FAQ

What is CeriFi Accreditation Services?

CeriFi makes CLE and CPE accreditation simple. We handle everything—state submissions, credit-hour calculations, certificates, and reporting—so you can focus on delivering outstanding educational programs for your clients, attorneys, and partners.

Whether you're a law firm, LegalTech company, event producer, professional association, or legal content company, we take the complexity out of compliance and turn it into a competitive advantage—adding both value and credibility to your programs.

What types of programs can be accredited?

We work with all types of continuing education programs, including:

• Live, in-person events

• Webinars and virtual programs

• Hybrid events (live + virtual)

• On-demand or recorded programs

To qualify for CLE credit, the program must focus primarily on the practice of law and be led by subject matter experts. While presenters are often licensed attorneys, this is not required in most states.

Topics that generally qualify:

• Substantive law updates

• Ethics and professionalism

• Technology and innovation in legal practice

• Litigation, regulatory, or transactional skills

• Practice management tied directly to client representation

Topics that generally do not qualify:

• Marketing, advertising, or business development (e.g., SEO, social media)

• Hiring, staffing, or compensation practices

• General office or communication skills

• Business management, profitability, or financial planning

• Paralegal or non-attorney-focused programs

If you're unsure whether your program qualifies, our team will review it and advise you before submission.

Are there minimum program lengths for CLE credit?

Yes. Each jurisdiction has its own minimum length for CLE approval—most commonly 15, 25, 30, 50, or 60 minutes. Programs under 60 minutes can still qualify in certain states but will have a smaller accreditation footprint. CeriFi helps you determine eligibility by state and ensures your program meets the widest possible coverage requirements.

Do I need to provide program materials?

Yes. Program materials are required for CLE accreditation and are reviewed by state regulators.

To qualify, materials must:

• Focus on legal practice and strengthen attorneys' professional competence

• Be original and created specifically for your program (collateral materials like statutes or cases can be included but don't count toward the minimum page requirement)

• Be detailed enough that an attorney could understand the subject matter without watching the presentation

Material length guidelines:

• At least 20 pages per 60 minutes of instruction

• Scaled proportionally (e.g., 10 pages for 30 minutes, 30 pages for 90 minutes)

• Slides with mostly visuals or brief bullets do not count as substantive pages

• Introductions, summaries, and speaker bios are excluded from the page count

• Programs over 90 minutes must include a timed agenda

CeriFi reviews all materials before submission to ensure they meet every state's standards.

Do you also provide CPE credit for accountants?

Yes. LegalEdge (part of the CeriFi family) provides CPE accreditation for qualifying webinars and live programs. CPE programs must include specific learning objectives and clearly stated CPE language in the description. Our editors and accreditation specialists guide you through every requirement.

How long does the accreditation process take?

Most jurisdictions approve programs within 2–4 weeks of submission. We recommend notifying CeriFi 4–6 weeks before your event to ensure adequate time for review, submission, and approval.

Our team manages all jurisdictional deadlines and communication on your behalf.

What's included in CeriFi's accreditation service?

Every engagement includes:

• Multi-jurisdiction research and state bar submissions

• Credit-hour calculations and category mapping (General, Ethics, Tech, DEI, etc.)

• Review of program content and materials

• Attendance verification for live, hybrid, or virtual sessions

• Certificate creation and delivery

• Post-program compliance reporting

• Dedicated support from an Accreditation Specialist

You provide the content—we handle everything else.

How does accreditation add value to my programs?

Accreditation transforms educational programs into professionally recognized learning experiences. It increases attendance, enhances sponsor value, and strengthens your organization's reputation for quality and compliance.

CeriFi ensures your programs meet jurisdictional standards and are recognized everywhere your audience practices.

Can CeriFi manage multi-state or international submissions?

Yes. We manage CLE accreditation across all U.S. jurisdictions and select Canadian provinces. We also handle specialty credits (Ethics, Technology, DEI, Professionalism, etc.) and can coordinate international equivalency where applicable.

Can our certificates or materials include our brand?

Absolutely. CeriFi offers custom and co-branded certificates that reflect your organization's brand identity. We can also match your event or learning platform templates for a consistent participant experience.

Do we receive post-event analytics?

Yes. Every engagement includes detailed post-event reporting, including:

• Attendance by jurisdiction and participant type

• Total and category-specific credits earned

• Completion rates and engagement data

• Jurisdictional filing confirmations

These insights help you measure success, justify sponsorships, and plan your next accredited program.

How the CeriFi Accreditation Process Works

Before the Event

1. Client – Notify CeriFi of your event date, number of sessions, and duration

2. Client – Send a detailed agenda, speaker list, and program materials for review

3. CeriFi – Conduct an accreditation consultation and eligibility review

4. CeriFi – Complete jurisdictional analysis using our internal accreditation calculator/worksheet

5. Client – Confirm accreditation scope (worksheet locked)

6. CeriFi – Build attendee and speaker affidavit forms and set up the online dashboard

7. CeriFi – Deliver URLs, QR codes, and electronic copies of sign-in/out forms (if applicable)

During the Event

• Client provides attendees and speakers with the accreditation URLs or QR codes

• Client communicates the 10-business-day window for submitting credit requests

• Client manages sign-in/out for in-person events and ensures participation codes are displayed for virtual attendees

• CeriFi remains available for support and compliance questions during the event

After the Event

• Client sends reminder emails to attendees and speakers (with links or QR codes)

• 5 business days post-event: Send second reminder for credit requests

• 10 business days post-event: CeriFi harvests submissions and begins processing credits

• Within 30 calendar days: Certificates of completion are issued and delivered to participants

Client Responsibilities

• Provide complete agenda, SME documentation, and speaker bios

• Produce program materials that meet CLE requirements (12–15 pages per hour for text documents; 20–22 pages per hour for text-heavy slides)

• Ensure all speakers are subject matter experts, preferably attorneys

• Manage on-site or virtual attendance verification (sign-in/out or participation codes)

• Communicate deadlines and accreditation procedures to attendees

CeriFi Responsibilities

• Review all content for CLE/CPE eligibility and jurisdictional fit

• Manage agenda assessment, accreditation consultation, and submissions

• Create all online forms, dashboards, and verification tools

• Process all attendee and speaker credit requests

• Issue certificates and handle any post-event customer service or late submissions

Key Program Requirements

• Programs must be attorney-focused and substantive in nature

• Speakers must be subject matter experts (attorneys preferred)

• Program materials must be original, detailed, and meet length guidelines

• Specialty credits (e.g., Ethics) must align with regulator definitions—programs must be "legal ethics," not general ethics