging into the MyDashboard portal on the Alabama State Bar website. NBI reports credits directly to the Alabama CLE Commission, but attorneys should regularly check their transcript for accuracy.
Experienced attorneys can fulfill their Alabama CLE requirement by completing courses approved and accredited by the Alabama State Bar CLE Commission. Examples of accepted course formats include:
Live CLE: At Least 6 Hours
- CLE classes in Live Traditional classroom
- Synchronous, Real-Time Webcasts and Webinars, including:
OnDemand CLE: Up to 6 Hours
Alabama attorneys may carry over 12.00 CLE credits for one year. You may carry over 1.00 ethics/professionalism credit.
You may earn up to a maximum of 6.00 CLE credits from OnDemand courses.
Attorneys in Alabama must complete 6.00 CLE credits with courses approved for live credit.
Yes. All attorneys in active status in Alabama - including in-house counsel and government attorneys - are required to meet the 12.00-hour annual CLE requirement, including the 1.00 hour of ethics or professionalism.
Yes. Attorneys may earn CLE credit for teaching approved CLE programs, authoring legal publications, or teaching law school courses. Each activity is subject to approval and may require submission of additional documentation.
Currently, Alabama does not provide CLE credit for pro bono legal work. Only approved CLE programs count toward the annual requirement.
No. In-program attendance verification is not required.
Attorneys are encouraged to retain their CLE records and certificates for at least 3 years in case of audit or dispute regarding compliance.
- State Contact Information
- Address: Alabama State Bar, 415 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104
- Phone Number: (334) 269-1515
- Email: cle@alabar.org
- Website: https://www.alabar.org/cle/attorney-information/
- Alabama CLE Rules, FAQs, Approved Course Listings, and Applications
Are you newly admitted to the Alabama State Bar? Here’s what you need to know:
Newly admitted attorneys in Alabama are exempt for the remainder of the calendar year in which they are admitted. New attorneys must complete 12.00 credit hours, including a mandatory 3-hour Professionalism Seminar by December 31 of the following year.
Examples of accepted course formats include:
Live CLE (Minimum 6.00 Hours)
- CLE classes in Live Traditional classroom
- Synchronous, Real-Time Webcasts and Webinars, including:
OnDemand CLE (Maximum 6.00 Hours)
Newly Admitted Attorney details
New admittees must complete a 3-hour Mandatory Professionalism Seminar within 12 months of admission to the Alabama State Bar.
Alabama State Bar CLE Commission provides the mandatory Professionalism for the Alabama State Bar four times a year (2 in spring and 2 in fall) in even numbered years. The Cumberland School of Law offers Mandatory Professionalism in odd numbered years.
Yes. You may carry over 12.00 total credits (including 1.00 ethics/professionalism) earned during your year of admission if the credits are earned after you were admitted to the bar.
Your first reporting period ends on December 31 of the first full calendar year after your admission to the Alabama State Bar. For example, if you were admitted in 2024, your first reporting period is from January 1 – December 31, 2025.
Yes. New admittees must complete a 3-hour Mandatory Professionalism Seminar within 12 months of admission to the Alabama State Bar. Hours earned at this seminar will count toward your annual 12.00-hour CLE requirement. The seminar will be administered by CLEAlabama on even-numbered years and by Cumberland School of Law on odd-numbered years.
An attorney in their first year of practice is considered a newly admitted attorney.