New Jersey State Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Requirements

New Jersey State Requirements:

• Those Affected: Any Lawyer (Newly Admitted or Active) with NJ license
• Length of Reporting Period: 2 years
• Total Credits Required: 24 Hours
• Ethics and Professionalism -- Minimum Credits Per Period: 4
• 1 Credit Hour = 50 Minutes of Instruction

Total Online Credits Allowed: 12 per reporting period

Compliance Rules

• Any attorney with a plenary or limited license to the New Jersey bar is required to comply. The program is mandatory for attorneys, judges, in-house corporate counsel, and attorneys who work for government entities.
• Compliance Group 1 (Birthdays between January – June): 24 credits by 12/31/11
• Compliance Period 2 (Birthdays between July – December): 12 credits by 12/31/10, and 24 credits every two years thereafter.

Newly Admitted Lawyer Requirement Specifications:
MCLE became effective on January 1, 2010, and, pursuant to Regulation 201:2 of the New Jersey Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education, newly admitted lawyers in New Jersey must satisfy 15 of their required 24 MCLE credits in any 5 of the following 9 subject areas during their first compliance period: (Up to 12 credits can be earned online).

• New Jersey Basic Estate Administration 101
• New Jersey Basic Estate Planning 101
• New Jersey Family Law Practice 101
• New Jersey Residential Real Estate 101 (2010,2011)
• New Jersey Law Office Management 101
• New Jersey Trust & Business Accounting 101
• New Jersey landlord – Tenant Practice 101
• New Jersey Municipal Court Practice 101 (2010,2011)
• New Jersey Civil Trial Preparation 101
• New Jersey Criminal Trial Preparation 101

The above requirements for "newly admitted lawyers" can only be fulfilled by New Jersey specific CLE courses in the preselected subject areas above.

Exclusions: Lawyers who have satisfactorily completed at least the first full year’s requirements of the Skills and Methods Course previously mandated by former N.J.Ct.R. 1:26 will be considered to have satisfied the "newly admitted lawyer" requirements.