PLEASE NOTE: Publication for public comment is not, and shall not, be construed as a recommendation or approval by the Board of Trustees of the materials published
This item relates to the original Task Force on Admissions Regulation Reform (TFAAR) recommendation regarding new attorney Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) and the proposed modified implementation approach developed by State Bar staff.
Original TFAAR II Approach: New admittees would be required to take ten additional hours of MCLE courses specifically focused on law practice competency training, over and above the required MCLE hours for all active members of the Bar. Credit toward this enhanced MCLE requirement, the Phase I Report recommended, would be available for participation in Bar-approved mentoring programs.
Revised Approach: Attorneys would be required to complete a New Attorney Training MCLE program during their first year post-admission. The curriculum would be developed by the State Bar, and would be no more than ten hours in length in total. These ten hours would not be in addition to the currently required MCLE hours for active members of the State Bar. Instead, up to ten of those currently required hours would comprise New Attorney Training, and this training would be prescribed for completion within the first 12 months of admission to the California State Bar.
Estimated costs for this component of TFARR implementation range from $100,000 to $400,000 (one-time) for the development and deployment of the New Attorney Training curriculum. Audit responsibilities associated with this proposal will be assumed by staff and temporary help currently performing annual MCLE audits and are not expected to require increased personnel resources. Periodic investments in curriculum and/or technology upgrades are anticipated; these costs cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.