State Bar Publishes 2023 Digital Annual Report Friday, May 31, 2024 Categories: News Releases The State Bar published its 2023 digital annual report today, which focuses on its accomplishments and challenges in a year when budgetary and staffing constraints impacted operations and when transparency and accountability took center stage. “2023 was a remarkable, challenging, and transformative year for the State Bar,” said Leah Wilson, Executive Director. “Despite our ongoing funding limitations, we initiated and published a series of reports related to the Girardi scandal and took substantive actions to reform Board of Trustees and organizational governance to strengthen ethics and conflicts of interest practices. In addition, we meaningfully improved the system for regulating attorneys by implementing proactive monitoring of client trust accounts for the first time in our history.” The report features three “State Bar Stories,” short videos that highlight how the State Bar impacts lives. Among the facts highlighted in the report are these: Total number of attorneys licensed: 271,497 New attorneys admitted: 5,315 Legal aid funds distributed: a record $149.6 million Victims reimbursed through the Client Security Fund: 438 Complaints about attorney misconduct and unauthorized practice of law handled: 17,360 Bar exam applicants tested: 12,036 Attorneys disciplined: 198 (FY) Nonattorney practice cases referred to law enforcement: 300 Customer service calls handled: More than 92,000 Sections of the report on attorney regulation and discipline, transparency and accountability, access, diversity and inclusion, and admissions highlight numerous accomplishments, metrics, and initiatives undertaken or completed in 2023. ### Follow the State Bar online LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system. Previous Article Next Article