Washington
CLE Requirements: The Washington State Bar Association requires attorneys to complete 45 credits, including 6 ethics credits and 15 credits in "Law and Legal Procedure" (black letter law), by December 31 every three years. The remaining 24 credits can be earned in the above categories or in newly approved subject areas that include: professional development, personal development and mental health, office management, and improving the legal system. Attorneys are assigned to one of three compliance groups in a consecutive manner based upon their year of admission. Consult the Washington State Bar Association to determine your compliance period. All credits must be reported by February 1 of the following year. A maximum of 15 credits may be carried over to the next compliance period. Of the 15 credits, 2 credits may be ethics. Equity credit earned in excess of the reporting period requirement may be carried over as ethics credit but a new equity credit must be earned in each reporting period. For additional information, please see the FAQ page on the Washington State Bar Association website.
NEW! The Washington Supreme Court entered an order (NO. 25700-A-1349) adopting the MCLE Board’s suggested amendment, effective September 1, 2022. The amendment to APR 11 requires, per each three-year reporting period, that each licensed legal professional complete at least one (1) ethics credit in the topic of equity, inclusion, and the mitigation of both implicit and explicit bias in the legal profession and the practice of law.
Coronavirus update: Effective June 5, 2020, the Washington Supreme Court ordered an extension of the due date for reporting MCLE credits by one year for licensed legal professionals in the 2018-2020 MCLE reporting period. Licensed legal professionals in the extended 2018-2021 reporting period must complete earning their credits by December 31, 2021, and must complete the certification of their credits by February 1, 2022. The next reporting period will be a shortened two year reporting period: 2022-2023. As a result, the order allows for the additional 15 carryover credits (30 total carryover credits, up to 4 of which may be ethics) to be earned in the extended 2018-2021 reporting period. The increased credit carryover limit applies only for the 2018-2021 reporting period.
Learn about the specific requirements for newly-admitted Washington attorneys.
Completing Your Washington Requirements with PLI: All PLI and SEC Institute products can fulfill Washington's CLE requirements. There is no limit to the number of credits an attorney can earn with PLI products. View CLE programs and all ethics CLE programs approved in Washington.
PLI is a Sponsor with the Washington State Bar Association. Providers are required to submit applications for each program.
Attendance Reporting: The Washington State Bar Association requires providers to report attendance for live seminars and live webcasts only. Attorneys must report attendance for all on-demand products via the mywsba.org website.