New Jersey CLE requirements call for 24 credit hours of continuing legal education every two years, with at least five credits in ethics or professionalism (including two in diversity, inclusion, and elimination of bias) and at least 12 credits earned through live instruction.1New Jersey Courts. Board on Continuing Legal Education Regulations You certify compliance yourself at annual registration, and falling short puts you on the CLE ineligible list until you catch up.
Your Two-Year Cycle Depends on Your Birth Month
The 24-credit requirement runs on a biennial cycle ending December 31 of your reporting year. New Jersey splits attorneys into two compliance groups by birth month. Group 1 covers attorneys born January through June and certifies in even-numbered years. Group 2 covers attorneys born July through December and certifies in odd-numbered years.2American Bar Association. New Jersey CLE Requirements and Courses Group 1 attorneys report during 2026 annual registration for the current cycle.
How the Ethics and Diversity Credits Fit Together
Of the 24 total credits, at least five must focus on ethics or professionalism. Within that five, at least two must specifically address diversity, inclusion, and elimination of bias.1New Jersey Courts. Board on Continuing Legal Education Regulations The diversity credits count inside the five, not on top of it, so the practical breakdown is three credits in general ethics or professionalism and two in diversity topics. The other 19 credits can cover any legal, judicial, or educational activity approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education or by another mandatory CLE jurisdiction.
Live Instruction and On-Demand Credits
New Jersey reinstated its live-instruction requirement effective January 1, 2024. At least 12 of your 24 credits must come from live instruction, which includes in-person seminars, live teleconferences, and live interactive webinars where you can ask questions in real time.1New Jersey Courts. Board on Continuing Legal Education Regulations The remaining 12 can come from alternative verifiable learning formats such as pre-recorded on-demand videos, webcasts, and other approved digital courses.
Two exceptions widen the on-demand option. Attorneys who live and work full-time outside New Jersey (or in a state that allows 100% on-demand CLE) may complete all 24 credits through alternative formats. Attorneys whose physician certifies they cannot attend live sessions get the same flexibility.1New Jersey Courts. Board on Continuing Legal Education Regulations
Before enrolling, confirm the course has been approved by the Board. The New Jersey Courts website maintains a searchable catalog of approved courses and providers.
Extra Rules for Newly Admitted Attorneys
If you were recently admitted to the New Jersey bar, your first full two-year compliance period adds subject-matter requirements. You must earn 16 of your 24 credits in at least six of twelve designated New Jersey practice areas.1New Jersey Courts. Board on Continuing Legal Education Regulations The twelve areas are:
- Estate administration
- Estate planning
- Civil or criminal trial preparation
- Family law practice
- Real estate closing procedures
- Attorney trust and business account fundamentals
- Landlord/tenant practice
- Municipal court practice
- Law office management
- Administrative law
- Labor and employment law
- Workers’ compensation law
At least one of the 16 credits must be in attorney trust and business account fundamentals. That subject is not optional. The five-credit ethics and diversity requirement still applies alongside the 16 subject-specific credits, though a course can qualify for both categories at once. Once you finish this initial period, the subject-area requirements drop off and you follow the standard rules.
Who Is Exempt from CLE Entirely
A few categories are fully exempt. You qualify if you have been admitted to practice in any U.S. state or the District of Columbia for 50 or more years, have reached age 75 regardless of years in practice, are on full-time active duty in the military or serving in VISTA or the Peace Corps, or have retired completely from law practice.3New Jersey Courts. Notice and Order – Retired Attorneys Permission to Provide Pro Bono Retired attorneys who volunteer through Legal Services of New Jersey or a certified pro bono organization keep the exemption as long as they receive no pay for the work.
If none of these categories fits, you owe the full 24 credits every cycle.
Carryover Credits
Earn more than 24 credits in a period, and up to 12 excess credits carry into the next two-year cycle. The 12-credit cap applies no matter how many extras you completed. Carryover eases the workload next time, but it does not reduce the ethics or live-instruction minimums you still have to meet.
How You Report and What to Keep
New Jersey uses self-reporting. When you complete annual attorney registration through the Judiciary’s online portal, you certify that you have met the CLE requirement for your compliance group.4New Jersey Courts. Notice – New Jersey Attorney Electronic Registration and Payment Available Beginning January 6, 2025 You do not upload individual course certificates at that point.
Keep those certificates for at least three years. The Board runs random audits, and if you are selected you will need to produce documentation for every credit claimed. Poor record-keeping is one of the easier ways to fail a compliance review even when you actually did the work.
What Happens If You Don’t Comply
Attorneys who miss the requirement are placed on the CLE ineligible list and are no longer authorized to practice New Jersey law until they come into compliance.5NJ Courts. Continuing Legal Education – FAQ While on that list you cannot represent clients, file court documents, or hold yourself out as an active New Jersey attorney.
Getting back to active status means completing the missing credits and paying a reinstatement fee: $50 if you have been on the ineligible list for one year, $100 for two or more years.6NJ Courts. Annual Attorney Registration and Payment The dollar amounts are modest; the time you spend unable to practice while you sort it out is the real cost.