Recertification Guidelines

Term of Certification

The term of certification is three years based on the designated anniversary date, and each recertification period is also for three years.

Your anniversary date will be either June 30 or November 30, whichever is closer to the actual date the exam was taken and passed.

  • Spring exam dates will have June 30 anniversary dates.
  • Fall exam dates will have November 30 anniversary dates.
  • All recertification education must fall within the anniversary dates.
    Example:     Your next recertification is June 30, 2020. Only education earned between your last anniversary date of June 30, 2017, and your current anniversary date of June 30, 2020, will count toward your current recertification.
Application Submissions
  1. Applications may be submitted online at alanet.org/clm/recertify.aspx, emailed to [email protected] or mailed to:

    Association of Legal Administrators
    CLM Certification Center  
    8600 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 400N
    Chicago, IL 60631

  2. Applications must be submitted or postmarked by the application deadline.
Maintaining Certification

To maintain the CLM designation, a Certified Legal Manager must:

  • Pay a maintenance fee annually by your spring or fall certification date except in the year in which you recertify. Annual fees are subject to change. Apply for recertification every three years and pay a recertification fee.
  • Complete the educational requirements for recertification.

    All CLMs are eligible to recertify. A Certified Legal Manager does not have to be currently working in the legal industry to recertify their CLM designation. Applications for recertification will not be accepted if submitted or postmarked after the established anniversary date deadline.

NOTE: Individuals may not refer to themselves as a Certified Legal Manager or CLM if their designation is not current — meaning they have maintained the credential by paying the annual fee and recertifying by the deadline.

CLM Recertification Fees and Applications can be submitted online at alanet.org/certification under Online Applications.

Education Requirements

To demonstrate that a Certified Legal Manager has maintained their knowledge, skills and abilities, they are required to:

  1. Apply for recertification every three years based on the designated anniversary date.
  2. Provide evidence of having completed 36 hours of coursework during the prior three years, including a minimum of 3 hours in each of the following subject areas:
  • Communication and organizational management
  • Financial management
  • Human resources management
  • Operations management
  • Legal industry/business management

And including a minimum of 1 hour in the following subject areas:

  • Business ethics
  • Substance abuse

NOTE: Substance abuse and business ethics hours are part of the 36-hour coursework requirement. However, the minimum 1 hour each of ethics and substance abuse cannot be counted twice. For example, 1 hour of substance abuse coursework, which likely comes from an HR course, cannot be counted toward the 3 hours needed to fulfill the HR requirement.

Earn CE Credit

Members and nonmembers earn such credits hours through the continuing education courses in Legal Management magazine. The goal of these article-based courses is to help CLMs get the credits they need for recertification, but they also count toward SHRM, HRCI or CPE credit.

Simply read the article, then log in to take a test ($49 for members; $69 for nonmembers). If you pass with at least 70%, you will earn one CE credit hour. Click here to start.

Credit for Teaching

Of the 36 hours, a maximum of 4 hours of credit can be earned from teaching a course. This credit is for contact time only, and credit will not be given for course preparation or for presenting the same course more than once.

Credit for Self-Study and Passive Learning Experiences

Of the 36 hours, a maximum of 12 hours of credit can be earned from:

  • Interactive, technology-based self-study program OR
  • Passive learning experiences such as video conferences or webcasts OR
  • A combination of interactive, technology-based self-study programs and passive learning experiences

All education program must meet the criteria shown.

Retired CLMs

If you've retired but still wish to maintain your CLM designation, you're in luck! See details here.