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State Bar Seeks Service-Minded Attorneys for California Rural Legal Assistance Board and Other Bodies

The State Bar of California is currently accepting applications from attorneys interested in serving on the Board of Directors for California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA), a legal aid organization that serves rural and small city residents in communities throughout California. CRLA is funded through the State Bar’s Legal Services Trust Fund, as well as the federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC), a nonprofit established by the U.S. Congress in 1974 to promote equal access to justice and provide grants to assist low-income Americans.

CRLA’s mission is to fight for justice and individual rights alongside the most exploited communities of our society. With 17 offices throughout the state, CRLA’s vision is a rural California where all people are treated with dignity and respect and guaranteed their fundamental rights. 

The State Bar assists in these vital efforts by appointing board members for the CRLA and other LSC recipients. The State Bar’s Board of Trustees will appoint five board members to the CRLA Board of Directors in 2023. The term of service is three years. Per LSC guidelines, factors for selection will include the candidates’ experience, commitment to civil justice for low-income Californians, and their potential contributions to the diversity and inclusiveness of the legal aid provider’s governing body.  

To apply, please complete the online application by May 1, 2023. The State Bar is also seeking diverse candidates, including lawyers and members of the public, to serve on various State Bar committees.  

“Speaking from experience, volunteering to serve on a board or a committee that helps set policy for the legal profession in service to the State Bar’s public protection mission is an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Ruben Duran, State Bar Board Chair. “I highly encourage all attorneys and members of the public interested in working on solutions to public protection, fairness, and access to justice in the legal field to please consider volunteering for any of the openings the State Bar is seeking to fill.”  

The Board of Trustees is the policymaking and oversight body for the State Bar; State Bar committees provide support to ensure that the State Bar effectively fulfills its expansive mission, which includes protecting the public through licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys, and increasing the diversity of the legal profession and access to legal services. 

The State Bar is most effective when membership of its committees represents the rich racial, ethnic, geographic, and professional diversity of Californians. The agency encourages applications from those well-versed in State Bar issues, as well as those with little knowledge or experience but with interest in helping the organization advance its important statutory mission. Nonlawyer public members receive a small stipend for this work. 

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the State Bar provides ADA accommodations for participation in State Bar activities. Please visit the Accessibility webpage to learn more. The State Bar complies with all applicable antidiscrimination laws in its appointment process. 

Current appointment opportunities include: 

• California Board of Legal Specialization: Open to lawyers, judicial officers, and nonlawyer public members.  
• Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation: Open to lawyers, former judicial officers (retired superior or appellate court), and nonlawyer public members. 
• Committee of Bar Examiners: Open to California licensed lawyers. 
• Committee of State Bar Accredited and Registered Schools: Open to law school deans and public members with accreditation expertise. 
• Council on Access and Fairness: Open to lawyers, judicial officers, and nonlawyer public members. 
• Law School Council: Open to law school deans and administrators only. 
• Legal Services Trust Fund Commission: Open to lawyers, judicial officers, and nonlawyer public members. 

For more information on all available committee assignments, please visit the State Bar's appointments webpage.  

Interested individuals may also sign up to be notified of future appointment opportunities.

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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.