CLI Requirements

The National Association of Legal Investigators, Inc. offers a Certified Legal Investigator® (CLI) program which certifies that qualified investigators possess superior knowledge in the field of legal investigation. The criteria to become a Certified Legal Investigator are as follows.

1. Applicants must devote the majority of their practice to negligence investigations, tort investigations or any other investigations for the plaintiff; and/or criminal defense investigations for retained defense attorneys or appointed investigators for indigent criminal defendants in local, state or federal criminal cases; and be employed by either a law firm or government entity conducting criminal defense investigations for indigent defendants, or a private investigative firm.
2. Applicants must be licensed, if required, by the state in which he/she is practicing or employed.
3. Applicants for the CLI designation must have a minimum five years verifiable work experience as a full-time investigator for civil plaintiffs, and/or as a criminal defense investigator. Applicants may substitute successful completion of at least 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of course work at an accredited college or university for one year of work experience.