General Hawaii Continuing Legal Education Credit Requirements
In Hawaii, active status attorneys must complete 3.00 CLE credits (including 1.00 credit in ethics/professional responsibility) every year to maintain good standing with the Hawaii Bar.
Credit Hour: 60 minutes (rounded down to the nearest 1/4 hour).
Ethics and professional responsibility credit in Hawaii includes topics such as attorney ethics, civility, malpractice avoidance, professionalism in practice, and mental health and substance abuse awareness. Attorneys must complete 1.00 ethics credit every three years as part of their annual 3.00 CLE credit requirement.
In Hawaii, the mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) requirement for active attorneys is minimal: just 3 CLE credit hours per calendar year, including 1 hour of ethics or professional responsibility credit once every three years.
Hawaii attorneys must complete all 3.00 required credits by the annual compliance deadline of December 31. Compliance with the CLE requirements must be reported on your annual attorney registration the following year.
The reporting period is 1 year and ends on December 31 for all Hawaii attorneys.
Failure to comply with CLE requirements or falsely certifying compliance may result in administrative suspension and referral to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. Make sure to complete and report your credits by the end of each calendar year.
NBI reports your attendance to the Hawaii State Bar Association.
Each active Bar member must certify on the annual registration form whether the member is in compliance with the Hawaii State Bar Association by reporting the number of approved credit hours of Continuing Legal Education completed in the previous year. You must maintain certification records for the (3) most recent reporting periods.
While NBI reports credits for approved courses, attorneys must retain their own records, including certificates of completion, for three reporting periods in case of audit by the Hawaii State Bar Association.
CLE transcripts can be accessed by contacting the Hawaii State Bar Association. You should also keep your own documentation, such as certificates of completion, for at least three reporting years.
Experienced attorneys can fulfill their Hawaii CLE requirement by completing courses approved and accredited by the Hawaii State Board of Continuing Legal Education. Examples of accepted course formats include:
Live CLE
- Live Seminars
Alternative Format
- Online Computer Presentations
- Computer Self-Study
- Video Tape
- Audio Videotape
- DVD
- Teleconference
No automatic age-based exemption is provided. However, attorneys on inactive status are not required to meet CLE requirements. Returning to active status will reinstate CLE obligations, including completion of any missed requirements.
Hawaii attorneys may carry over 3.00 CLE credits for one compliance year. This may include ethics/professional responsibility credits.
Yes. Hawaii attorneys may complete all 3.00 CLE credits using approved alternative formats, including online computer-based programs, teleconferences, DVD, or audio/video recordings. There is no limit on self-study or alternative delivery methods.
Yes. In-program attendance verification is required for downloadable courses.
Yes. Attorneys may earn CLE credit for presenting approved CLE programs, publishing legal writing, or teaching law-related topics. These activities must meet the Hawaii Supreme Court’s CLE standards and be approved in advance.
Yes. All active status attorneys, regardless of practice setting—including in-house counsel and government attorneys—must fulfill the annual 3.00 credit CLE requirement, unless exempted by the Hawaii Supreme Court.
When you move from inactive to active status, you must complete and report 3 CLE credit hours (including 1 ethics hour) within three months of that status change. Prior CLE completed within the three months before reactivation may count toward this obligation.
- State Contact Information:
- Address: Alakea Corporate Tower, 1100 Alakea Street, Suite 1000, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
- Phone Number: 808-537-1868
- Email Address: webinfo@hsba.org
- Website: http://hsba.org/
- Hawaii CLE FAQ, New Admittee Information, Referral Service, and Accredited Providers
Are you newly admitted to the Hawaii State Bar? Here’s what you need to know:
Newly admitted attorneys in Hawaii are exempt from reporting CLE requirements for the year in which they are admitted to the Hawaii State Bar.
As per Rule 1.14(a) of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Hawaii, new attorneys licensed to practice law after July 1st, 2001 must complete the Hawaii Professionalism Course no later than December 31st of the following year of election of active status. This course is presented online as 3 separate webinars by the Hawaii State Bar Association.
Yes. If you complete CLE credits after you are admitted to practice law in Hawaii but before December 31 of that year, you may carry over up to 3.00 CLE credits to your first reporting period. You do earn 4.5 CLE credits for your mandatory Professionalism course.
Your first reporting period ends on December 31 of the first full calendar year following your admission to the Hawaii State Bar.
Yes. All new attorneys must complete a Professionalism course, which is jointly sponsored by the Hawaii State Bar and the Supreme Court of Hawaii. This course must be completed by December 31 of the first full calendar year following your admission to the Hawaii State Bar.
You will earn 4.5 CLE credits for your Professionalism course.
Attorneys are usually classified as a Newly Admitted Attorney until the end of the year following the year they are licensed and have elected active status.
Each person licensed to practice law after July 1, 2001, shall complete the Hawaii Professionalism course no later than December 31 of the year following the year they have elected active status. There are recordings of the Professionalism Course online.