Committee Appointment Opportunities

The State Bar welcomes applications year-round from diverse candidates, including lawyers and nonlawyer public members, to serve on various State Bar committees. You can also sign up to be notified of future appointment opportunities.

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 the 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. We encourage 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

• California Board of Legal Specialization: open to lawyers, judicial officers, and nonlawyer public members
  • Composition: seven members (up to two public members)
  • Time commitment: six meetings per year 

• Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation: open to lawyers, former judicial officers (retired superior or appellate court), and nonlawyer public members
  • Composition: at least 27 and no more than 38 members (To the extent feasible, at least 80 percent of the members must be active, licensed attorneys in good standing, and the balance public members. At least one of the licensed attorneys must be a former judicial officer.)
  • Time commitment: six meetings per year 
• Committee of Bar Examiners: open to California lawyers practicing law for over three years
  • Composition: 19 members (9 nonattorney members, and 10 attorneys or judges: at least one of whom must be a judicial officer in this state, and the balance must be California licensed attorneys)
  • Time commitment: five to six meetings per year 
• Committee of State Bar Accredited and Registered Schools: open to public members with experience in education and accreditation
  • Composition: seven members (five deans and two public members)
  • Time commitment: TBD
• Council on Access and Fairness: open to lawyers, judicial officers, and nonlawyer public members
  • Composition: 10 members (no specific composition requirements or guidelines)
  • Time commitment: six meetings per year 
• Law School Council: open to law school administrators only
  • Composition: seven members (deans or their staff/faculty from ABA-approved schools in California)
  • Time commitment: TBD
• Legal Services Trust Fund Commission: open to lawyers, judicial officers, and nonlawyer public members
  • Composition: 21 voting members (15 lawyers and 6 public members, 2 of whom must be eligible for services as "indigent persons") and 3 nonvoting bench officers
  • Time commitment: four to six meetings per year

For more information and a complete list of State Bar committees, please see the committees webpage. You may also sign up to be notified of future appointment opportunities.

How to apply

Apply to serve on a State Bar committee by completing the online application by May 1, 2023.

Once in the application, please provide a response for every question where response fields are outlined in red. In some cases, required questions have a “decline to answer” option, so you can use that option should you wish to opt out. 

In some cases, the application displays questions that are not relevant to you depending on whether you are an attorney or a nonlawyer public member. Please skip over irrelevant questions; the response fields will not be active.

Questions about the application process? Please email Appointments@calbar.ca.gov.

Business travel reimbursement and stipend

Most committee meetings are held virtually, and up to two meetings a year are held in person. Travel costs will be reimbursed in accordance with the State Bar’s Travel and Business-Related Expense Policy.