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Ontario CPD Requirements and Courses

Detailed jurisdiction information about CPD regulations and general information accreditation of ABA CLE events, webinars, and on-demand CLE courses

CLE FAQ for Newly-Admitted Attorneys

Want to learn more about CLE generally, and explore CLE webinars and on-demand products specifically for newly-admitted attorneys?

Ontario Newly-Admitted CPD Rules

New admittees who practise law or provide legal services are subject to the same CPD Requirement as experienced lawyers.

Ontario General CPD Rules

  • Credit hours required: 12 CPD credits per reporting period, including a minimum of 3 professionalism hours and up to 9 substantive hours
  • Specialty credits required: Between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020, lawyers and paralegals must complete a total of 3 Professionalism Hours that focus on advancing equality, diversity and inclusion in the lawyer and paralegal professions. Each year thereafter, lawyers and paralegals must complete 1 Professionalism Hour that addresses equality, diversity and inclusion principles. These hours count towards the 3 Professionalism Hours required each year.

  • Length of reporting period: 1 year
  • Compliance date: December 31
  • Compliance group: All attorneys
  • Reporting date: December 31
  • Compliance group: All attorneys
  • Minutes per credit hour: 60 minutes, rounded down to the  nearest quarter hour.
  • Limit on credit hours for recorded programs: No limit. Attorneys can earn all CPD hours via recorded programs so long as the program formats have an interactive component.
  • Attendance Reporting Procedure: Only Professionalism Hours, including EDI Professionalism Hours, must be accredited by the Law Society.
    Attorneys must self-report completion of CPD requirements each reporting period through the online LSO Portal. Neither the ABA nor attorneys send certificates of attendance to the Law Society of Ontario.

Provincial Contact Information

The Law Society of Ontario, Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2N6 | (416) 947-3315 / (800) 668-7380

A Note About MCLE Credit

The content on this page is for informational and educational purposes only. Each jurisdiction has its own rules and regulations indicating what qualifies for CLE credit. Please contact your state MCLE regulatory entity for specific questions about your MCLE rules.