New Attorney Requirements

New Hampshire attorneys must complete 12 CLE credit hours each reporting year. Within those 12 hours, at least 2 must be in ethics.

Annual CLE Requirements in New Hampshire

• Total requirement: 12 credit hours per year (720 minutes)
• Ethics requirement: 2 credit hours (120 minutes)
• Reporting cycle: June 1 – May 31
• Credits must be reported through the NH Attorney Reporting Tool (ART)

Additional Notes & Exemptions

• All 12 hours may be completed virtually (live attendance is not required)
• Newly admitted attorneys must also complete the NHBA Practical Skills Course within 2 years; that is separate from the annual CLE requirement

Key Takeaway: New Hampshire’s reporting year requires 12 CLE hours including 2 in ethics or professionalism, with the cycle running June 1 through May 31.

Vermont attorneys must complete 24 CLE credit hours every two years. That includes at least 2 hours in legal ethics, 1 in attorney wellness, and 1 in diversity and inclusion.

Biennial CLE Requirements in Vermont

• Total requirement: 24 credit hours per two-year period
• Ethics requirement: at least 2 hours
• Attorney wellness requirement: at least 1 hour
• Diversity & inclusion requirement: at least 1 hour
• Moderated programming/interactivity: at least 12 credits must be earned via moderated or interactive formats
• Carryover: credits may carry over from the second year of the reporting period
• Compliance/reporting deadline: June 30 to certify by July 1

New Admittee Requirements

• Newly admitted attorneys must complete 15 hours of Vermont practice & procedure CLE within one year of admission
• At least 9 of those 15 hours must be earned via moderated or interactive programming

Key Takeaway: Vermont requires 24 CLE hours every two years with minimums in ethics, wellness, and diversity, a live/interactive requirement, and special rules for new admittees.

New Jersey attorneys must complete 24 CLE credit hours every two years. This includes at least 5 hours in ethics, of which at least 2 must be in diversity, inclusion, and elimination of bias.

Core Requirements & Breakdown

• Live requirement: at least 12 of the 24 credits must be earned through live or interactive programs
• Carryover: up to 12 general credits may carry into the next two-year period
• New admittee requirement: 16 of the 24 credits must be in NJ-specific subject areas across at least 6 required topics, with at least 1 credit in NJ attorney trust & business accounting fundamentals
• Compliance grouping: attorneys are divided into 2 groups by birth month; each group has alternating biennial deadlines

Key Takeaway: New Jersey mandates 24 CLE hours every two years, with ethics/diversity minimums and a requirement that half the hours be live.

No, CLE is not required before passing the bar. CLE requirements generally begin only after an attorney has been formally admitted to practice law.

When CLE Obligations Begin

• Law students and bar applicants are not subject to CLE requirements.
• Once admitted, attorneys must complete CLE according to the rules of their licensing jurisdiction.
• Many states provide special initial requirements for new admittees, such as orientation programs or bridge-the-gap training.

Exemptions and Special Rules

• New admittees are often exempt from standard CLE requirements in their first reporting cycle.
• Instead, they may be required to complete specific new-lawyer training courses within a set period after admission.
• These requirements vary by jurisdiction and must be confirmed with the state’s CLE authority.

Provider Support

• Sprout Education monitors these distinctions and ensures that new attorneys understand when CLE compliance begins and what transitional rules apply.

Key Takeaway: CLE is never required before bar admission; obligations start only once an attorney is admitted, with special new-lawyer requirements in some states.

Massachusetts attorneys have no mandatory CLE hours required under current rules. The only mandated education is a “Practicing with Professionalism” course for new admittees, which is not part of a recurring CLE cycle.

Details

• CLE is voluntary; attorneys may pursue CLE at their discretion.
• The Practicing with Professionalism course must be completed within 18 months of admission for new attorneys.
• There is no ongoing reporting cycle or credit accumulation requirement in Massachusetts.

Key Takeaway: Massachusetts does not currently require attorneys to complete CLE hours each cycle—only a one-time professionalism course for new admittees.