Years (ok, decades…) after graduation, I still love back-to-school shopping.  A few new notebooks, some perfect pens, and I am ready for the fall with its promise of new routines and crisp weather.

Recently, I caught up with a friend whose son will be starting his freshman year at our alma mater, the University of North Carolina. As we reminisced about our own college days, we found ourselves comparing class schedules and favorite lecture halls. I remembered a long-standing regret: never making time for Art History 102 (Renaissance to Modern) or taking enough French classes for a minor. It’s funny how those missed opportunities linger, nudging us to keep learning, even decades later.

So today, I’m proud to say I’m slowly reading a book on how the impressionism movement began in Paris and I’ve maintained a 545-day streak on Duolingo. What began as a half-hearted attempt to brush-up before some travel has turned into a daily ritual—one that’s done more than just improve my pronunciation. It’s a reminder that learning doesn’t stop when we leave school or pass the bar exam. Rather learning is a lifelong journey, and sometimes, it starts with a new book, a green owl, and a few minutes a day.

Although I miss the cadence of school—new classes with the new semester—as lawyers, we’re fortunate that our profession builds continued learning into our careers.  Our Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements ensure we stay sharp, ethical, and informed. Whether it’s a refresher on legal ethics or a deep dive into emerging technologies, CLEs help us grow as professionals and better serve our clients.

In North Carolina, our CLE reporting requirements have recently changed: attorneys must complete 24 hours of CLE every two years, including:

• One (1) Technology Training Hour
• One (1) Professional Well-Being Hour (formerly Mental Health/Substance Abuse)
• Four (4) Ethics Hours

These hours may be taken in-person or online.  Please mark your calendars: February 2026 will be the first reporting year for 24 hours for those who were admitted to practice in even years.

South Carolina attorneys have a slightly different requirement: 14 CLE hours annually and six of these hours must be in-person. (Fun fact: the MBA offers CLEs that qualify for South Carolina in-person credit!)

Your Mecklenburg Bar Association membership gives you access to our high-quality CLEs.  Level I and II members have access to six and 12 free hours of CLE, respectively.  Our Level III members have unlimited CLE access and this includes our on-demand catalog.  Last year, our members redeemed more than 1,600 hours of free CLE, valued at over $95,000.

MBA’s CLE offerings include the Professionalism for New Attorneys (PNA) CLE required for newly licensed attorneys; the highly regarded six (6) hour annual North Carolina Business Court and Bankruptcy Programs; and numerous one-hour classes taught by your local bar members and members of our judiciary.  Indeed, teaching one hour of CLE provides you with six hours of credit!

Interested in signing up to attend a CLE or in becoming one of our faculty members? Please visit the Events & CLE tab at MeckBar.org or contact our amazing CLE staff team:  Lisa Armanini, Managing Director of Continuing Legal Education, larmanini@meckbar.org and Michelle Lee, Director of Continuing Legal Education and Sections, mlee@meckbar.org.

So whether you’re chasing a Duolingo streak, finally signing up for that art history seminar, or plotting out your legal ethics and technology credits, remember: the best lawyers never stop learning.