What counts toward CLE requirements in North Carolina?

The CLE reporting deadline in North Carolina is February 28, which is the last day of the compliance period.

North Carolina’s CLE cycle runs from March 1 to February 28 in two-year reporting periods.

North Carolina CLE Reporting Details

• CLE must be completed by February 28 of your reporting cycle.
• Attorneys admitted in odd years have a one-year, 12-hour reporting cycle ending February 28 of the next year.
• For most attorneys, the full requirement is 24 hours every two years, including required specialty hours (ethics, technology, professional well-being).
• The CLE Board phases in changes starting March 1, 2024.

Key Takeaway: In North Carolina, complete your CLE by February 28 and report it at that time under the established two-year cycle.

North Carolina attorneys must complete 24 CLE credit hours every two years, including 4 hours in ethics, 1 hour in technology training, and 1 hour in professional well-being.

The reporting period runs from March 1 through February 28, and attorneys may carry over up to 12 credits (but not those required specialty credits).

Details

• Total requirement: 24 credits per 2-year cycle.
• Specialty slots:
  • 4 hours in ethics
  • 1 hour in technology training
  • 1 hour in professional well-being (formerly mental health/substance abuse)
• Carryover: Attorneys may carry forward up to 12 hours, but carryover hours cannot satisfy the ethics, technology, or well-being minimums.
• New admittee rule: Each newly admitted attorney must complete an approved Professionalism for New Attorneys program (PNA) in their first reporting period; that counts toward the 24-hour requirement.
• Transitional rule: For attorneys admitted in odd years, the first reporting period is reduced to 12 hours as a one-time adjustment; even-year admittees immediately fall under the 24-hour rule.

Key Takeaway: North Carolina demands 24 CLE hours every two years, with mandatory ethics, technology, and well-being credits, 12-hour carryover limits, and a special 12-hour first period for odd-year admittees.

No — you generally cannot yourself submit all CLE credits online in North Carolina; most course attendance is reported to the CLE department by the sponsor.
Attendees may submit a “Bar Member’s Application for CLE Credit” in limited cases (for live/in-person courses) if the sponsor fails to report.

Details:
– Most CLE program sponsors are required to report attendance to the NC State Bar within 40 days.
– For online courses, the sponsor must submit the credit for you; a member may not apply for credit for an online CLE on their own.
– If a sponsor will not or cannot apply for credit for a live/in-person course, you can submit the Bar Member’s Application for CLE Credit (with agenda, materials, etc.) to request credit.
– You can check your CLE record and compliance via the State Bar’s member portal.

Key Takeaway
You cannot fully self-report CLE credit online in North Carolina — sponsors report attendance for most courses, with a limited member-application option only for unreported live courses.

No — North Carolina does not require a fixed number of classroom (in-person) hours; attorneys may comply via live or online formats so long as they meet the CLE content and accreditation standards.

The rules allow all CLE hours to be earned via live instruction (including live webcast) or approved alternative programs.

Details

• Lawyers must complete 24 hours of approved CLE in each two-year reporting period, including 4 hours in ethics/professional responsibility, 1 hour in technology, and 1 hour in professional well-being.
• All required hours may be taken online (via live webcast or approved recorded formats).
• For the Professionalism for New Attorneys (PNA) program, a portion must include live components: webcasts or live instruction—not purely on-demand.
• The CLE Board accepts both in-person and virtual “live instruction” and grants credit to approved providers accordingly.
• Attorneys must retain certificates or proof of attendance in case of audit.

Key Takeaway

North Carolina imposes no requirement for a minimum number of in-person classroom hours — CLE may be completed via live formats (including webinars) or approved alternative means, with only the New-Attorney professionalism course requiring live elements.

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.

Yes — judges in North Carolina have a separate continuing judicial education (CJE) requirement that is distinct from the CLE obligations for attorneys.

The North Carolina Supreme Court has adopted Rules of Continuing Judicial Education mandating specific education hours and types for judges, and judges are exempt from the State Bar’s CLE rule while serving on the bench.

Details

• Every judge in the trial division must, within the first year after appointment or election, attend an orientation or instruction course for new judges.
• Judges and justices must complete 30 hours of judicial education every two years, of which at least 15 hours must be in courses designed especially for judges (i.e. judicially-oriented).
• The Rules of Continuing Judicial Education codified by the Supreme Court outline these requirements.
• Magistrates also have distinct continuing education rules: within six months of taking office, a magistrate must complete 40 hours of basic training. Then magistrates must complete 12 hours annually of continuing education approved for magistrates.
• Under the North Carolina rules, judges and justices are exempt from the State Bar CLE requirement (27 N.C.A.C. 01D.1517(c)).

Key Takeaway

In North Carolina, judges (and magistrates) must satisfy a dedicated continuing judicial education regime under Supreme Court rules, and are exempt from the general State Bar CLE requirement while serving on the bench.