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California attorneys must complete a minimum of 25 credit hours of approved continuing legal education activities every 3 years including at least 4 hours of Ethics, 1 hour of Civility, 1 hour of Technology, 2 hours of Competence and 2 hours of Elimination of Bias. Additionally, at least one of the hours in Elimination of Bias must be an approved Implicit Bias program.
At least 12.5 of the credit hours must be in a "Participatory" format. The remaining hours can be in a self-study format.
**The State Bar of California is implementing changes to the MCLE course requirements effective October 1, 2023. Beginning with the compliance period ending March 29, 2025, licensees will be required to also complete and report compliance on the following new subfields:
Technology in the Practice of Law (one credit)
Civility in the Legal Profession (one credit)
Competence (Increased from one credit to two)
California attorneys may earn all 25 hours with the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education. Our Online and iOS/Android App platforms are automatically deemed participatory and our Audio CDs, DVDs, USB Stick, and MP3/MP4 downloaded courses may also be taken in participatory form as well.
California MCLE rules do not allow carryover. Credit for participating in a CLE activity may not be earned forward from one compliance period to another.
Members are required to comply online under “My State Bar Profile” www.calbar.ca.gov by attesting under penalty of perjury that the member has complied with the education requirement or is exempt and the nature of the exemption. Attorneys who are unable to comply online must contact the State Bar’s Member Services Center 888-800-3400.
State Bar of California
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1639
(t) 415-538-2100
(f) 415-538-2180 mcle.calbar.ca.gov
Ethically Promoting Your Legal Practice: Rules, Risks, and Best Practices
MCLE Courses Available on DVDs, Audio CDs, USB Stick, Online & iOS/Android App!
Ethics Credits
2
$100
LIVE WEBINAR
October 2
Thursday, October 2, 2025
12:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time (EDT)
About This Course
Attorneys today face increasing pressure to market their practices effectively while staying within the bounds of professional responsibility. This CLE program provides a comprehensive review of the ethical framework governing attorney advertising and client communications, with practical guidance on how to promote your practice without running afoul of the rules.
Participants will examine the requirements of Rules 7.1–7.5, as well as Rules 5.7 and 5.8, and consider how proposed amendments may impact future marketing strategies. The program then explores common and emerging forms of legal marketing—from traditional advertising and newsletters to digital platforms, websites, SEO, and social media—highlighting both opportunities and risks. Practical techniques for ethically leveraging earned media, content writing, and marketing materials will also be discussed.
The session concludes with a review of recent disciplinary decisions to illustrate how the rules are being applied in practice, followed by an open Q&A