Iowa CLE Requirements

15 credit hours annually

Effective August 28, 2020, the six-hour cap on unmoderated (on-demand) CLE has been lifted permanently. Attorneys may earn all of their CLE credit via on-demand programs, live programs, or a combination thereof.

13 General
At least 1 hour of Legal Ethics and at least 1 hour of either Attorney Wellness or Diversity and Inclusion

December 31

March 10

Attorneys must self-report completion of CLE requirements at the end of each reporting period.


** To assist attorneys with the reporting of their 2024 continuing legal education (CLE) credits, The Iowa State Bar Association (ISBA) has created the 2024 ISBA CLE information guide. This publication includes the CLE titles, dates, and credit information, as well as the activity numbers, for all programs offered by the ISBA last year. Credit information for ISBA On-Demand CLE events can also be found in this guide.

Annual reports are due by March 10, 2025. If an extension is needed for CLE hours, log into your account on the Iowa Supreme Court Commissions website to request an extension. Yearly CLE filing requires 15 hours of CLE, 1 hour of which must be accredited for legal ethics and 1 hour accredited for either attorney wellness or diversity. Attorneys admitted in calendar year 2024 do not have a CLE obligation but must still file a 2024 CLE report.

Please visit the ISBA CLE Credit webpage and feel free to contact the ISBA CLE Department at (515) 697-7874 or email [email protected] for questions concerning CLE credit of ISBA-sponsored events. For questions on the regulation of CLE, please contact the Commission on Continuing Legal Education at (515) 348-4670 or [email protected].

Iowa newly admitted attorneys must complete an 8-hour Basic Skills course within one year from the date of admission to practice in Iowa. The program must have at least 1 hour of ethics and focus on Iowa law in at least 8 of the following 10 practice areas: Civil Procedure; Criminal Law; Criminal Procedure; Family Law; Guardianship, Conservatorships, Trusts, and Powers of Appointment; Business Entities; Probate; Torts; Contracts; Real Estate Transactions; and Ethics and Professionalism.

• Commission on Continuing Legal Education
  Judicial Branch Building
  1111 East Court Avenue
  Des Moines, Iowa 50319
• (T) (515) 725-8029
• [email protected]
  www.iowabar.org