What are the CLE requirements for inactive attorneys in West Virginia?

Yes — judges in West Virginia are subject to a separate Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) requirement distinct from attorney CLE.
The CJE program is administered by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia through the Administrative Office and applies specifically to judicial officers.

Under Rule 7 of the Rules of Judicial Disciplinary Procedure, every full-time judge must complete a minimum of 50 hours of approved judicial education every two years. These hours must include instruction in judicial ethics, substantive law, and other areas essential to judicial competence. The Administrative Director of the Courts oversees compliance and may grant extensions or waivers for good cause.

Summary of Judicial Education Obligations

Key Takeaway

Judges in West Virginia must complete 50 hours of Continuing Judicial Education every two years under the Supreme Court’s judicial disciplinary rules, separate from the attorney CLE system.

In West Virginia, CLE credit is earned via approved courses, self-study, teaching, pro bono service, and certain “Bridge the Gap” programming—all governed by Rule 6 of the West Virginia State Bar’s MCLE regulations.

Attorneys must complete 24 credit hours every two years, including 3 hours in ethics, office management, substance abuse, or elimination of bias.

Qualifying CLE activities

• Approved live or interactive courses (in-person or webcast) — credit for instruction time, measured in 50-minute hours.
• On-demand / recorded digital courses that are accredited — subject to a cap.
• Teaching, lecturing, or presenting approved CLE programs (including preparation) upon prior approval by the MCLE Commission.
• Authorship or publication of legal materials when approved under Rule 6.05.
• Pro bono legal service, through specified approved organizations — one CLE credit for every three hours of qualifying service (up to 6 CLE credits per cycle).
• Bridge the Gap (new lawyer) seminar attendance is required for newly admitted attorneys and counts toward CLE.

Limits, caps & special rules

• No more than 12 hours of CLE credit may be earned via recorded / on-demand courses in a reporting period.
• A maximum of 6 pro bono CLE credits may be earned per reporting period; pro bono credits do not carry over.
• Attorneys may carry over up to 6 non-ethics CLE credits into the next reporting period; ethics, office management, substance abuse, and elimination-of-bias credits may not carry over.
• CLE must be completed by June 30 of even-numbered years; reporting deadline is July 31 of those years.
• In calculating credit, one hour of CLE credit is given for each 50 minutes of instruction in an approved course.
• For courses by non-presumptively accredited providers, attorneys must seek individual course approval.

Key Takeaway: In West Virginia, you can satisfy your 24-hour biennial CLE by attending approved live or recorded courses, teaching, publishing legal works, performing pro bono service (within limits), and attending Bridge the Gap if new—just be sure to meet the ethics requirement, respect the cap on recorded credit, and comply with carryover and reporting rules.

If you miss West Virginia’s CLE deadline, you may incur late-reporting penalties and risk referral for suspension if the deficiency persists. West Virginia attorneys must complete 24 CLE credits (including 3 in ethics/office management/substance abuse/elimination of bias) every two years, with all credits earned by June 30 of even-numbered years and reports submitted by July 31.

West Virginia CLE Deadline & Reporting

• June 30 (even years): Deadline to complete required CLE credits.
• July 31 (even years): Deadline to report credit compliance.

Consequences & Suspension Risk

• Attorneys who fail to timely report may face late-reporting penalties (e.g. a “late reporting penalty” in fee schedule).
• Continued noncompliance may lead to referral to the West Virginia MCLE Commission or Supreme Court for suspension until compliance is restored.
• Reinstatement will require completing all deficient CLE hours, paying assessed penalties, and filing proof of compliance.

Key Takeaway: In West Virginia, missing your CLE deadline exposes you to late-reporting penalties and possible suspension unless you promptly cure the deficiency and file your compliance report.

No — West Virginia’s MCLE rules do not appear to include broad, automatic exemptions for particular classes of attorneys; all active members generally must comply.

The State Bar’s MCLE rules (Article 15, Rule 6) impose 24 credit hours every two years for active attorneys, and make no listed blanket exemptions beyond what the rules explicitly permit.

Details / Exceptions

• There is a “Bridge the Gap” requirement for new admittees, but no broad exemption from the CLE requirement is stated for judges, senior attorneys, or public office holders.
• The rules do not list “inactive status” as an exemption: inactive attorneys are generally outside the “active” requirement.
• Some attorneys may request a waiver or make substitution under special circumstances, though such relief is discretionary.
• The MCLE rules do require every active attorney to report and comply unless exempt under specific rule criteria (none of which are broad classes).
• Because the Bar publishes no exempt categories beyond possible waiver relief, relying on “exemption” without checking the rules or petition is risky.

Key Takeaway
In West Virginia, there are no widely recognized blanket exemptions from CLE; all active attorneys must comply, and only narrow, rule-based relief (waivers, substitutions) may apply in special cases.

Yes — West Virginia requires attorneys to complete at least 12 hours of “live” programming (in-person or synchronous) in each biennial CLE reporting period.

The total CLE obligation is 24 credit hours every two years, and up to 12 hours may be earned via prerecorded or on-demand programs.

Details

• West Virginia attorneys must earn 24 CLE credits in a two-year cycle, including 3 hours in ethics, office management, or similar mandated content.
• The rules specify a minimum of 12 credit hours must come from live programs — this includes in-person seminars or fully interactive live webcasts.
• The remaining 12 hours may be satisfied via prerecorded or asynchronous formats, but those are capped at 12 hours per period.
• For newly admitted attorneys, the “Bridge the Gap” program must include live seminar attendance as part of its requirement.

Key Takeaway

West Virginia enforces a live-format floor: attorneys must earn half of their CLE credits (12 of 24) through live or real-time instruction, with the rest eligible via prerecorded formats under the state’s rules.

You report CLE credits in West Virginia via the WV State Bar’s online member portal, approving pending credits and entering any missing ones, by the July 31 deadline in even-numbered years.
You must complete 24 CLE hours (including 3 in ethics/office management/substance abuse/bias) by June 30 of the even year, then certify via the portal.

Overview of West Virginia CLE Reporting

• West Virginia attorneys must complete 24 CLE hours every two years, including 3 hours in ethics, office management, attorney well-being, or elimination of bias.
• At least 12 hours must be from live or interactive programs; up to 12 hours may be pre-recorded or on-demand.
• The CLE cycle ends June 30 of even-numbered years; all credits must be completed by then.
• Reporting must be done by July 31 of those even-numbered years via the State Bar’s member portal.
• Accredited providers typically report your attendance, but you must review your “Awaiting Your Approval” section and confirm or enter credits in the portal.
• You may carry forward up to 6 credits into the next reporting period, but none of those may be ethics credits.

Steps to Report CLE in West Virginia

• Complete your 24 CLE hours (including required 3 ethics/office management/etc.) by June 30 of the even-numbered year.
• Log into your West Virginia State Bar MCLE / CLE portal at MyWVBar.
• Review your transcript and find credits listed under “Awaiting Your Approval.” Approve them to count toward your total.
• For any credits that were not auto-reported by a provider, use the portal to self-add those credits, providing course details and certificates.
• Confirm that your total reaches 24 CLE hours, ensuring you have met the specialty credit requirement.
• By July 31, certify your compliance via the portal (submit your finalized CLE record).
• If audited, be prepared to present your certificates, course titles, dates, provider information, and supporting documentation.
• If you earned credits through Sprout Education, make sure those are reflected in your “Awaiting Approval” list (if provider-submitted) or enter them manually before certifying.

Key Takeaway: In West Virginia, satisfy 24 CLE hours (with 3 ethics) by June 30 of an even year, then certify your credits in the MyWVBar portal by July 31. Sprout Education supports reporting where permitted, but you must verify, approve, or enter all relevant credits before submitting your compliance.