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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 Substance Abuse Prevention 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 United Institute for Continuing Legal Education. Our Online and iOS/Android App platforms are automatically deemed participatory and our 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
Telling Them What They Don’t Want to Hear: Maintaining Your Ethics and Your Client Relationships
United Institute for Continuing Legal Education is a CLE provider accredited by the California State Bar, Provider #15390.
To view our full accreditation details please .
Ethics Credits
1.25
$34
All Courses Available iOS/Android Web
About This Course
This CLE course explores the interplay of ethical and relationship issues when communicating difficult topics to clients.
These topics include:
situations where plans go awry;
admitting mistakes;
addressing clients' bad ideas;
expressing disbelief in clients' statements;
handling requests for inappropriate actions;
dealing with potential mental incompetence in clients.
Presented from the perspective of an in-house Chief Legal Officer focused on interactions with a single client, the course covers relevant ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and shares personal experiences with these challenges. Practical suggestions will be offered for fulfilling ethical obligations while maintaining client relationships.
