Washington CLE Requirements and Courses

    Detailed jurisdiction information about MCLE 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?

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    Washington Newly-Admitted CLE Rules

    Newly admitted Washington attorneys gain the remainder of the year in which they are admitted as additional time to complete their first reporting period.

    Washington General CLE Rules

    • Credit hours required: 45 hours per reporting period
    • Specialty credits required: 6 hours of ethics and professional responsibility and 15 hours of law and legal procedure per reporting period, as of January 1, 2016. See below for effect on compliance groups.
    • Length of reporting period: 3 years
    • Compliance date: December 31
    • Reporting date: February 1
    • Compliance group: There are 3 compliance groups. Attorneys are assigned to groups in a consecutive manner based upon their year of admission.
    • Minutes per credit hour: 60 minutes. To calculate credit for a specific program, divide the total length of the program in minutes by 60 and round up or down to the nearest quarter hour.
    • Limit on credit hours for recorded programs: Washington no longer has a live credit requirement as of January 1, 2016. Attorneys can earn all credits through approved live programs, recorded products, or other approved methods of earning credit such as writing and teaching. See the Washington State Bar Association website below for additional approved methods and pertinent requirements.
    • Attendance Reporting Procedure: The ABA reports attendance to the Washington State Board of Continuing Legal Education for live programs (in-person programs, webinars, and teleconferences) within 30 days after the program. The ABA does not report attendance for recorded products.

    MCLE Rule Changes

    In reaction to the evolving situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, most live in-person CLE events have been cancelled across the world. In response, state and other jurisdictions have have temporarily suspended the requirements that their attorneys attend in-person CLE to fulfill their MCLE requirements or adjusted deadlines, fees, or other aspects of their rules. Your state may have temporarily changed MCLE requirements.

    Review Temporary - MCLE Rule Changes

    State Contact Information

    Washington State Board of CLE, Washington State Bar Association, 1325 4th Ave., Ste. 600, Seattle, WA 98101-2539 | (800) 945-9722 / (206) 443-9722

    Visit Your - State Bar Website

    ABA Membership CLE Benefits

    Need to meet your MCLE deadline?

    All ABA members have unlimited, free access to more than 600 widely-accredited online CLE webinars and on-demand programs. Under today’s rules, members can fulfill their entire requirement with the free library. Browse the Member Benefit Library and FINISH YOUR MCLE TODAY!

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    General Credit CLE For Your State

    From Evaluation to Onboarding: ...

    ...HOW TO MANAGE TECHNOLOGY CHANGES IN YOUR FIRM Learn from Eli Mattern and Jenevieve Haggard as they explore the ethical issues involved in implementing new law firm tech solutions. They cover it all: from evaluations of firm technology to proper roll-out and implementation.

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    Featured Specialty Credit CLE for Washington Attorneys

    (including ethics and law & legal procedure credit 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. Please contact your state MCLE regulatory entity for specific questions about your MCLE rules.

    Go To Your State's - Regulator Page