California MCLE — Legal Ethics
Earn your 4 ethics hours on demand.
TalksOnLaw is an approved California MCLE provider (#17280). Watch on any device, earn certified credit, retain certificates for self-reporting.
California Legal Ethics Courses
20 courses approved for CA Legal Ethics credit
90CA 1.5 hrsTrump Trials – A Survey in Legal Ethics
Profs Bruce Green & Rebecca Roiphe
Fordham Law School | New York Law School
63CA 1 hrProsecutorial Discretion – Power & Responsibility
Profs Bruce Green & Rebecca Roiphe
Fordham Law School | New York Law School
58 minCA 1 hrWhy Law Firms Implode
Prof. John Morley
Yale Law School
Coverage
What counts as California Legal Ethics CLE
The State Bar of California accepts ethics coursework across these areas toward the 4-hour Legal Ethics requirement.
California Rules of Professional Conduct
Compliance with California's adopted Rules — competence, communication, candor toward tribunals, and the broader fiduciary obligations that govern California practice.
Conflicts of Interest
Identifying when representation could be compromised by competing duties to current clients, former clients, the lawyer's personal interests, or third parties.
Confidentiality & Privilege
The duty to preserve client confidences, the contours of attorney-client privilege under California law, and the narrow exceptions that permit or compel disclosure.
Fiduciary Duties to Clients
Loyalty, candor, diligence, and competent representation — the core fiduciary obligations that distinguish the attorney-client relationship from arm's-length contracting.
Fee Arrangements & Trust Accounting
Reasonable fees, written-fee-agreement rules under Bus. & Prof. Code § 6147–6148, IOLTA mechanics, and the recordkeeping that produces the bulk of CA discipline cases.
Attorney Communication & Candor
The Rule 1.4 duty to keep clients reasonably informed, candor toward tribunals under Rule 3.3, and the practical lines around dual representation and fee disputes.
Compliance
How the California requirement works
Active California attorneys must complete 25 hours of accredited MCLE every 3-year compliance period, including 4 hours of Legal Ethics, 2 hours Elimination of Bias, 2 hours Competence Issues, 1 hour Technology, and 1 hour Civility.
Participatory cap: 12.5 of the 25 hours must be participatory; the remaining 12.5 may be self-study. The 4-hour Legal Ethics requirement itself can be fully earned through self-study (TalksOnLaw counts as self-study), so plan accordingly.
California is a self-reporting state. TalksOnLaw is an approved California MCLE provider (#17280); every Legal Ethics course on this page is pre-approved. Retain your certificates in case of audit.
Common questions
California Legal Ethics — Q&A
How many ethics hours does California require?
Are TalksOnLaw ethics courses approved in California?
Can I earn all 4 ethics hours through self-study (online)?
Does California auto-report my hours, or do I self-report?
Finish your California ethics requirement today.
Pre-approved courses from California MCLE Provider #17280. Instant certificates. On demand.
TalksOnLaw is an approved California MCLE provider (Provider #17280).