Do CLE requirements differ for part-time vs full-time attorneys in Washington?

In Washington, you can begin entering CLE credits into your MCLE transcript as soon as you complete a qualifying activity (especially for courses that require self-reporting). Providers and attorneys may submit credits before the end of the cycle.

However, you cannot formally certify your CLE compliance until after the reporting period ends (December 31). The deadline to certify your credits is February 1 of the following year.

Key Details

• Washington attorneys must complete 45 MCLE credit hours every three years.
• All credits must be earned by December 31 of the final year of the reporting period.
• You must submit your certification (attestation) by February 1 of the year after the period ends.
• Washington’s Online MCLE system allows attorneys to add or self-report credits (e.g. for recorded courses) before cycle close.
• If credits exceed 45 in a cycle, you may carry over up to 15 credits (and up to 2 ethics) into the next reporting period.
• The rules (APR 11) also require at least 1 ethics credit in the area of equity/inclusion in each cycle starting with 2023-2025.

Key Takeaway
In Washington, CLE credits may be entered any time during the reporting period, but formal certification is only permitted after December 31, with a deadline of February 1 to certify compliance.

No — Washington does not require a fixed number of in-person classroom CLE hours.

The state’s MCLE rules allow attorneys to earn all required credits via approved online, recorded, or live-interactive programs without a live-credit minimum.

Details

• Under Washington’s APR 11 rules, a lawyer must complete 45 CLE credits in a three-year cycle, including at least 15 credits in law/legal procedure and 6 ethics credits.
• There is no live requirement under current rules — attorneys may satisfy the full requirement through recorded or online formats.
• Earlier rules required that at least half of credits be “live” (including live webcasts), but that requirement has been removed effective with amendments.
• The MCLE Online System guide confirms: “There is no live requirement. All courses may be taken online or as a recorded format.”

Key Takeaway

Washington permits full flexibility in CLE format — there is no minimum in-person classroom requirement under its current rules.

Inactive attorneys in Washington are not required to report or complete MCLE while their status remains inactive.

Upon reactivation, they must meet all MCLE obligations as an active member and may incur additional reinstatement conditions depending on how long they have been inactive.

Details

• The Washington State Bar allows inactive status for members not practicing law; while inactive, MCLE reports are not required.
• WSBA MCLE FAQs confirm that inactive, pro bono, and honorary status holders have no MCLE obligations during those statuses.
• To return to active status, members must earn and report the full MCLE credits applicable to active members (45 credit hours every three years for lawyers, including ethics and equity requirements).
• If a member has been inactive (or suspended) for more than six consecutive years, they must earn the required credits within three years of reinstatement.

Key Takeaway

In Washington, inactive status suspends MCLE obligations entirely, but reactivation triggers full credit and reporting requirements, possibly with additional constraints for long inactivity.

No — in Washington, judges are not governed by a separate CLE regime; they participate under the same MCLE rules that apply to attorneys (with some special allowances for judicial ethics).

Washington’s MCLE rules (APR 11) include judges (classified as “judicial members”) among those required to satisfy CLE, and the state separately provides Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) credit, especially in ethics, as part of judicial training.

Details

• Under APR 11, “judicial members” (i.e. judges or administrative law judges) must complete 45 credits every three years, including subject categories and ethics requirements.
• Washington’s courts maintain a Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) program: judges may earn ethics credits via judicial education courses or self-study, with credit assignments for judicial ethics units.
• The CJE ethics credits are part of the judicial branch’s training infrastructure and are tracked through the Administrative Office of Courts’ judicial education standards.

Key Takeaway

In Washington, judges must comply with the same MCLE requirements as attorneys (45 credits every three years), and they also engage in dedicated judicial education (especially ethics) through the state’s CJE program—but there is no wholly separate CLE system exclusively for judges.

Yes — Washington attorneys may request an extension of time (or modification) to satisfy MCLE reporting requirements by filing a petition for undue hardship. APR 11 expressly authorizes waiver, modification, or extension of education or reporting obligations in cases of undue hardship.

Washington MCLE Structure & Deadlines

• Washington attorneys must complete 45 MCLE credits in each three-year period, including 15 law & legal procedure, 6 ethics (1 equity) credits.
• Credits must be earned by December 31 of the reporting period’s final year.
• Certification (reporting) is due by February 1 following the period.
• A late fee is imposed if credits are late or certification is late.

Hardship / Extension / Modification Authority

• Under APR 11(d)(2)(vi), the MCLE Board “shall waive or modify a lawyer’s … education or reporting requirements” upon a showing of undue hardship.
• APR 11(i)(5) permits petitioning for extension, waiver, or modification “at any time” in a form prescribed by the Bar.
• A petition filed more than 30 days after an APR 17 presuspension notice cannot stay suspension.

What You Should Do

1. Evaluate whether your situation qualifies as “undue hardship.”
2. Get the official petition form for extension/modification/waiver from WSBA or the MCLE Board.
3. File the petition before or shortly after your February 1 certification deadline.
4. Explain your hardship, prior compliance efforts, and timeline to complete what remains.
5. Continue earning CLE while your petition is pending — extension doesn’t pause obligations.
6. If granted, follow the Board’s modified schedule or conditions.

Limitations & Considerations

• The extension is discretionary, not a right.
• Filing a petition doesn’t automatically prevent suspension unless timely under the rule limits.
• If denied and noncompliance continues, administrative suspension under APR 17 is possible.
• The duration of any extension is determined case by case.

Key Takeaway

Under Washington’s APR 11, attorneys may file a hardship petition to obtain an extension, waiver, or modification of MCLE reporting obligations — but relief is discretionary, subject to procedural limits, and must be justified and timely.

Yes — Washington attorneys can submit (i.e. self-report) many CLE credits online through the WSBA MCLE Online System.

The system allows you to view your transcript, add credits (especially for recorded courses), and certify compliance for your reporting cycle.

Details:

• The WSBA MCLE page states you can “Login to Your MCLE Account to view, report, or apply for credits.”
• In its requirements guide, WSBA permits attorneys to “add Realtime or Recorded Course Credit” through the online system.
• For live courses, sponsors must report attendance within 30 days.
• Recorded (on-demand) courses are typically self-reported by attorneys using the activity ID from the certificate.
• You must certify your credits by February 1 following the close of your reporting period.

Key Takeaway
Yes — in Washington you can submit most CLE credits online through the WSBA MCLE system (notably your recorded credits and certification), though live attendance is reported by sponsors.