New Jersey Supreme Court Committee Recommends Mandatory CLE for All NJ Attorneys, Including In-House Counsel

On May 20, 2008, the Supreme Court Ad Hoc Committee released its draft report and recommendations regarding the implementation of mandatory continuing legal education (CLE) in the state of New Jersey. Key recommendations include: 24 CLE credits to be required every two years, including 4 in ethics/professionalism; 6 non-ethics credit hours may be carried over to the next cycle; and up to 12 credits per cycle may be earned through alternative formats (internet, audiotape). All licensed NJ attorneys, including judges, law school professors, and in-house corporate counsel, with very limited exceptions, must comply with the CLE requirements.  The Supreme Court will accept comments on this proposal until September 15, 2008, and will rule on the proposal after that time.

Note: This article was published in the July 2008 issue of the New Jersey eAuthority.