The Certified Legal Investigator (CLI) designation from the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI) is for working legal investigators with at least 5 years of verifiable experience. This page covers the exam's checked rules, fees and timing. It matches each official exam section to our free practice sets and works through sample questions with full explanations. We write our questions with AI tools, and they are not real exam items.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Time limit (Ethics and oral examination) | Approximately 3 hours (180 minutes)[1] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Time limit (Written examination) | 3 hours (180 minutes)[1] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Passing score | 70% in each section[2] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Exam fee (NALI members) | $200 (NALI members)[3] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Exam fee (Non-members) | $300 (non-members)[3] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Retake fee | One third of the application fee per section re-taken[4] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Retake policy | Retake only failed sections; must complete all portions within 3 years of first taking the exam[1] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Validity | 3-year compliance cycle via Report of Compliance (ROC) filings[5] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Renewal | 50 CEC hours per 3-year period for first two periods, then 36 hours; reports cease after 20 years[2] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Delivery | In person, proctored by Certified Legal Investigators and members of the CLI Committee[1] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Minimum 5 years of verifiable legal investigator experience (up to 1 year substituted by 60 college semester hours), licensing if required, and background check[2] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Registration deadline | At least 30 days prior to the examination date[3] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Testing window | Annually at the NALI National Conference; regional testing when 5 candidates sit[4] | National Association of Legal Investigators · Oct 27, 2026 |
According to National Association of Legal Investigators, “The examinee must obtain a passing score (70% or more) in each section (white paper, oral exam and written exam).”[2]
NALI uses the CLI exam to confirm that an experienced legal investigator can work to a professional standard. The exam has a white paper, an ethics and oral examination, and a written examination. You must score 70% or more in each section to earn the designation. Testing is in person and proctored only by Certified Legal Investigators and members of the CLI Committee. The ethics and oral section takes approximately 3 hours and includes an interview, a statement, a memo, ethical questions and other questions the proctors choose. The written exam has a 3-hour time limit.
To apply, you need a minimum of 5 years of verifiable work experience as a legal investigator. You can replace 1 year of that with 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of coursework. You must also hold any license your jurisdiction requires and pass a background check. Licensing rules vary by state, so check yours. The fee is $200 for NALI members and $300 for non-members. The CLI committee chairperson must receive your application and fee at least 30 days before the exam date. NALI holds the exam annually at its National Conference and offers regional testing where 5 eligible candidates can sit.
If you fail a section, you retake only that section. Each retake costs one third of the application fee per section. You must pass all portions within 3 years of the date you first take the exam. Check the current details on the NALI CLI program pages before you apply.
The content areas below are copied from the official CLI content outline published by National Association of Legal Investigators. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Practice on this site |
|---|---|
| THE CLI ETHICS AND ORAL EXAMINATION[1] | CLI Ethics & Professional Conduct Practise ethics scenarios and explain your reasoning out loud, and practise interviewing too, because this section includes an interview, a statement and a memo. |
| THE CLI “WHITE PAPER”[1] | CLI Report Writing & Documentation Practise clear, well-organized investigative writing, and read NALI's official white paper requirements for topic and format before you start drafting. |
| THE CLI WRITTEN EXAMINATION[1] | CLI Legal Research & Investigation Techniques Work through legal research, evidence and criminal procedure questions in timed sessions so you can keep your pace within the 3-hour limit. |
Prepare for the CLI - Certified Legal Investigator exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: To identify secured creditors holding liens on a business's equipment and inventory, an investigator should search:
Answer: D. UCC financing statements at the Secretary of State
Explanation:
D is correct. When a lender takes a security interest in a business's equipment or inventory, it files a UCC financing statement with the Secretary of State. The filing gives public notice of the claim. A search of those filings by debtor name shows who holds liens and on what collateral.
A is wrong because criminal court records show prosecutions, not secured debts. B is wrong because the IRS tax-exempt database lists charities and nonprofits, not creditors. C is wrong because the Federal Register publishes federal agency rules and notices, not private lending records.
Rule to remember: for liens on personal property, start with the Secretary of State's UCC index. For liens on real estate, go to county land records.
Question: A person who, knowing a felony was committed, hides the felon from police but did not participate in the crime is generally liable as:
Answer: C. An accessory after the fact
Explanation:
C is correct. An accessory after the fact knows a felony has been committed and then helps the felon avoid arrest, trial or punishment, for example by hiding them. The help comes after the crime, and the person took no part in the crime itself.
A is wrong because a principal in the second degree is present at the crime and aids or encourages it. B is wrong because an accessory before the fact helps or encourages the crime beforehand but is not present. D is wrong because a co-conspirator agreed with others to commit the crime.
Rule to remember: sort the parties by timing and role: before, during or after the offence. Many jurisdictions now charge help given after the fact as a separate crime, such as hindering prosecution.
Question: A party anticipates litigation and needs to preserve the testimony of an elderly, terminally ill witness before any suit is filed. Which federal rule provides a mechanism for this?
Answer: B. FRCP 27
Explanation:
B is correct. FRCP 27 lets a person who expects to be a party to a federal suit ask the court to perpetuate testimony before any action is filed. It applies when the testimony might otherwise be lost, as with a terminally ill witness.
A is wrong because FRCP 26(f) covers the parties' discovery-planning conference, which takes place after a case is filed. C is wrong because FRCP 32 governs how depositions are used at trial or hearings, not how they are taken before suit. D is wrong because FRCP 45 covers subpoenas, which are issued in a pending action.
Rule to remember: before a suit is filed, use Rule 27. After it is filed, use normal discovery. State courts have their own versions of this rule, so check local rules too.
Start with the official NALI CLI pages. Confirm your eligibility, licensing and background check requirements, and the white paper instructions. Then set your application date with time to spare before the 30-day deadline.
You need at least 5 years of verifiable work experience as a legal investigator. You can substitute 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of coursework for 1 year of that experience. You must also hold any license your jurisdiction requires and pass a background check. Licensing rules differ by state, so confirm yours before you apply.
The exam fee is $200 for NALI members and $300 for non-members. The CLI committee chairperson must receive your application and fee at least 30 days before the exam date. If you need to retake a section, it costs one third of the application fee for each section you retake. The practice sets on this page are free.
You need 70% or more in each section: the white paper, the oral exam and the written exam. A strong result in one section does not make up for a low result in another. That is why you retake only the sections you fail. The written exam has a 3-hour limit, and the ethics and oral section takes approximately 3 hours.
The CLI Chairperson gives the exam annually at the NALI National Conference. Regional testing can be arranged where 5 eligible candidates are ready to sit. All testing is in person and proctored only by Certified Legal Investigators and members of the CLI Committee. Your application and fee must arrive at least 30 days before the exam date.
You retake only the sections you failed, and the sections you passed still count. Each retake costs one third of the application fee per section. The CLI Committee chairperson must receive payment at least 30 days before the test date. You must pass all portions within 3 years of the date you first take the exam.
You file a Report of Compliance every 3 years, counting from the year you earn the CLI. Your first two compliance periods each require 50 hours of Continuing Education Credits. After that, each 3-year period requires 36 hours. Reports are no longer required after 20 years. See the NALI Report of Compliance page for how to file.
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