New Jersey

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

Newly admitted attorneys have a supplementary requirement: in their first full compliance cycle, 16 out of the 24 credits must cover at least 6 designated New Jersey practice areas, with 1 credit devoted to trust & business accounting fundamentals.

Details

• Live credit: At least 12 of the 24 hours must be from live or interactive instruction.
• Carryover: Up to 12 excess credits

Yes — in New Jersey attorneys may request an extension of time or waiver for CLE compliance under certain conditions. The NJ Board on Continuing Legal Education rules explicitly permit filing an application for extension or waiver for “good cause” before the end of the compliance period.

CLE Rules & Reporting in New Jersey

• Attorneys must complete 24 CLE credit hours every two years, with at least 5 in ethics/professionalism (including 2 in diversity/inclusion). (BCLE Regulations)
• The certification of compliance is submitted at the end of the compliance period, and noncompliance triggers a grace period and penalties.
• The NJ “Submission of an Application for a CLE Waiver or Extension” guide shows the Board accepts extension applications via the attorney registration portal.

Authority & Conditions for Extension / Waiver

• BCLE Regulation 202 authorizes the Board to waive or adjust CLE requirements for “good cause,” including “undue hardship or circumstances beyond the control of the lawyer.”
• The waiver/extension application must typically be filed 21 days before the end of the compliance period.
• The NJ Courts’ CLE forms confirm a $25 nonrefundable application fee for extension or waiver.

What You Should Do

1. Log in to the NJ attorney registration portal.
2. Under Continuing Legal Education, choose “CLE Application — Extension” or “Waiver.”
3. Explain the cause (medical, hardship, etc.) and upload supporting documentation.
4. Pay the $25 filing fee.
5. Check application status; ensure you apply before your compliance period ends.

Limitations & Considerations

• Approval is discretionary — it’s not guaranteed.
• The request must be timely — late applications may be rejected.
• The waiver or extension covers only that compliance period, not permanently.
• You must still meet your CLE requirement or face noncompliance consequences (fees, suspension).

Key Takeaway

New Jersey allows attorneys to request a CLE extension or waiver for good cause by filing a $25 application before the compliance period ends—but approval is discretionary and must be done on time.

No — New Jersey’s CLE rules do not provide different requirements for part-time vs full-time attorneys; all active attorneys must meet the same CLE obligation.

Every active New Jersey attorney (unless exempt) must complete 24 credit hours of continuing legal education in each two-year compliance period, including 5 hours in ethics/professionalism (at least 2 of which must address diversity, inclusion, and elimination of bias).

Details:

• A minimum number of credits must be earned via “live” instruction; the rules reinstated the live CLE requirement as

Yes — New Jersey will accept CLE credits earned in New York so long as the New York credits satisfy New Jersey’s reciprocity conditions.
Under New Jersey’s rules, courses approved in another state that has mandatory CLE may count “through reciprocity,” provided they are the types of courses NJ allows and the credits do not exceed teaching limits.

Details:

• New Jersey’s CLE FAQ states: “Through reciprocity, New Jersey will accept credits for courses … accredited in another

No CLE requirement exists for “inactive attorneys” in New Jersey—because “inactive status” is not recognized under New Jersey’s attorney regulation.

New Jersey’s CLE obligations apply only to attorneys who remain active with the Fund for Client Protection; those who do not pay or otherwise lose good standing are not placed into an “inactive” CLE-exempt category.

Details:

• New Jersey explicitly states there is no “inactive status” for attorneys, so you cannot shift into a CLE-exempt

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.

If you miss New Jersey’s CLE deadline, you will incur noncompliance fees and be given a grace period to make up the deficiency. New Jersey attorneys must complete 24 credits every two years (including 5 in ethics, 2 in diversity), with a December 31 deadline for credit completion.

New Jersey CLE Deadline & Grace Period

• December 31: Deadline to complete your CLE credits.
• After December 31: A noncompliance fee is assessed and a grace period begins (typically through June 27 of the next year) to complete your credits and report compliance.

Consequences & Sanctions

• If you fail to complete and report compliance by the end of the grace period, an additional noncompliance fee is assessed (making total fees up to $100) and you must file a reporting form with proof of compliance.
• Attorneys remaining noncompliant may be declared administratively ineligible to practice law until reinstated.

Key Takeaway: In New Jersey, missing the CLE deadline triggers a fee and grace period to cure the deficiency. If not cured by the grace-period deadline, further fees and administrative ineligibility may follow.

In New Jersey, attorneys receive a grace period until June 27 following the December 31 deadline to complete their CLE and report compliance via the online registration system. Attorneys who miss that grace deadline incur an additional $50 noncompliance fee (for a total of $100) and must submit a detailed reporting form and proof of credit.

New Jersey Grace Period & Process

• Compliance deadline: December 31 for the statutory CLE requirement.
• Grace period end: June 27 of the following year.
• During the grace period: attorneys can complete missing credits and file final compliance via the online registration system.
• After grace expires: the online system is disabled; attorneys must use a manual reporting form, pay additional fees, and risk being declared ineligible.

Key Takeaway: New Jersey grants a grace period until June 27 after the December 31 CLE deadline, but failure to satisfy or report compliance by then triggers extra fees and more onerous reinstatement steps.

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.

Yes — New Jersey requires that at least half of an attorney’s CLE credits in each compliance period be earned “live” (in-person or synchronous interactive formats).

The rule ensures that 50% of the 24 credit-hour biennial requirement comes from live instruction as defined by the Board.

Details

• New Jersey attorneys must complete 24 credit hours every two years.
• At least 12 credits must be obtained in “live

Attorneys in New Jersey report CLE compliance via their Annual Attorney Registration & Billing Statement, certifying that they have met the credit requirement for their compliance period. Providers submit attendance records to feed the attorney transcript, but the attorney’s self-certification on the registration statement is what constitutes formal reporting.

Key Details:

• Each attorney is placed into one of two compliance groups (Group 1 = born Jan–Jun, Group 2 = born Jul–Dec) and has a December 31 deadline in alternating years.
• Attorneys must complete 24 CLE credits every two years, including at least 5 ethics/professionalism credits (with 2 in diversity/inclusion) and at least 12 credits from live programs.
• Providers report attorney attendance via the Board on Continuing Legal Education (BCLE) system, which populates the transcript for attorneys to review.
• If a certificate is missing from the transcript, attorneys may submit it or dispute it with the BCLE before certifying.
• Late or noncompliance reporting requires completing a compliance reporting form and paying a late compliance fee.

Key Takeaway: In New Jersey, CLE reporting is handled via self-certification on the Annual Registration & Billing Statement, supported by provider attendance reporting through BCLE, and correction if needed before the deadline.

Yes — New Jersey allows carryover of CLE credits, up to 12 credits, from one compliance period to the next.

This is set forth in the New Jersey Courts’ CLE FAQ and BCLE Regulation 201:3.

Details & nuances

• The FAQ states: “Up to 12 credit hours (6 for the transitional period) can be carried over to the next

No — judges in New Jersey do not have a separate CLE regime; they must satisfy the same CLE requirements as all active attorneys.

New Jersey’s CLE rules (BCLE) apply to “attorneys, judges, in-house counsel” without imposing additional judicial-only obligations.

Details

• New Jersey mandates 24 credit hours of continuing legal education every two years.
• Of those 24 credits, 5 must be in

Yes — New Jersey permits late CLE reporting under a “grace period” framework, but you’ll incur a $150 late compliance fee and you must meet the obligation during that grace time to avoid administrative ineligibility.
The Board on Continuing Legal Education’s regulations allow a single grace period after the compliance deadline, during which credits earned count toward the prior period and the late fee is assessed.

Details & Conditions:

• New Jersey attorneys are required to complete 24 CLE credits every two years, including required ethics/professionalism and

Yes — New Jersey’s CLE regime allows a few defined exemptions, such as for attorneys with 50+ years of licensure, those aged 75+, active military, VISTA/Peace Corps, and attorneys fully retired from practice.

Under the Supreme Court’s CLE rule (Rule 1:42 / BCLE Reg. 202:1), those categories are carved out from the 24-credit biennial requirement.

Details / Exceptions

• 50 years of practice: Attorneys admitted to practice law for 50 years or more in any jurisdiction are exempt

In New Jersey, attorneys must complete all required CLE credits by December 31 of their two-year compliance period and then certify compliance when filing their Annual Attorney Registration and Billing Statement in the following year. The certification occurs after the compliance period ends, as part of the annual registration process.

New Jersey CLE Reporting Details

• Compliance deadline: Attorneys must complete all CLE credits by December 31 of their assigned two-year cycle.
• Reporting method: Compliance is certified during the Annual Attorney Registration and Billing Statement filing, which takes place in the spring of the following year.
• Compliance groups:
  • Attorneys born January 1–June 30 report in even-numbered years.
  • Attorneys born July 1–December 31 report in odd-numbered years.
• Grace period: Attorneys who do not meet the December 31 completion deadline may complete credits through June 30 of the next year, subject to a noncompliance fee.
• Verification: Attorneys must retain documentation of CLE completion for at least three years in case of audit.

Key Takeaway

In New Jersey, attorneys complete CLE by December 31 of their two-year compliance period and report compliance through their Annual Attorney Registration in the following year — not on December 31 itself.

In New Jersey, CLE credit counts when the activity is accredited by the Board on Continuing Legal Education (or recognized via reciprocity), including live programs, distance/alternative learning, teaching, moot activities, course prep, and publication (within limits).

Attorneys must complete 24 credit hours every two years, of which 5 must be ethics (with at least 2 in diversity, inclusion, and elimination of bias).

Approved activities that count

• Attendance at Board-accredited live or interactive programs (in-person sessions, webinars).

Yes — New Jersey requires that a portion of CLE credits be earned through “live” programs, which now include in-person instruction or live webcasts under its live-instruction rules. A recent court order reinstated the live CLE requirement, effective May 1, 2024.

New Jersey CLE Format Rules

• Total requirement: 24 credits every two years, of which 5 must be in ethics/professionalism (including 2 in diversity)
• Live requirement: At least 12 of the 24 credits must come from live or “live instruction” formats
• Definition of live instruction: Under Regulation 103:1(n), live instruction includes in-person or live webcasts and other alternative verifiable learning formats
• Historical waiver and reinstatement: A COVID-era waiver of the live requirement has been rescinded, and the live requirement is now fully reinstated as of May 1, 2024

Key Takeaway: In New Jersey, attorneys must complete at least half of their CLE credits (12 of 24) via live instruction, which may be satisfied through in-person programs or interactive live webcasts under the state’s live-instruction rule.

You report CLE credits in New Jersey by self-certifying compliance on your Annual Attorney Registration & Billing (after your compliance deadline), rather than by submitting all course attendance details.
New Jersey’s CLE system is self-reporting: you keep certificates for audit, but your registration filing is your compliance report.

Overview of New Jersey CLE Reporting

Attorneys must complete 24 CLE credits every two years, including 5 credits in ethics/professionalism, of which at least 2 must address diversity, inclusion, and elimination of bias.
At least 12 of the credits must be from live or interactive programming; up to 12 may be alternative verifiable learning formats.
Attorneys are placed into one of two compliance groups based on their birth month (Group 1 or Group 2), which determines the year they must complete CLE and when they report compliance.
Upon registering and paying bar dues in the year following your compliance deadline, you must certify whether you met CLE (or pay noncompliance fees).
If selected for audit, you will need to produce certificates and attendance logs covering your CLE activity for that compliance period.

Steps to Report CLE in New Jersey

• Complete your 24 required CLE credits (meeting specialty rules) by December 31 of your

In New Jersey, you can’t formally “report” CLE credits immediately as you earn them in the sense of filing a compliance affidavit or certificate. The system is self-reporting, and the formal reporting (certifying compliance) occurs mostly through the annual attorney registration process after your compliance period ends.

That said, you may submit an application for credit for courses (especially non-approved or out-of-state courses) within 30 days after completing the course. BCLE Reg. 301 and the CLE FAQ allow attorneys to file an individual application for CLE credit no later than 30 days post-course.

Key Details

• New Jersey divides attorneys into two compliance groups based on birth month; each group has a two-year CLE cycle.