Q: How many hours of MCLE do I have?
A: WE DON'T KNOW -- The MCLE Compliance Department does not keep track of the education you've completed: You are responsible for keeping your certificates of attendance and a record of your self-study activities. Use these records to tally your hours. Certificates of attendance list the overall amount of credit available for an activity and whether any credit is available for legal ethics, prevention of substance abuse/emotional distress, and elimination of bias in the legal profession. If you cannot locate a certificate of attendance or if your information about an activity is incomplete, contact the provider directly. Telephone numbers for approved providers can be found on the State Bar's website at: www.calbar.ca.gov

Q: I received a card that shows I owe (61/25) hours but I was not active the whole period. Do I owe all those hours?
A: MAYBE -- [EXEMPT members, see question #9 below.] While the card reflects how many compliance periods are outstanding on your compliance record (25 hours means our records show that you owe for one compliance period; 61 hours means that our records show that you owe for two compliance periods), your MCLE requirement is tied to the months you are on active status only. [Please note, however, that members who are suspended for nonpayment of active membership fees and members on disciplinary suspension, are considered active members for purposes of MCLE, and are subject to MCLE during the period of time they are suspended.] If you were not active for the entire compliance period(s) but were active for 5 months or more in a given period, you owe a proportional requirement. See the Proportional Requirement Window to calculate your MCLE requirement based on the number of months you were on active status in the compliance period(s).

Q: If I take a CLE course outside California, can I count it toward my MCLE requirement?
A: YES -- If the course is held outside California and is approved by a jurisdiction on California's approved list. See the Guidelines ("Out of State Activities," Section 7.4) for a complete list of approved states and foreign jurisdictions.

Q: What counts as participatory credit?
A: If a provider keeps track of your "participation" at an activity it is "participatory." Provider verification consists of the following, the provider has you sign in at the time of the activity (electronic sign-in is acceptable), the provider keeps a list of those who sign in, and the provider issues a certificate of attendance to attendees. Online courses, CD ROM-based courses, and some tape-based courses can count for participatory credit if they are verified by an approved provider. If unsure, contact the individual provider to verify that the program has been approved for participatory credit.

Q: Do you have a list of low cost MCLE programs?
A: The State Bar does not have a list of low cost MCLE programs, only a complete list of all approved providers. You also may find the following resources useful in determining the most convenient and cost effective method of fulfilling your requirement: Your local bar association, provider and bar association websites, and listings in legal dailies and practice magazines, which contain advertisement from approved MCLE providers who offer a variety of programs. As you can fulfill up to one-half of your total MCLE hours by utilizing self-study options, consider sharing self-study tapes with fellow practitioners and contacting your county law library to see if they have approved tapes that you can check out for self-study viewing. In addition, The State Bar of California offers some low cost MCLE classes

Q: Do I need to send in anything else other than the compliance card?
A: NO -- Your compliance card is all the Bar uses to update your compliance record, except in the case of an audit. You should never send in any other MCLE- related documentation unless specifically requested to do so by the State Bar (otherwise, it will just be sent back to you). However, please be aware that you are required to maintain sufficient proof of your compliance with the education requirement or of your exempt status for at least one year from the date you comply with the MCLE requirement, in the event that your compliance is audited.

Q: I changed my last name, does my compliance group change?
A: NO -- Your compliance group never changes even if your name does. You always remain in the compliance group to which you originally were assigned as of February 1, 1992 (the beginning of the MCLE program). If you were admitted to the Bar after February 1, 1992, you remain in the compliance group to which you were assigned on the date you were admitted to the bar.

Q: I received a card that shows I owe 61 hours but I thought I already sent you my compliance card for 1999. Have I been penalized in the meantime? Do I have to take those hours again?
A: NO -- If you believe you already sent in a card for the 1996-1999 period but it has not been recorded there is no penalty for reporting it again on the new compliance card. Sending in the card in 1999 was optional due to circumstances stemming from the Warden case. There is no need to repeat any hours, you just need to tell us again that you've done them.

Q: Must I submit a Compliance Card if I am exempt?
A: Yes. You must submit a properly completed Compliance Card for each compliance period listing your exemption. Without the Compliance Card, the State Bar has no way of determining whether you are exempt for any particular compliance period.

Q: Who has to comply with their MCLE requirement this year?
A: "Active" members in Compliance Group 3 (Last Names N-Z when assigned to the compliance group) must comply with their MCLE requirement this year. If the State Bar mailed you a compliance card on December 28, you need to comply. If you are exempt, you still need to send in your Compliance Card. See Question 9. If you are on "active" status, you are subject to the MCLE requirement, regardless of whether you are practicing law, or are even entitled to practice law. Thus members suspended for nonpayment of active membership fees and members suspended from active membership status for disciplinary reasons must continue to fulfill their MCLE requirement, as must members who are not practicing law but remain on active membership status. Only members officially on voluntary inactive membership status are not subject to the MCLE requirement during the period they are on inactive status.)