New York Newly Admitted CLE Requirements for Attorneys

Newly Admitted attorneys are attorneys admitted to the New York State Bar for two years or less. 

New York Newly admitted attorneys must earn at least 16 transitional CLE credits in each of the first two years of Bar admission. The 16 transitional CLE credits for New York Newly Admitted attorneys must comprise of the following designated categories of credit:

• 3 Ethics & Professionalism CLE Credits
• 6 Skills CLE credits
• 7 Professional Practice, Law Practice Management, or Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection* CLE credits

Lawline offers a live webcast Bridge the Gap program, see when the next upcoming event dates are to register!

Note: 

*Of the 32 required credits, at least 1 must be in Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection.

Up to 3 credits of Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection-Ethics can be used to fulfill the six-credit hour Ethics & Professionalism requirement.

NY Newly admitted attorneys must take CLE courses in a format permissible for the credit category. The format permissible for each CLE credit categories are:

Skills CLE credits can be completed by participating in CLE classes in one or more of the following formats:

Temporary Change: The New York CLE Board has issued an order temporarily allowing Newly Admitted Attorneys to complete their Skills requirement via live webcast, teleconference, and videoconference. This change is effective 3/11/20 - 6/30/25.

NOTE: Pre-Recorded Webcasts do NOT meet the Live Webcast requirement for New York attorneys. These courses will have a marker on them that says PRE-RECORDED, so please verify that you are selecting the correct course format for your Skills programs.

• Live classroom setting
• Fully interactive video conference approved by the NY CLE Board for use by newly admitted attorneys

Ethics & Professionalism or Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection - Ethics CLE credits can be completed by participating in CLE classes in one or more of the following formats:

Note* Cybersecurity Ethics credits can count towards 3 Ethics credits.

• Live CLE online where there is an opportunity for questions during the program (webcast, webinar, teleconference, etc.) NOTE: Pre-Recorded Webcasts do NOT meet the Live Webcast requirement for New York attorneys. These courses will have a marker on them that says PRE-RECORDED, so please verify that you are selecting the correct course format for your Ethics programs.

• CLE Classes in a Live Traditional Classroom

• Fully interactive video conference

Professional Practice CLE, Law Practice Management, or Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection - General CLE credits can be completed by participating in CLE classes in one or more of the following formats:

• Live CLE online classes (webcast, webinar, teleconference, etc.)

• On Demand Video or Audio courses

• CLE Classes in a Live Traditional Classroom

• Fully interactive video conference

Newly Admitted Attorneys can complete their entire requirement with Lawline.

• The Skills requirement can be completed via live webcasts through 6/30/2025 because the New York CLE Board issued an order temporarily allowing Newly Admitted Attorneys to complete their Skills requirement via live webcast, teleconference, and videoconference.

  • NOTE: Pre-Recorded Webcasts do NOT meet the Live Webcast requirement for New York Attorneys. These courses will have a marker on them that says PRE-RECORDED, so please verify that you are selecting the correct course format for your Skills programs.

• The Ethics (or Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection - Ethics) requirement can be completed via Live Webcasts. 

  • NOTE: Pre-Recorded Webcasts do NOT meet the Live Webcast requirement for New York Attorneys. These courses will have a marker on them that says PRE-RECORDED, so please verify that you are selecting the correct course format for your Ethics courses.
    

• The remaining Professional Practice, Law Practice Management, and Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection - General credits can be completed via Live Webcast, Pre-Recorded Webcasts, On Demand, or Audio courses.

The first 16 transitional CLE credit hours must be completed by the first anniversary of admission.

The second 16 transitional CLE credit hours must be completed between the first and second anniversaries.

Newly admitted attorneys in New York must file their attorney registration form within 30 days after their birthday in the second calendar year following the date of admission to the New York Bar. For instance, attorneys admitted to practice in New York State in 2023 must file their registration within 30 days after their birthday in 2025.

On the registration form, attorneys must certify that they have completed their CLE requirement and have retained the proper documentation to support it. 

On the registration form, the attorney must certify the actual number of credits completed at that time. If the attorney's birthday comes before the second anniversary of being admitted to practice in New York (ex: birthday is in March but admission date is in June), then the attorney would still be considered in compliance even if the second-year requirement has not been fully completed, as long as the entire first-year requirement has been completed.

Attorneys are still responsible for completing the second-year transitional CLE requirement by the second anniversary of being admitted to the Bar. In such situations, however, 12 of the 16 total required transitional CLE credits (excluding Ethics & Professionalism credits and Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection - Ethics) earned in the second year may be applied towards the NY Experienced Attorney CLE Requirement in the next reporting cycle.

Yes!  During their first year of admission, New York Newly Admitted Attorney can carry over 8 excess credits earned after admission for their second year CLE requirements. During their second year of admission, Newly Admitted Attorney can carry over 6 excess credits earned into their Experienced Attorney requirement.

NY Newly Admitted Attorneys cannot carry over Ethics & Professionalism credits or Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection - Ethics credits. 

No, only experienced attorneys can receive CLE credit for writing a legal article or teaching a CLE course.