Pennsylvania
CLE Requirements: The Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board (PACLE) requires attorneys to complete 12 credits, including 2 ethics credits, every year. Reporting periods are assigned upon admission and are staggered through the year: Group I - May 1 through April 30; Group II - September 1 through August 31; Group III - January 1 through December 31. Consult your MyPACLE account to verify your reporting group. Attorneys are limited to 6 credits of distance learning per year. A maximum of 24 credits may be carried over to the next two compliance periods. Distance learning credits cannot be carried over. For additional information, please see the FAQ page on the PACLE website.
Coronavirus update: Effective January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 the CLE Board is adopting a temporary policy to recognize live online programming by accredited distance learning providers as live (non-capped) credit towards lawyers’ CLE requirement. This policy expands the definition for live learning to include in-person, non-virtual programs, as well as virtual, synchronous programming. Credits earned through pre-recorded and certain on-demand formats will remain subject to the six-hour cap.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania previously issued an order to extend the April 30, 2020 CLE compliance deadline applicable to Compliance Group 1 to August 31, 2020. All other 2020 annual compliance deadlines remain unchanged and on standard schedule.
On April 15, 2020, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued a Court Order temporarily waiving the six (6) hour limitation on distance learning credits for 2020 compliance deadlines. Attorneys in Pennsylvania may now complete all 12 hours of their 2020 CLE requirements though approved distance learning activities.
Please note the following conditions of this one-time accommodation:
1.) Suspension of the distance learning cap will apply to 2020 CLE deadlines and the standard cap of six (6) hours earned through this delivery method will resume with 2021 annual compliance deadlines.
2.) In order to contribute toward the CLE requirement, distance learning credits must be earned through participation in approved programs offered by Accredited Providers of Distance Learning.
3.) Distance learning credits in excess of twelve (12) will not carry forward towards future annual compliance deadlines.
4.) Credits not classified as distance learning will carry forward if applicable.
Meet your full requirements with PLI's distance learning programs approved for credit for Pennsylvania.
Completing Your Pennsylvania Requirements with PLI: PLI and SEC Institute's live seminars and co-sponsored locations (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Mechanicsburg) qualify as "live" credit. There is no limit to the number of credits an attorney can earn via live programs. View live CLE programs and all ethics CLE programs approved in Pennsylvania.
PLI and SEC Institute's live webcasts, on-demand programs, MP3s and MP4s qualify as "distance learning" credit. Attorneys are limited to 6 credits of distance learning per compliance period. View distance learning CLE programs approved in Pennsylvania.
PLI is an Accredited Provider with the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board (PACLE), and our programs are presumptively approved.
Attendance Reporting: PLI reports attendance to the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board.
It is now fast, easy and free to manage your Pennsylvania CLE compliance on your IOS device. PACLE Mobile is a free tool for lawyers licensed in Pennsylvania that allows you to keep up with your CLE requirements on the go, from anywhere, with your mobile device. You can review your PA CLE course transcript, check your compliance status, find upcoming CLE courses and more. Find it on the iTunes store. (Android coming soon.)
