New York
MCLE Rules Changes
Effective March 11, 2020, the New York State CLE Board implemented the following policy change: Newly admitted attorneys (those admitted to the New York State Bar for two years or less) may participate in Skills CLE courses in the following live, nontraditional formats, where questions are allowed during the program: (a) webconference; (b) teleconference; and (c) videoconference. This change is effective through June 30, 2020, and should conditions warrant, may be extended. For more information and the latest updates, please go to the CLE Board website at: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/doc/29251
MCLE Requirements
Credit hours and reporting:
Experienced attorneys (admitted to the New York Bar for more than two years) are required to complete 24 credit hours, with at least 4 of the 24 credit hours in the Ethics and Professionalism category and 1 of the remaining credits in Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias every two years, reporting within 30 days after the attorney's birthday.
Newly Admitted attorneys (admitted to the New York Bar for two years or less) are required to complete 32 credit hours in transitional accredited programs during the first two years of admission - 16 credit hours in each year as follows: 3 in Ethics and Professionalism credit, 6 in Skills, and 7 in Law Practice Management and/or Areas of Professional Practice. Newly admitted attorneys must complete the first set of 16 transitional CLE credit hours before the first anniversary of admission to the NY Bar, in the designated categories of credit. The second set of 16 transitional CLE credit hours must be completed between the first and second anniversaries of admission.
Length of reporting period: 2 years
Minutes per credit hour: 50 minutes. To calculate credit for a specific program, divide the total minutes of instruction by 50 and round down to the nearest half hour.
Attendance Reporting Procedure: The ABA issues New York certificates of attendance to attorneys after verifying their participation. Attorneys must retain these certificates for four years after the program and certify completion of CLE requirements each reporting period. The ABA does not send certificates of attendance to the New York board.
Approval of ABA Programs
Approved ABA CLE Product Formats
The ABA is an accredited provider in New York and is approved for the following formats. Experienced attorneys may earn credit through any of the approved formats below in all NY credit categories (ethics and professionalism, skills, law practice management, and areas of professional practice) for all the approved formats. Newly admitted attorneys may earn credit for the formats below subject to the indicated credit restrictions.
Approved ABA Live Program Formats
Live, In-Person meetings (e.g., National Institutes)*
Live Webinars and Teleconferences**
Approved ABA CLE Product Formats
On-Demand Online courses***
*Credit available for all credit categories for newly experienced attorneys
** Credit available for all credit categories except skills (i.e., credit available for ethics and professionalism, law practice management, and areas of professional practice)
*** Credit available for experienced attorneys and for newly experienced attorneys in the law practice management and areas of professional practice credit categories (i.e., credit not available for ethics and professionalism and skills)
State Contact Information
New York State Continuing Legal Education Board
25 Beaver Street, Room 888
New York, NY 10004
(212) 428-2105
Toll-free outside NYC: (877) 697-4253
e-mail: CLE@nycourts.gov
website: www.nycourts.gov/attorneys/cle
A Note About MCLE Credit
The content on this page is for informational and educational purposes only. Each state has its own rules and regulations indicating what qualifies for CLE credit. Certain programs, subjects, and formats may not receive credit in some states and there may be specific rules regarding who may earn credit or the maximum number of credit hours that may be earned with specific formats. Please contact your state MCLE regulatory entity for specific questions about your MCLE rules.
