Are any attorneys exempt from CLE in North Carolina?

North Carolina does not provide a CLE exemption simply for “inactive attorneys”—inactive status does not relieve the obligations that were due while active.

When an attorney petitions to return from inactive status, they must fulfill any CLE requirements applicable to the year they became inactive plus additional CLE for the period of inactivity (up to certain caps).

Details:

• Under Rule .0902, a reinstating attorney must satisfy the CLE requirement for the “subject year” (the year they left active status) including any carried deficit, unless previously exempt.
• If more than one year elapsed while inactive, the attorney must complete 12 hours of approved CLE for each inactive year (maximum of seven years) within the two years preceding reinstatement.
• The CLE credits required for active members under Rule .1518 are 24 hours per two-year reporting period, with minimums: 4 hours ethics/professional responsibility, 1 hour technology training, 1 hour professional well-being (mental health/substance use).
• If an attorney remained inactive for seven years or more, reinstatement may require passing the bar examination, state-specific component, and MPRE instead of CLE catch-up.

Key Takeaway:
In North Carolina, going inactive does not erase CLE obligations. To reactivate, attorneys must make up deficits from the subject year and possibly multiple years of inactivity, up to the rule’s limits.

Yes, at least one state — New York — requires a dedicated CLE credit in cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection. Other states are moving toward similar mandates through broader “technology CLE” requirements.

Current Cybersecurity CLE Requirements

• New York: Attorneys must complete 1 credit in cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection as part of their biennial CLE cycle (effective July 1, 2023).
• Florida: Requires 3 technology-related CLE credits every three-year cycle, which may include cybersecurity training.
• North Carolina: Requires 1 technology CLE credit annually, and cybersecurity courses may satisfy this requirement.
• New Jersey: Beginning in April 2025, attorneys must complete 1 technology CLE credit per biennial cycle, potentially including cybersecurity content.

Practical Implications

• Cybersecurity CLE is not yet universal but is becoming more common as part of broader technology-competence rules.
• Attorneys should confirm whether their state recognizes cybersecurity as a standalone requirement or as part of technology or ethics credits.
• Sprout Education tracks emerging CLE categories like cybersecurity and ensures attorneys meet both current and new compliance standards.

Key Takeaway: Cybersecurity CLE is required in New York and may be covered under technology CLE in states like Florida, North Carolina, and New Jersey, but it is not yet a universal mandate.

Yes — judges in North Carolina have a separate continuing judicial education (CJE) requirement that is distinct from the CLE obligations for attorneys.

The North Carolina Supreme Court has adopted Rules of Continuing Judicial Education mandating specific education hours and types for judges, and judges are exempt from the State Bar’s CLE rule while serving on the bench.

Details

• Every judge in the trial division must, within the first year after appointment or election, attend an orientation or instruction course for new judges.
• Judges and justices must complete 30 hours of judicial education every two years, of which at least 15 hours must be in courses designed especially for judges (i.e. judicially-oriented).
• The Rules of Continuing Judicial Education codified by the Supreme Court outline these requirements.
• Magistrates also have distinct continuing education rules: within six months of taking office, a magistrate must complete 40 hours of basic training. Then magistrates must complete 12 hours annually of continuing education approved for magistrates.
• Under the North Carolina rules, judges and justices are exempt from the State Bar CLE requirement (27 N.C.A.C. 01D.1517(c)).

Key Takeaway

In North Carolina, judges (and magistrates) must satisfy a dedicated continuing judicial education regime under Supreme Court rules, and are exempt from the general State Bar CLE requirement while serving on the bench.

You report CLE credits in North Carolina mostly via sponsor reporting, but you must verify your transcript and self-report certificates if the sponsor does not report within 40 days.
Under new rules effective March 1, 2024, your reporting period is two years (March 1–February 28), and compliance is certified through your State Bar record.

Overview of North Carolina CLE Reporting

The CLE reporting cycle runs from March 1 through February 28 of the second year.
Attorneys must complete 24 CLE hours in each cycle, including 4 hours of ethics/professional responsibility, 1 hour of technology training, and 1 hour of professional well-being.
Up to 12 hours may carry over to the next cycle, but ethics, technology, and well-being credits do not carry over.
Most CLE program sponsors report your attendance to the State Bar within 40 days.
If the sponsor fails to report, you may submit your certificate to the CLE department.

Steps to Report CLE in North Carolina

• Ensure you complete your 24 hours (including the required ethics, tech, and well-being) by the end of your reporting period (February 28).
• Verify your CLE transcript in the NC State Bar member portal to confirm that your program attendance was reported.
• If a sponsor has not reported attendance within 40 days, submit your certificate to the CLE department (mail, fax, or email).
• If you teach a CLE program, apply for teaching credit via the North Carolina “Teacher Credit” application form.
• If you earned credits through Sprout Education, verify that your programs meet NC requirements and check whether the sponsor submitted your attendance (we support reporting where allowed—but verifying your transcript is your responsibility).

Key Takeaway: In North Carolina, you don’t normally file every credit yourself—sponsors do. But you must check your transcript each cycle, submit certificates for unreported attendance, and assure completion of 24 hours (with required ethics, tech, and well-being) by February 28.

No — North Carolina’s CLE rules do not provide for a formal “extension” of time to report CLE, but they do authorize one-year exemptions for “special circumstances” like undue hardship. The Board may exempt an active member from CLE obligations for up to one calendar year on a showing of unique hardship.

North Carolina’s Rules & Exemptions

• Under 27 NCAC 01D, Rule .1517, the Board may exempt an active member from CLE requirements “for a period of not more than one year at a time” for “special circumstances unique to that member constituting undue hardship or other reasonable basis.”
• The NC CLE Exemptions page advises that attorneys may apply in writing to the Exemption Committee, explaining reasons and supplying documentation.
• The FAQ and Exemptions pages do not mention any separate extension or grace-period mechanism beyond the exemption process.

What You Should Do

1. Prepare a written request to the Exemption Committee of the NC CLE Board, stating your special circumstances and hardship.
2. Submit it together with your annual dues or at the time when exemptions are claimed, including supporting documentation (medical records, travel disruption, etc.).
3. If granted, the Board may exempt you from CLE obligations for one calendar year under Rule .1517.
4. If not granted, you must complete and report CLE as required in the regular reporting period.

Limitations & Considerations

• The exemption is discretionary — not every request will be approved.
• Rule .1517 limits exemptions to one year at a time; repeated exemptions for the same hardship may not be allowed.
• An exemption relieves your obligation for a period; it does not operate like an “extension” of reporting deadlines.
• During years without an exemption, you must satisfy CLE requirements under the standard schedule or face noncompliance consequences.

Key Takeaway
North Carolina does not allow extensions of CLE reporting, but you may petition for a one-year exemption under Rule .1517 for special hardship — success is discretionary.

No — North Carolina’s CLE rules do not provide a reduced obligation for part-time attorneys; all active bar members must satisfy the same standard (unless exempt or prorated for partial first period).

All active members of the North Carolina State Bar must complete 24 hours of approved CLE over each two-year reporting period, including 4 hours in professional responsibility (ethics), 1 hour in technology training, and 1 hour in professional well-being.

Details:

• Members may carry forward up to 12 credit hours (but specialty credits like ethics, technology, or well-being must be earned in each period).
• Lawyers admitted in “odd” years will have a one-time, one-year/12-hour requirement to stagger reporting periods; those admitted in “even” years go directly into the full two-year/24-hour cycle.
• Exemptions may be claimed under 27 NCAC 1D, Rule .1517 for disability, hardship, or other reasons.
• Credit for nontraditional programs (e.g. teaching law courses) is allowed under Rule .1523, subject to Board approval.

Key Takeaway: In North Carolina, part-time vs full-time practice makes no difference — all active attorneys must comply with the full 24-hour, two-year CLE requirement (barring exemptions or the special first-period prorating rule).