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California CLE Requirements

The Beverly Hills Bar Association (BHBA) is a Multiple Activity Provider approved by the State Bar of California and our courses are automatically approved for CLE credit in California.

The Beverly Hills Bar Association (BHBA) is a Multiple Activity Provider approved by the State Bar of California and our courses are automatically approved for CLE credit in California.

This summary is provided as a courtesy and is not intended to replace official rules and FAQs issued by the State Bar of California. In the event of a conflict between this information and that of the State Bar, the State Bar prevails.

California CLE Requirements

You’ll need to complete at least 25 hours of CLE every three years, including:

  • 4 hours of Ethics
  • 2 hour of Competence Issues
  • 2 hours of Elimination of Bias (including at least 1 hour of implicit bias)
  • 18 hours of any general CLE topic


NEW! Rule 2.72 of the Rules of the State Bar has been revised to increase required hours for the Competence requirement and to add new requirements for Technology and Civility.

  • Updated Competence Requirement – A minimum of two hours of CLE is now required addressing competence, with at least one hour dedicated to prevention and detection. There is also an optional one hour Wellness Competence requirement.
  • New Technology Requirement – At least one hour of CLE is now required, focusing on the role of technology in the practice of law.
  • New Civility Requirement – At least one hour of CLE is now required, addressing civility in the legal profession.


For more details, visit the FAQ page on the State Bar of California website or check their MCLE Requirements page: California State Bar MCLE Requirements.

Available California Compliance Packages
Compliance Groups, Deadlines, and Reporting Period

The compliance deadline is March 29 every three years. California attorneys are split into 3 groups based on last name at the time of admittance (A-G, H-M, N-Z). Each group has a specific three-year reporting period and deadline.

  • Group 1 (A – G): 3/30/25 – 3/29/28
  • Group 2 (H – M): 2/1/24 – 3/29/27
  • Group 3 (N – Z): 2/1/23 – 3/29/26

For more details, visit the Compliance Groups page on the State Bar of California website. Attorneys can verify their group assignment in their State Bar of California online profile.

Limits on Self-Study, Carry Over Credit, and Credit Hours Calculation​

You must earn at least 12.5 credit hours through participatory activities (or half of your proportional requirement). The remaining hours can be obtained through self-study. All BHBA live and OnDemand CLE courses are considered participatory in California, and there’s no limit to how many credits you can earn this way.

Unfortunately, excess credit hours can’t be carried over to the next compliance period. [Rule 2.72(D)]

BHBA shares the available credit hours for each course beforehand. To figure out your credit hours, simply divide the course’s duration (in minutes) by 60 and round to the nearest quarter hour.

Attendance Reporting and Records Retention

Attorneys are responsible for tracking their CLE credit and reporting compliance to the State Bar of California at the end of the reporting period. Prior to the end of the reporting period, the State Bar sends compliance cards to those who must comply that year. Attorneys must retain their certificates of attendance for participatory credit activities. Additionally, BHBA reports your CLE credits to the State Bar of California every Tuesday.

Watch any CLE and your certificate is automatically emailed to you within minutes and is also stored in your BHBA+ profile for easy access. Stream all CLEs on your phone, tablet, or computer when and where they fit your schedule. Log in to BHBA+ effortlessly visualize your CLE credits, monitor deadlines, and stay ahead of your regular and LSCLE compliance requirements with our intuitive progress tracking. A BHBA+ account is free to create. www.bhba.org/login.

California Newly Admitted Attorney CLE Rules

New attorneys must complete a 10-hour New Attorney Training program provided by the State Bar of California. This training can also count towards fulfilling the regular MCLE requirement for new attorneys. Find more information about this program here.

Types of MCLE credit considered by the State Bar of California

General credit

MCLE activities for general credit must relate to legal subjects directly relevant to State Bar licensees and have current significant, educational, professional, or practical content with an objective to increase each participant's professional competency as an attorney. Activities designed for nonattorney participants will not be approved for general MCLE credit. MCLE activities that may be eligible for general MCLE credit include those that provide education or practical instruction in:

  • The practice of law
  • Litigation
  • Management of a solo law practice
  • Management of a law firm or corporate legal department
  • Management of client trust accounts
  • Law firm finances
  • Attorney-client communications
  • Case management
  • Effective calendaring
  • Avoidance of malpractice
  • Opportunities to participate in pro bono legal services


California licensees do not receive credit for breaks, lunch periods, or nonlegal education functions such as networking or company business meetings.

Legal ethics—subfield credit

MCLE activities for legal ethics credit must focus on attorneys' professional responsibility and obligations, including education on, and citation to, the California Rules of Professional Conduct, the State Bar Act, and related authorities such as applicable case law, ethics opinions, the ABA Model Rules, or the professional conduct rules of a tribunal. Activities that focus on the ethics of business, corporate or government affairs, or society in general do not qualify for MCLE credit.

Recognition and elimination of bias—subfield credit

MCLE activities for credit in recognition and elimination of bias must focus on education in the recognition and elimination of impermissible bias in the courtroom and law offices; attorney-client relationships and relationships with other attorneys; legal and nonlegal employment and workplaces, including hiring, managing, and terminating employees; and housing, including accommodations and services. Courses required by Government Code section 12950.1 also qualify for credit in recognition and elimination of bias.

Courses required by AB 1825—mandatory sexual harassment awareness and prevention training for personnel managers—are approved for elimination of bias credit.

Implicit bias—subfield credit

MCLE activities for implicit bias credit must meet the requirements of Business and Professions Code section 6070.5 and must focus on implicit bias and the promotion of bias-reducing strategies to address how unintended biases regarding race, ethnicity, gender, identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics undermine confidence in the legal system.

Prevention and detection competence—subfield credit

MCLE for prevention and detection competence focuses on developing awareness of substance use, addiction, and mental health related issues in the legal profession; strategies for dealing with mental health issues and substance use, and steps to assist and report affected attorneys. This includes, but is not limited to topics on:

  • The disease of addiction and the impact of addiction on the legal profession
  • Recognizing signs and symptoms of substance use and addiction in oneself or one’s colleagues
  • Stress management strategies for dealing with mental health issues and substance use, and intervention strategies for attorneys and attorneys with colleagues in need of support
  • The prevention, detection, and treatment of substance use, addictive disorders, or mental health issues and available assistance for impaired attorneys, including steps to assist and report an affected attorney or colleague
  • The relationship between mental health, substance use, and attorney discipline
  • The effects of lawyer impairment on the profession and destigmatizing mental health and substance use issues

Wellness competence—subfield credit

MCLE activities for wellness competence encompass practical strategies for managing mental health, stress, and overall well-being that are tailored to the legal profession. This includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Barriers to wellness for lawyers and why there’s often reluctance to seek help
  • Fostering a culture of wellbeing as it relates to attorney competence through evidence-based strategies
  • Professional burnout among lawyers, including what it is, how it impacts attorneys in and out of the office, how to spot it, and how to address professional burnout
  • Stress management programs which focus on building awareness of stress-related problems in the practice of law, including through topics on work/life balance; recognizing signs of stress in oneself or one’s colleagues, instituting preventative measures as an individual, and developing policies within a law firm or legal department for dealing with stress-impaired attorneys
  • Ethics and well-being, including how to balance and manage competing obligations that may implicate an attorney’s professional responsibility requirements, and how enhancing personal well-being and adopting strategies for balancing life’s demands can enhance the ability to comply with these obligations
  • Stress and trauma in the legal profession, including various methods for managing compassion fatigue, developing a trauma-informed practice, and improving organizational health
  • Physical and professional health, including programs that support self-awareness, stress management and mental well-being (i.e., decreasing anxiety and depression, and stress hormones)
  • Emotional Intelligence as it relates to the practice of law and emotional self-regulation

Technology in the practice of law—subfield credit

MCLE activities for technology credit must include education on technology tools, programs, or applications to assist attorneys in their law practice. Credit will not be rewarded for course content consisting of marketing of a technology product or service. Examples of courses that would qualify for this credit include:

  • Cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection
  • Use of technology to create, receive, transmit, store, analyze, or delete client documents or client documentation
  • Law practice management technology tools, including technology for virtual appearances before a tribunal
  • Use of applications to assist attorneys in advising clients, including artificial intelligence technology
  • Electronic discovery

Civility in the legal profession—subfield credit

MCLE activities for civility in the legal profession provide education and practical instruction in promoting civility and eliminating bias-driven incivility in the legal profession, thereby increasing each participant’s professional competency as an attorney. This includes, but is not limited to training that highlights:

  • The connection between civility and bias and eliminating bias-driven incivility
  • Incivility that is directed at opposing parties or counsel
  • Incivility toward the judiciary

Award-Winning. Nationally Recognized. Always Relevant.

The Beverly Hills Bar Association (BHBA) is an award-winning leader in continuing legal education. Designed by experts from 45 sections, BHBA CLEs go beyond the standard check-the-box format. Each program delivers timely, relevant, and practical insights on today’s most pressing legal issues—giving you a real edge in your practice. With over 1,000 multi-state accredited CLEs spanning dozens of practice areas, BHBA offers engaging programs delivered by top legal experts from across the country. Whether live, OnDemand, or via podcast, you can watch or listen whenever—and wherever—it works for you.

Track your credits automatically with a personalized dashboard that lets you monitor progress, view deadlines, and access certificates—all in one place.

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