General Georgia Continuing Legal Education Credit Requirements
In Georgia, active status attorneys must complete 18.00 CLE credits every 2 years to maintain good standing with the State Bar of Georgia. Exemption for any active member having reached 40 years as an active member of the State Bar of Georgia without having been suspended or disbarred for violating the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.
In addition, all Georgia attorneys must complete 3.00 credits in ethics and 2.00 credits in professionalism every 2 years.
Credit Hour: 60 minutes (rounded down to the half-hour).
Ethics CLE must focus on topics such as professional responsibility, legal ethics, and attorney discipline. Professionalism CLE covers subjects like civility, respect for the legal system, and the lawyer’s role in society. Georgia attorneys must complete 3.00 hours in ethics and 2.00 hours in professionalism each year.
Georgia attorneys must complete all 18.00 required credits by December 31 of odd years. In January following end of a compliance year, you will receive a report showing the CLE credit earned for the prior year.
Attorneys will now need to attest on their online CLE transcript that the CLE hours attended were hours in the lawyer’s area of practice or in an area that will benefit their practice and clients.
You have a 45-day grace period during which you may make up CLE credit without
paying a penalty.
The lawyer has 45 days after the deadline to cure any CLE deficiencies or to reconcile their CLE transcript during which time no late fee may be imposed.
On Feb. 15 after the compliance deadline, a $200 late fee will be assessed.
On May 1 after the compliance deadline, a list of lawyers who have not met their CLE requirements and paid all late fees will be sent to the Supreme Court of Georgia for CLE suspension.
The CLE compliance period is 2 years and ends on December 31 (odd-numbered years) for all Georgia attorneys.
NBI reports your credit to the Georgia Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency.
The Commission will provide an Annual Report of your CLE record at the end of each year. You can check your transcript on the State Bar of Georgia website.
Further certification requires attorneys to attest on their online CLE transcript that the CLE hours attended were hours in the lawyer’s area of practice or in an area that will benefit their practice and clients.
Yes. CLE exemption for any active member having reached 40 years as an active member of the State Bar of Georgia without having been suspended or disbarred for violating the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct. The exemption begins in the compliance period immediately following the lawyer’s eligibility. Other exemptions (e.g. military service, hardship) may be available through application to the Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency.
Experienced attorneys can fulfill their Georgia CLE requirement by completing courses approved and accredited by the Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency of the State Bar of Georgia. Examples of accepted course formats include:
Traditional
- Live In Person
Distance Learning
- OnDemand programs
- Live webcasts/webinars
- Teleconference programs
- Live video
- Live audio
Georgia attorneys may carry over 18.00 general CLE credits to the succeeding compliance period. You may carry over a maximum of 3.00 ethics credits and 2.00 professionalism credits.
You may earn all 18.00 of your required 18.00 CLE credits with distance learning courses.
Yes. Attorneys may earn CLE credit for teaching CLE-accredited courses, publishing legal articles or books, and law school instruction. These credits count toward the annual 18.00-hour requirement but may be subject to approval.
Attorneys should retain proof of attendance and certificates for a minimum of 3 years, in case of audit or dispute with CLE reporting.
No. In-program attendance verification is not required.
You can log in to your account on the State Bar of Georgia’s website to review your CLE record, download transcripts, and view your CLE compliance status. You can also search by bar number on the website.
Yes. All active status attorneys—including government lawyers, in-house counsel, and solo practitioners—must comply with the same 18.00-hour annual CLE requirement, including the ethics and professionalism components.
- State Contact Information:
- Address: GA Commission of Continuing Lawyer Competency, 50 Hurt Plaza, Atlanta, GA, 30303
- Phone Number: 404-527-8700
- Email Address: cle@gabar.org
- Website: http://gabar.org/
- Georgia CLE FAQ, Information, and Exemptions
Are you newly admitted to the State Bar of Georgia? Here’s what you need to know:
An attorney in the year of their admission to the State Bar and during the following calendar year is considered a new attorney. New attorneys are required to complete the State Bar of Georgia Transition Into Law Practice Program. This is completed through the State Bar of Georgia.
If a newly admitted attorney is a Judicial Law Clerk, they are exempt from completing the State Bar of Georgia Transition Into Law Practice Program during the period of the clerkship. More information can be found at State Bar Handbook (gabar.org).
Newly admitted attorneys in Georgia must complete the State Bar of Georgia Transition Into Law Practice Program (TILPP) by December 31 of the first full calendar year after they were admitted. TILPP involves both a mentoring and CLE component.
For the CLE component, Prosecutors and Public Defenders have specialized programs. All other lawyers complete a mandatory 6-hour Beginning Lawyers Program, and an additional 6 hours of their choice.
Completion of the Transition Into Law Practice Program satisfies Georgia CLE requirements for both the year of admission and the next succeeding year.
Newly Admitted attorneys must complete the Transition Into Law Practice Program (TILPP)/Beginning Lawyer Program offered by the State Bar of Georgia within the year of his or her admission or in the next calendar year. This program requires 6 of 12 credit hours needed.
The remaining 6 credits can be satisfied by basic-level NBI programs in the following categories:
Traditional
- Live In Person
Distance Learning
- OnDemand programs
- Live webcasts/webinars
- Teleconference programs
- Live video
- Live audio
Keep in mind that the mandatory Transition Into Law Practice Program satisfies your Georgia CLE requirements for the year of admission and the following reporting year. You do not have to report additional CLE credits while you are participating in the Transition Into Law Practice Program.
CLE Deadline: The first reporting period when you must report regular CLE credits ends on December 31 the second calendar year after your admission to the State Bar of Georgia. This compliance deadline then becomes annual moving forward after that.
Yes. In the year of admission, or in the next calendar year, new attorneys must complete the State Bar of Georgia Transition Into Law Practice Program. Completion of the Transition Into Law Practice Program will satisfy your Georgia CLE requirements for both the year of admission and the next succeeding year.
If you practiced law in another United States jurisdiction for two or more years immediately prior to admission to practice in Georgia, you may be exempted from completing the Transition Into Law Practice Program upon the submission of an affidavit to the Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency within three months of admission.