Can I report CLE credits late in New York?

Experienced New York attorneys must complete 24 CLE credit hours every two years, including 4 credit hours in ethics, 1 credit hour in diversity, inclusion & elimination of bias, and 1 credit hour in cybersecurity, privacy & data protection.

Newly admitted attorneys must complete 16 transitional CLE credits in each of their first two years (a total of 32), with credits distributed among ethics, skills, law practice/areas of professional practice, and a cybersecurity requirement.

Details

• Compliance cycle: 2 years (biennial) — experienced attorneys’ reporting is due within 30 days after their birthday in alternate years.

• Ethics: 4 of the 24 hours must fall in this category.

• Diversity & Bias: 1 credit hour must be in the diversity, inclusion & elimination of bias category.

• Cybersecurity: Effective July 1, 2023, 1 credit is required in cybersecurity, privacy & data protection (can be general or ethics).

• Carryover: Up to 6 credits may carry over into the next reporting period (in any category).

• Newly Admitted Attorneys: Each of the first two years requires 16 credits: 3 in ethics, 6 in skills, 7 in law practice/areas of professional practice. The cybersecurity credit may be fulfilled in Year 1 or Year 2.

Key Takeaway: In New York, experienced attorneys need 24 CLE credits every two years with specific sub-requirements for ethics, diversity, and cybersecurity; newly admitted attorneys must fulfill transitional 16-credit years over their first two years.

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.

New York provides a 30-day automatic grace period after your birthday to complete CLE and report compliance on your biennial registration. Attorneys must certify that they have met their CLE requirements within 30 days of their birthday on alternate years.

New York CLE Deadline & Grace Period

• CLE compliance and reporting deadline: 30 days after your birthday in the reporting year.
• If credits are not completed or reported within that 30-day window, you must apply for an extension citing hardship or extenuating circumstances.
• The maximum extension granted is 90 days beyond the default deadline.

Consequences & Compliance

• Failure to certify CLE compliance by registration may lead your name to be referred to the Appellate Division for disciplinary action.
• During the extension period, you should proceed to complete remaining CLE credits while awaiting the CLE Board’s decision.

Key Takeaway: In New York, the “grace period” is 30 days after your birthday to complete and report CLE — beyond that, you need an approved extension (up to 90 days) to avoid disciplinary exposure.

No — New York does not require in-person CLE across the board, but it does require that newly admitted attorneys obtain some credits via live or interactive formats; experienced attorneys may use non-participatory formats, subject to accreditation rules.

New York CLE Basics

• Experienced attorneys (practicing more than two years) must complete 24 credits every two years, including 4 in ethics, 1 in diversity/inclusion, and 1 in cybersecurity.
• Newly admitted attorneys must complete 32 transitional CLE credits over their first two years (16 per year), including specific allocations for ethics, skills, and practice management.

Format Rules & Restrictions for Newly Admitted Attorneys

• Skills credits must be earned in formats with live interactivity: traditional classroom or fully interactive videoconference.
• Ethics credits may be completed via live classroom, interactive videoconference, or synchronous webconferences/webcasts where audience interaction is allowed.
• Law Practice Management, Areas of Professional Practice, and Cybersecurity-General credits may be taken in any approved format (including non-interactive).
• A temporary exception allows newly admitted attorneys to use webconference or teleconference formats for Skills credits through December 31, 2025; thereafter stricter live format rules for Skills will resume.

Format Rules for Experienced Attorneys

• Experienced attorneys may earn credits via live classroom, webinars, teleconferences, or prerecorded programs, so long as the CLE program is accredited in that format.
• There is no requirement that experienced attorneys attend in person; interactive or non-interactive formats are acceptable if approved.

Key Takeaway: In New York, experienced attorneys can use webinars, prerecorded courses, or in-person events — none is mandatory — but newly admitted attorneys must use live or interactive formats for certain credits (especially Skills and Ethics), with tighter format restrictions and a temporary extension for more flexible delivery through 2025.

Yes — you can submit CLE compliance online in New York by means of the Attorney Registration process.
CLE credits themselves are reported via the registration, not by separately filing each course with the CLE board.

Details:
– All attorneys must renew their registration biennially electronically under “Attorney Online Services,” and that registration includes a section where you certify CLE compliance.
– In the CLE section of the Attorney Registration Form, you check “Certification 1 – Completed CLE credit requirement” (or the exemption/extension box, if applicable).
– You do not attach certificates of attendance to the registration; instead, you must retain them for potential audit (for at least four years).
– As of December 1, 2023, paper registration forms are no longer issued — all registration (and CLE reporting via registration) must be done via the online system.

Key Takeaway
You don’t submit each CLE credit separately online — you certify your compliance through the electronic Attorney Registration, and you keep the backup records in case of audit.

If you miss the CLE deadline in New York, you may face audit and disciplinary referral rather than automatic suspension. New York attorneys do not file CLE separately — they certify CLE compliance on their biennial attorney registration, and failure to do so may lead to report to the Appellate Division.

New York CLE Deadline, Reporting & Extension

• Experienced attorneys must complete 24 CLE hours every two years (including 4 in ethics, 1 in diversity, and 1 in cybersecurity).
• Certification occurs via the attorney registration form, filed within 30 days after your birthday in your reporting year.
• If you fail to complete required credits, you may apply for an extension up to 90 days for undue hardship or extenuating circumstances.

Consequences of Noncompliance

• If audited and unable to show proof of compliance, your name may be referred to the Appellate Division for disciplinary action.
• In past cases, attorneys suspended for CLE non-compliance have had to undergo full reinstatement proceedings.
• The CLE Board does not automatically suspend attorneys simply for missing the deadline — instead, compliance is enforced through audit and disciplinary mechanism.

Key Takeaway: In New York, missing your CLE deadline does not itself trigger suspension — but failure to certify or respond to audit may lead to referral to disciplinary proceedings and possible reinstatement requirements.