Does New York have minimum live webcast or in-person CLE requirements?

Yes — New York’s CLE rules exempt some attorneys, subject to conditions, under 22 NYCRR § 1500.5.

Attorneys who do not practice law in New York during their biennial reporting cycle, full-time active U.S. military members, attorneys temporarily admitted for a case, and those retired under Judiciary Law § 468-a are among those eligible.

Details / Exceptions

• Not Practicing in New York: Attorneys who certify that they did not provide legal advice or representation during the cycle are exempt.
• Active Military Duty: Full-time members of U.S. or State military services on active duty are exempt.
• Temporary Admission: Attorneys with offices outside New York temporarily admitted to practice in NY for specific proceedings are exempt.
• Retirement Certification: Attorneys who certify they are retired pursuant to Judiciary Law § 468-a are exempt.
• Waiver / Modification: In individual cases involving undue hardship or extenuating circumstances, the CLE Board may grant waivers or modifications.
• Prorated CLE: If an attorney begins or ceases practicing in New York mid-cycle, a prorated CLE requirement may apply.

Key Takeaway
New York does not blanket-exempt broad classes like judges or older attorneys, but provides targeted exemptions for non-practicing, military, temporary admissions, or retired attorneys, with room for waivers in hardship cases.

In New York, attorneys earn CLE credit by participating in Board-accredited programs, presenting or teaching, publishing legal works, or engaging in qualifying pro bono service, subject to format, documentation, and category rules.

These rules derive from 22 NYCRR Part 1500 and the NY State CLE Board’s policies.

Credit-eligible activities

• Attendance at accredited programs in formats such as live classroom, webinars, teleconferences, videoconferences, and recorded/on-demand courses, provided the sponsor is NY-approved.
• Presenting, teaching, moderating, or panel participation at accredited CLE programs; credit awarded for instruction time and in some cases preparation.
• Publishing legal writings, legal articles or books, when the CLE Board approves the content for credit.
• Involvement in legal education or service roles recognized by the CLE Board (e.g. judging moot court or supervising competitions).
• Out-of-state courses approved via the NY “Approved Jurisdiction” policy, converted to NY credit based on minute rules.

Key constraints & formatting rules

• Credit is calculated in 50-minute hours, in 0.5-hour increments.
• Experienced attorneys (bar > 2 years) must complete 24 credits every two years, including 4 in Ethics, 1 in Diversity, Inclusion & Elimination of Bias, and 1 in Cybersecurity (effective July 1, 2023).
• Newly admitted attorneys must complete 32 transitional credits in their first two years (16 credits per year) in required categories (Ethics, Skills, Law Practice Management, Cybersecurity).
• Ethics/Professionalism, Diversity, and Cybersecurity credits may require participation or interactivity (e.g. live or fully interactive webcast) depending on rules.
• Excess credits may carry over: experienced attorneys may carry over up to 6 credits.
• Attorneys must retain certificates for program completion (minimum four years) and report CLE compliance on the biennial attorney registration form.

Key Takeaway: In New York, CLE “counts” when attorneys attend NY-accredited programs, teach or publish with approval, or participate in legal education roles—including out-of-state programs under the Approved Jurisdiction policy—subject to minute-based credit calculations, required credit categories, and reporting rules under 22 NYCRR Part 1500.

Yes — New York allows carryover of CLE credits, with caps and rules depending on status (experienced or newly admitted).

Experienced attorneys may carry over up to 6 excess CLE credit hours into the next biennial reporting cycle.

Details & nuances

• Under the New York CLE “Carry-Over Credit FAQs,” once you complete your required 24 hours, you may carry forward a maximum of 6 excess credit hours, in any category.
• The New York Rules (NYCRR) similarly provide: “an attorney who accumulates more than the 24 hours of credit in any one biennial reporting cycle may carry over a maximum of six credits.”
• For newly admitted attorneys (in their transitional 2-year period), the carryover rules differ:
  • If in your first year you earn more than the required transitional 16 credits, you may carry over up to 8 credits into your second year.
  • Once the transitional period is over, you follow the 6-credit carryover maximum like experienced attorneys.
• Ethics/Professionalism credits cannot be carried over during the transitional period, although after you become an experienced attorney you may carry ethics credits in the 6-credit carryover.

Key Takeaway

In New York, experienced attorneys may carry over up to 6 CLE credits into the next biennial period; newly admitted attorneys have a higher carryover (up to 8 credits) only during their transitional period, but ethics credits aren’t allowed to carry over then.