COMPUTER LANGUAGE RESEARCH, INC. REPORTS 4th QUARTER AND YEAR END RESULTS AND DECLARES A CASH DIVIDEND.

CARROLLTON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 27, 1997--Computer Language Research, Inc. (Nasdaq/NM: CLRI), reported today that, for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 1996, net income was $2.5 million, or $0.17 per share, on revenues of $39.1 million compared with a loss of $1.2 million, or ($0.09) per share, on revenues of $34.9 million for the same period in 1995. Net income for the twelve months of 1996 was $1.0 million, or $0.07 per share, on revenues of $129.2 million compared with net income of $11.7 million, or $0.81 per share, on revenues of $110.7 million for the twelve months of 1995. Results for 1995 included a one-time after-tax gain of $4.7 million ($0.33 per share) from the sale of Electronic Forms Systems, Inc.

Results for both 1996 and 1995 were adversely affected by the Company's aggressive acquisition program. During this two-year period the Company completed 12 acquisitions, eight of which were made to enhance Rent Roll's business, with the remainder made for the Fast-Tax business. Effects of these acquisitions have adversely distorted reported performance and may span more than one year before more normalized operating results become evident. The more important of these effects include charges for in-process R&D costs, amortization of purchase price, deferral of revenue, lost revenue and additional expense incurred during the assimilation period, and increased product development costs for maintenance and integration of acquired products. All of these items contributed to operating results in 1996 and 1995. The effect of all of these items, offset by the $1.5 million improvement in operating results from the bank and accounting tax businesses, accounts for virtually the entire $7.6 million decline in income from continuing operations before taxes between 1996 and 1995.

Operating income in 1996 for the Fast-Tax business was $22.3 million compared with $23.8 million in 1995, before acquisition charges of $4.7 million and $10.3 million, respectively. The operating loss in 1996 for the Rent Roll business was $3.3 million compared with operating income of $0.3 million in 1995, before acquisition charges of $8.4 million and $0.9 million, respectively.

Stephen T. Winn, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Although 1996 results are below our expectations, we are confident about the long-term outlook for our software and services and will continue working for a smooth assimilation of the acquisitions completed over the past two years. The Company expects revenue growth in 1997 of approximately 15%, and anticipates that operating income for 1997, excluding amortization and other acquisition related charges, will be more in line with historical levels (see the Safe Harbor statement below)."

At its February 27th meeting, the Board of Directors declared a dividend for the first quarter of 1997 at the rate of $0.10 per share. The dividend is payable March 28, 1997, to shareholders of record on March 13, 1997.

In other business, Jeffrey T. Leeds, a principal of Advance Capital Management LLC in New York, joined the Company's Board of Directors and will serve on the board's audit and compensation committees. Advance Capital recently purchased 400,000 shares of the Company from certain members of the Winn Family and their affiliates. These shares represented less than 4% of the Winn Family's and their affiliates' holdings in the Company. Mr. Leeds said, "We are thrilled to have been presented an opportunity to invest in CLR. The Company is run by a talented management team, led by Steve Winn. It has leading positions in its existing markets and is pursuing exciting new growth opportunities." Select Equity Group, Inc., which formerly conducted research and published reports on the Company, is an equity holder in Advance Capital Management LLC.

Computer Language Research, Inc., is headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, and maintains sales and support facilities throughout the United States. The Company provides tax and accounting software and information services to accounting firms, banks, corporations, and partnerships under the trade names ACE and Fast-Tax. The Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Rent Roll, Inc., develops and markets apartment housing software and information services to large property management firms and owners of multifamily apartment communities under various trade names.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under Private Securities Litigation Reform Act

of 1995

The Company's 1997 outlook and all other statements in this release other than historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. The Company derives its forward-looking statements from its operating budgets and forecasts, which are based upon detailed assumptions about many important factors such as product demand, market conditions, technological developments, and competitive activities. While the Company believes that its assumptions are reasonable, it cautions that there are inherent difficulties in predicting the impact of certain factors, especially those affecting the timing and magnitude of software sales and the performance of recently acquired businesses, which could cause actual results to differ materially from predicted results. -0-

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
-----------------------------------------------
(In thousands, except per share amounts)

                                Three Months         Twelve Months
                                   Ended                 Ended
                                December 31,          December 31,
                             ------------------    ------------------
                               1996      1995        1996      1995
                             --------  --------    --------  --------
Revenues ..................  $ 39,076  $ 34,906    $129,243  $110,703
                             --------  --------    --------  --------
Costs and expenses:
 Cost of revenues .........    17,689    17,308      64,933    56,109
 Selling, general, and
  administrative ..........    17,675    14,909      59,707    41,162
 Charge for purchased re-
  search and development ..        --     5,600       3,498     5,600
                             --------  --------    --------  --------
   Total costs and expenses    35,364    37,817     128,138   102,871
                             --------  --------    --------  --------
Operating income (loss) ...     3,712    (2,911)      1,105     7,832
Interest, net .............        39       740         474     1,917
Other .....................       (10)     (569)        (39)     (626)
                             --------  --------    --------  --------
Income (loss) from continu-
 ing operations before
 income taxes .............     3,741    (2,740)      1,540     9,123
Provision (benefit) for
 income taxes .............     1,269    (1,532)        499     2,264
                             --------  --------    --------  --------
Income (loss) from continu-
 ing operations ...........     2,472    (1,208)      1,041     6,859
Discontinued operations:/a
 Income from discontinued
  operations ..............        --        --          --        76
Gain on disposal of dis-
 continued operations .....        --        --          --     4,720
                             --------  --------    --------  --------
Net income (loss) .........  $  2,472  $ (1,208)   $  1,041  $ 11,655
                             ========  ========    ========  ========
Earnings (loss) per share .  $   0.17  $  (0.09)   $   0.07  $   0.81
                             ========  ========    ========  ========
Dividends per share .......  $   0.10  $   0.10    $   0.40  $   0.40
                             ========  ========    ========  ========
Weighted average number of
 common and common equiva-
 lent shares outstanding ..    14,529    14,563      14,564    14,434
                             ========  ========    ========  ========

    (a) In June 1995, the Company sold substantially all of the
assets of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Electronic Form Systems
Incorporated ("EFS").  The operating results of EFS have been treated
as discontinued operations.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
-------------------------------------
(In thousands)
                                            At December 31,
                                          -------------------
                                            1996       1995
                                          --------   --------
ASSETS:
 Cash and cash equivalents .............  $  2,928   $ 13,641
 Accounts receivable, net ..............    27,104     26,615
 Other current assets ..................     5,042      3,677
                                          --------   --------
  Total current assets .................    35,074     43,933

 Property and equipment, net ...........    20,888     20,462
 Software, net .........................    23,868     20,087
 Intangibles and other assets, net .....    19,107     14,578
                                          --------   --------
   TOTAL ASSETS ........................  $ 98,937   $ 99,060
                                          ========   ========
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
 Current liabilities ...................  $ 30,341   $ 28,099
 Noncurrent liabilities ................     6,594      5,412
 Shareholders' equity ..................    62,002     65,549
                                          --------   --------
   TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS'
    EQUITY .............................  $ 98,937   $ 99,060
                                          ========   ========

CONTACT: Computer Language Research, Inc., Carrollton

Robert H. Dilworth, Vice President

Business Development & Investor Relations

972/250-8679