The State Bar of Pennsylvania requires attorneys to complete 12 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit hours every year. The 12 PA CLE hours must include:

• 2 hours of legal ethics, professionalism, or substance abuse prevention
• 6 credits must be live (webcast or in-person)
• 6 credits may be completed with oncdemand programs (including the 2 required specialty credits)

All 12 Pennsylvania CLE credit hours can be earned online with LexVid's on demand and live courses.

LexVid reports Pennsylvania CLE credits on your behalf. Providers must submit attendance within 30 days of course completion, and LexVid typically reports credits within 10 business days.

As long as you complete your credits before the deadline, you will remain compliant once they are reported and posted to your record.

Pennsylvania attorneys may carry forward excess live credits—up to twice the annual requirement—into the next two reporting periods. Distant learning (on demand) credits are not eligible for carryover.

Total Requirement: 12 credits, including:

• At least 2 credits in Ethics, Professionalism, or Substance Abuse
• At least 6 credits earned through live courses
• Completion of the 4 credit Bridge the Gap program

Deadline: Must be completed within 1 year after the assigned grace period ends. Compliance groups and grace periods are designated by the Disciplinary Board upon admission to the bar.

• Judges: Exempt while serving if barred from practicing law. Upon returning to active status, must complete current CLE within 12 months.

• Active Duty Military (outside PA): CLE waived during service upon request. Must notify the CLE Board within 30 days of discharge and resume compliance the following year.

• Newly Admitted Lawyers: Exempt for 12–24 months after admission, depending on compliance group

• Inactive / Non-Resident Active (NRA): CLE requirements are deferred. NRA status must be renewed annually.

   

Pennsylvania doesn’t allow formal “late reporting” of CLE credits. Instead, missing your deadline triggers a late fee and a short window to fix the issue before further action.

If you fall out of compliance, the Board will notify you, assess a late fee (typically $100), and give you 60 days to complete any outstanding requirements before reporting noncompliance to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. If the deficiency isn’t corrected within 60 days, the Board reports the noncompliance to the Supreme Court and may recommend administrative suspension.

Rule 113 permits the Board to grant extensions or relax strict compliance requirements in cases of undue hardship or other compelling circumstances.

Pennsylvania does have a maximum for self-study CLE.

Attorneys may complete up to 6 credits through self-study (on demand) courses per compliance period. The remaining 6 credits must be earned through live formats (live webinar or in-person).

In Pennsylvania, a “live” CLE course is defined by real-time participation and interaction.

• What qualifies as a live course: In-person classroom programs, live webinars or livestreams where you attend at a scheduled time, and programs that allow for real-time interaction (e.g., Q&A, polling, chat with presenters)
• What does not count as live: On demand / recorded courses you can watch anytime, and pre-recorded webinars without real-time participation