The Virginia Supreme Court has established, by Rule of Court, a mandatory continuing legal education program in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which requires each active member of the Virginia State Bar annually to complete a minimum of twelve (12) hours of approved continuing legal education courses, of which at least two (2) hours shall be in the area of legal ethics or professionalism and four (4) hours from live interactive programs.
As the only full-service Continuing Legal Education provider dedicated to Virginia law and the Virginia legal community, Virginia CLE® is uniquely qualified to help Virginia attorneys meet their annual MCLE requirements.
Please don't confuse us with the Virginia State Bar's Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Department. Virginia MCLE questions that are not answered by the VSB website or this FAQ should be directed to the MCLE Department at (804) 775-0577 or mcle@vsb.org.
Out-of-State Credit: Click here for information about using Virginia CLE® seminars for CLE credit in other states.
Live-Interactive Requirement: All Virginia CLE® Live on Site, Webcast, and Telephone Seminars carry live-interactive credit toward meeting the Bar's 4-hour requirement. Click here for information.
Ethics CLE Credit in Virginia: Virginia CLE® offers many programs with Ethics credits. Click here for to search for programs with Ethics credit.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are my annual Virginia continuing legal education requirements as a member of the Virginia bar?
Every 12 months, attorneys must obtain 12 MCLE credit hours, 4 of which must be in seminars that include live-interaction with the presenter (all Virginia CLE® live on site, webcast and telephone seminars meet this requirement), and 2 of which must be "legal ethics" or "professionalism." Click here for a detailed discussion of the live-interactive requirement.
What is the annual MCLE deadline?
The MCLE reporting period runs from November 1 to October 31.
Are there any exceptions?
Members newly admitted to practice law in Virginia during the current reporting period are exempt from the MCLE requirements. Note that the date on which you are "admitted" is deemed to be the date on which your license was issued, not the date on which you were sworn in.
What if I have obtained more credit hours than I need?
A maximum of 12 excess credit hours, including 2 ethics credits, can be carried over to the next reporting period. Only 8 excess credit hours earned from prerecorded courses can be carried over to the next reporting period.
What happens if I do not get my 12 credit hours (including 4 live-interactive and 2 ethics credit) by the October 31 deadline?
If you do not complete your MCLE requirements by October 31, you will incur fees. For more information, click on VSB MCLE Web Page.
What if I have already completed my previous credit year MCLE hours — can I take courses in November and apply the credits to the new reporting period?
Yes. Courses taken after October 31 will be applied toward the new credit year with no penalties assessed.
Can I apply MCLE credit earned through Virginia CLE® to other states?
Possibly. Please check here for more information.
What if I have already taken all or part of this program?
MCLE regulations state that you may not receive credit for the same course in two successive credit years. For example, if you received MCLE credit for a course in any form (e.g., live, video replay, phone, webcast, on demand) between November 1, 2015 and October 31, 2016, you must wait until after October 31, 2017 to take it again for MCLE credit.
What should I do if I have other questions about MCLE requirements?
The Virginia MCLE Board, which is appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court, enforces and administers the requirements. Please direct questions to the MCLE Department at (804) 775-0577 or mcle@vsb.org. Or, visit the VSB MCLE Web Page.
OUT-OF-STATE CREDIT INFORMATION
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