How many CLE credits do Rhode Island attorneys need?

Rhode Island attorneys must complete 10 CLE credit hours each year. That includes at least 2 hours in legal ethics and, starting July 1, 2025, 1 hour in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Annual CLE Requirements in Rhode Island

• Total requirement: 10 credit hours per reporting year
• Ethics requirement: 2 credit hours
• DEI requirement: 1 credit hour (effective July 1, 2025)
• Minimum live credit: 4 credit hours
• Maximum video replay/distance learning: 6 credit hours
• Reporting deadline: June 30 annually

Carryover & Exemptions

• Up to 10 excess live credits may carry forward one year
• Ethics credits in excess may also be carried over
• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt from the CLE requirement during the reporting year they are admitted and the next full reporting year; they must complete a “Bridge the Gap” program

Key Takeaway: Rhode Island requires 10 CLE hours each year, including 2 in ethics, 1 in DEI (from July 2025), with minimum live credits, limited carryover, and a Bridge the Gap requirement for new attorneys.

Attorneys in Rhode Island report CLE through an online MCLE Portal, submitting a “Credit Reporting Appendix G” for each reporting year by June 30. Providers also submit attendance data to match the attorney’s submissions.

Key Details:

• The MCLE year runs July 1 through June 30. Filings (credit reporting, teaching, out-of-state, waivers) must be done via the MCLE Portal; paper submissions or emailed certificates are not accepted.
• The Credit Reporting Appendix G form is the primary reporting vehicle; attorneys check a certification box and submit via the portal.
• Attorneys must retain certificates for three years; the MCLE Commission cross-matches attorney submissions with provider reports.
• Late filing incurs additional fees if submitted after June 30; attorneys 70 and older after the June 30 cutoff may be exempt.

Key Takeaway: In Rhode Island, CLE reporting is done exclusively online through the MCLE Portal using Appendix G by June 30, and certificates are retained—not mailed or emailed.

In Rhode Island, CLE credit counts when earned through approved educational programs or activities accredited by the MCLE Commission, including live seminars, video replay, teaching, in-house training, authorship, and certain service roles.

Attorneys must complete 10 credit hours annually, including at least 2 hours in legal ethics and, beginning July 1, 2025, 1 hour in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Qualifying activities that count

• Live or interactive programs (in-person, webinars, teleseminars) with attendance verified.
• Video replay / on-demand programs—limited to 6 credit hours per year.
• Teaching or presenting approved MCLE programs—subject to a 6 credit annual cap.
• In-house programs (firm or employer) offered under MCLE approval—subject to a 5 credit annual cap.
• Authorship of legal publications (articles, chapters) approved by MCLE Commission—up to 5 credit hours per year.
• Participation as a judge, facilitator, or trainer in moot/mock court programs—up to 1 credit per year.
• Service on court appointment panels (criminal court, indigent defense) – subject to a 5 credit annual cap.
• Participation in book discussion groups in discrete legal educational settings—up to 1.5 credit hours per year.

Limits, carryover & special rules

• At least 4 credit hours must be earned via live or interactive format.
• Video replay credit is capped at 6 hours per year.
• Teaching, in-house, and authorship credits each have their own yearly caps as noted above.
• Up to 10 excess credits (beyond the 10 required) may be carried forward to the next year; ethics credits may also carry over.
• Credit is awarded on a basis of one hour for each 50 minutes of instruction.
• Attorneys must retain certificates for three years in case of audit.
• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt during the reporting year of admission and the following full year; they must complete a mandatory “Bridge the Gap” program unless exempt under prior bar admission.
• Reporting cycle is July 1 through June 30; all credits must be completed and reported by June 30.

Key Takeaway: In Rhode Island, approved live/interactive programs, video replay (within cap), teaching, in-house education, authorship, moot court service, and other accredited legal education activities count toward the 10-credit annual requirement—so long as you respect format caps, required ethics/DEI hours, carryforward rules, and reporting deadlines.

Yes — Rhode Island requires that at least 4 of an attorney’s 10 annual CLE credits be earned in “live” formats (in-person, live webcast, or teleconference). The remainder may be earned through video replay or other non-live formats, subject to limitations.

Rhode Island CLE Requirements

• Total requirement: 10 credit hours per reporting year (July 1–June 30) with at least 2 in ethics.
• Live-credit minimum: At least 4 credits must be earned in live programs (in-person, teleseminar, or webinar).
• Video replay limit: Attorneys may earn up to 6 credits per year via video replay or prerecorded courses.
• Credit types allowed: In-person, webcast/webinar, teleseminar, and video replay are all eligible (within limits).

Key Takeaway: In Rhode Island, attorneys must earn at least 4 of their 10 CLE credits annually via live formats (in-person or interactive webcast/teleconference); up to 6 credits may come from video replay/non-live programs.

Yes — Rhode Island requires a minimum of 4 credit hours annually in live formats (in-person or synchronous).

Attorneys must complete 10 MCLE credit hours per year, of which up to 6 may be via recorded or on-demand programs.

Details

• Rhode Island’s MCLE rules mandate 10 total credit hours annually, including 2 hours in ethics and 1 in diversity/inclusion.
• At least 4 hours must be earned via “live” programs (in-person or synchronous webcast) to satisfy the live-format minimum.
• The remaining hours may be taken through approved recorded programs (subject to a cap).
• Excess credits in live format may carry over to the next year (live credits carry forward).
• Recorded (on-demand) credits beyond the allowable amount may not carry forward.

Key Takeaway

Rhode Island enforces a live-format minimum: at least 4 of the 10 annual CLE credits must be earned via live instruction (in-person or synchronous).

Yes — Rhode Island allows carryover of CLE credits, up to 10 credits into the next reporting period.
The Rhode Island MCLE Commission confirms this carryover in its 2026 filing notice.

Details & nuances

• According to the 2026 Reporting Year MCLE Filing Notice, Rhode Island attorneys may carry over up to 10 credits; those carryover credits will automatically compute and apply to the next year but not thereafter.
• NBI’s Rhode Island CLE overview likewise states that attorneys “can carry over 10.00 CLE credits to your first reporting period.”
• Lawline’s CLE state summary similarly notes “Carry Over Credits: Attorneys may carry over 10 credits into the next reporting period.”
• Rhode Island requires 10 CLE hours per reporting year, including 2 hours in ethics (and, starting July 1, 2025, 1 hour in DEI).
• The carryover is limited to one year — credits not used in the next year do not continue carrying further.

Key Takeaway
In Rhode Island, you may carry forward up to 10 CLE credits into the next reporting period (including ethics), but unused carryover beyond that one year is lost.