New MCLE Compliance Deadlines
Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) refers to the approved continuing legal education required of California attorneys. Attorneys, including those who are Exempt, are required to submit a Compliance Card to the State Bar to verify that they have complied with their MCLE requirement.
| Group 1 (A-G) | Group 2 (H-M) | Group 3 (N-Z) |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 members have last names beginning with A-G. MCLE compliance deadline is February 1, 2010. | Group 2 members have last names beginning with H-M. MCLE compliance deadline is February 1, 2009. | Group 3 members have last names beginning with N-Z. Group 3 is the current group due, with a compliance deadline of February 1, 2008. |
"REGULAR" MCLE REQUIREMENT
Total Hours Required - 25 hours required
(maximum of 12.5 hours self-study)Special Requirements within the total hours required
(may be taken as participatory or self-study)
Legal Ethics - 4 hours requiredDetection/Prevention of Substance Abuse - 1 hour required
Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession - 1 hour required
Compliance Groups
California's attorney membership is divided into 3 compliance groups. Compliance periods for the three groups are staggered, so that each group reports compliance in a different year. Compliance periods are 36 months in length.
Just prior to the end of a group's compliance period, the State Bar sends compliance cards to those who must comply that year. The table above lists the next reporting deadline for each compliance group and the breakdown of the 25-hour education requirement.
Click here for Compliance Specials.