South Carolina CLE Requirements
Everything you need to know to stay in compliance
Overview
Required South Carolina CLE Credits:
Total credit hours: 14.00 credit hours every year.
- 2.00 - Ethical Considerations
- 1.00 - Substance Abuse, Mental Health Issues, or Stress Management (required every two years)
A minimum of 6.00 credit hours must be taken as live programs.
A maximum of 8.00 credit hours may be taken as alternatively delivered programs.
South Carolina CLE Reporting Deadlines:
Deadline to Complete CLEs: Last Day of February
Reporting Deadline: March 1
Reporting Period: 1 year
Common Questions About South Carolina Continuing Legal Education Rules and Regulations
General South Carolina Continuing Legal Education Credit Requirements
How many CLE credits do you need in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, active status attorneys must complete 14.00 CLE credits every year to maintain good standing with the South Carolina Bar.
When is the South Carolina CLE reporting deadline?
South Carolina attorneys must report all 14.00 SC CLE credits by March 1.
How long is the South Carolina CLE compliance period, and when does mine end?
The South Carolina compliance period is 1 year and runs from March 1 through the last day of February the following year.
How do I report my South Carolina CLE credits?
CLE providers will report your attendance to the South Carolina Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency. You can check your CLE credits online at the SC CCLE website.
How many South Carolina CLE credits can I carry over?
South Carolina attorneys can carry over 14.00 CLE credits to the next compliance year, of which a maximum of 2.00 CLE credits can be legal ethics and professional responsibility credits. Substance abuse/mental health credits and credit for alternatively delivered programs cannot be carried over.
How many CLE credits can I complete with alternatively delivered courses?
Attorneys can satisfy up to 8.00 hours of their SC CLE requirements with alternatively delivered courses.
What are the specialty credit requirements in South Carolina?
South Carolina attorneys must complete ethical considerations credits every year.
Every 2 years, attorneys must complete 1.00 CLE credit in substance abuse, mental health issues, or stress management and the legal profession. Substance abuse/mental health credit does not count toward ethical considerations credit, but it does count as general CLE credit.
Is in-program attendance verification required to receive South Carolina CLE credit?
Yes. In-program attendance verification is required.
Are you newly admitted to the South Carolina Bar? Here’s what you need to know:
What are the South Carolina CLE requirements for newly admitted attorneys?
Newly admitted attorneys in South Carolina are exempt from CLE requirements for the reporting year in which they are admitted to the bar. New attorneys must complete an Essential Series course during their first compliance period, which begins on March 1 after admission.
Can I carry over credits I completed during my year of admission?
No. Except for the South Carolina Bar's Essential Series credits, CLE hours earned by new admittees during the reporting year in which they were admitted cannot be carried forward to satisfy the MCLE requirements of their first reporting year.
When does my first reporting period end?
Your first reporting period begins on March 1 after you were admitted to practice law in South Carolina and ends on the last day of February the following year.
Are there any special credit requirements for new attorneys in South Carolina?
Yes. Before the end of their first required reporting year, newly admitted members must complete an Essentials Series course administered by the South Carolina Bar.
Hours earned by attendance at an Essentials Series course will be applied to the attorney’s first required reporting year. Members who live and practice outside of South Carolina may take an Essentials Series course online. Otherwise, attorneys must complete the in-person course in Columbia.
Are any new attorneys exempt from taking the Essentials Series course?
Yes. The following newly admitted members are exempt from completing an Essentials Series course:
- Members called to active military duty and who elect to become Military Members under 410(h)(1)(E), SCACR.
- Inactive members who remain inactive through the end of the first required reporting year.
- Members who have been admitted to practice law in another jurisdiction for at least two (2) years prior to admission in South Carolina.
- Members who took the South Carolina Bar's Bridge the Gap Program prior to March 2013.
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