.1525 Professionalism Requirement for New Members (PNA)

Note: The following regulations of the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program were amended by the North Carolina Supreme Court on June 14, 2023, and October, 18, 2023. The new regulations will not be enforced until March 1, 2024.

The former text of the CLE regulations can be found on this page. 

(a) Content and Accreditation. The State Bar PNA program shall consist of 12 hours of training in subjects designated by the State Bar including, but not limited to, professional responsibility, professionalism, and law office management. The chairs of the Ethics and Grievance Committees, in consultation with the chief counsel to those committees, shall annually establish the content of the program and shall publish any changes to the required content on or before January 1 of each year. PNA programs may only be provided by sponsors registered under Rule .1522 of this subchapter or judicial district bars specifically approved by the Board to offer PNA programs. To be approved as a PNA program, the program must satisfy the annual content requirements, and a sponsor must submit a detailed description of the program to the Board for approval. A sponsor may not advertise a PNA program until approved by the Board. PNA programs shall be specially designated by the Board and no program that is not so designated shall satisfy the PNA program requirement for new members.

(b) Timetable and Partial Credit. The PNA program shall be presented in two six-hour blocks (with appropriate breaks) over two days. The six-hour blocks do not have to be attended on consecutive days or taken from the same provider; however, no partial credit shall be awarded for attending less than an entire six-hour block unless a special circumstances exemption is granted by the Board. The Board may approve an alternative timetable for a PNA program upon demonstration by the provider that the alternative timetable will provide an enhanced learning experience or for other good cause; however, no partial credit shall be awarded for attending less than the entire 12-hour program unless a special circumstances exemption is granted by the Board.

(c) Online programs. The PNA program may be distributed over the internet by live streaming, but no part of the program may be taken on-demand unless specifically authorized by the Board.

(d) PNA Requirement. Except as provided in Rule .1517(l), each newly admitted active member of the North Carolina State Bar must complete the PNA program during the member’s first reporting period. It is strongly recommended that newly admitted members complete the PNA program within their first year of admission.

History Note: Authority - Order of the North Carolina Supreme Court, October 7, 1987, 318 N.C. 711

Readopted Eff. December 8, 1994

Amendments Approved by the Supreme Court: March 3, 1999; June 14, 2023; October 18, 2023