TOP FLORIDA CLER QUESTIONS

How many CLER hours are required?

Florida lawyers shall complete a minimum of 30 credit hours every 3 years. Three of the 30 credit hours must be in approved legal ethics, substance abuse, or mental illness awareness programs. Two of the 30 credit hours must be in approved professionalism program. The 2 hour professionalism course is only offered by the Florida Bar. Three of the 30 credit hours must be in approved technology programs.

What is the new professionalism requirement?

Effective January 8, 2024 attorneys must complete a two hour professionalism course offered by the Florida Bar. Any attorney with a compliance deadline of April 30, 2024 and beyond is required to take this new course. This course is offered for free and is only available from the Florida bar.

How many CLER hours can I take through Attorney Credits?

28 credit hours. You must take the free professionalism course from the Florida Bar.

How do Attorney Credits' CLER courses qualify for credit in Florida?

All of our online and downloadable on-demand CLER courses have been approved for CLER credit by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education.

What are my CLER compliance and reporting requirements?

Reporting Cycle: 3 years
Compliance Deadline: Each Florida attorney is assigned a 3-year reporting cycle chosen at random by a computer program
Reporting Deadline: No later than the last day of the 3-year cycle

Is there a special requirement for newly admitted attorneys?

Yes. The Basic Skills Course Requirement (BSCR) is a two phase requirement for new lawyers. Phase I is a Practicing with Professionalism course and Phase II consists of 3 basic level Young Lawyers Division (YLD) courses.

In order to satisfy the BSCR, a newly admitted attorney must complete Practicing with Professionalism in person at one of the locations provided by The Florida Bar. New Lawyers or members completing Phase II of the BSCR can either attend a live presentation or by completing the online CLE version on The Florida Bar's website.

Practicing with Professionalism must be completed within 1 year of admission to The Florida Bar. The 3 basic substantive CLE programs sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar must be completed by the end of the newly admitted attorneys' initial CLER reporting cycle.

Does Attorney Credits offer courses for newly admitted attorneys?

No. BSCR courses are only provided by the Florida Bar.

I am a FRP (Florida Registered Paralegal), can I take courses through Attorney Credits?

Yes, all of Attorney Credits Florida CLE courses have been approved for CLER credit by the Florida Board of Legal Specialization and Education. Florida paralegals can complete all of their continuing education requirement through our website.

Can I carry hours forward to the next year?

No. Florida does NOT allow CLER credit hours to be carried over from one compliance period to the next.

Does Attorney Credits verify my completion?

No. Florida attorneys monitor their own progress and verify their own completion once the course has been completed.

Does Attorney Credits report my CLER hours to the Florida Bar?

No. Attorney Credits does not report your completed courses to the Florida Bar. Florida attorneys are required to self-report their hours. We do maintain a record of all your completed courses and you can access your certificates of completion at anytime from our website.

How do I report my CLER hours to the Florida Bar?

The Florida Bar requires that you self-report your CLER credit hours on the Florida Bar website. In order to self-report your Florida credit hours, you will need to know the Florida Bar course number for the CLER course that you complete. The Florida Bar course numbers are printed on your certificates of completion. To post your credit hours on the Florida Bar website use the following link: https://member.floridabar.org/.

How do I report the completion of my CLER at the end of my compliance period?

Three months before the end of your Florida CLER reporting cycle, you will receive a CLER Reporting Affidavit if you are still deficient CLER hours. You will need to report your completed Florida CLER courses online or return the Affidavit with any CLER courses or activities you are not able to report online.

Who do I contact for more information?

For more information about the CLER in Florida, please call the Florida Legal Specialization and Education department at (800) 342-8060 ext. 5842 or visit the Florida Bar CLER webpage: http://wwws.floridabar.org/CLER.

You may also contact Attorney Credits by phone. For further assistance and information about the Florida CLER, please call our Support Center at (760) 434-1885.

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