A Registered Foreign Legal Consultant is admitted to practice and is in good standing as an attorney, counselor at law, or the equivalent in a foreign country and has a current State Bar Certificate of Registration as a Foreign Legal Consultant. A Registered Foreign Legal Consultant may practice the law of their country in California but may not practice California law. Please see rule 9.44 of the California Rules of Court and Title 3, Division 3, Chapter 4 of the Rules of the State Bar.
What are the requirements to register as a Foreign Legal Consultant?
An applicant must:
have been admitted to practice law and have been in good standing as an attorney, counselor at law, or equivalent in a foreign country for at least four of the six years immediately preceding the application, and have actually practiced the law of that country;
possess good moral character (an Application for Determination of Moral Character is required and will be processed by the Office of Admissions in the same manner as for California bar applicants); and
provide the Office of Admissions with a written statement agreeing to maintain required security for claims for errors, omissions, and dishonest conduct.
How do I get an application?
Applications are available in the Applicant Portal. You must create an account using your name, email address, and password to gain access to the Applicant Portal.
Each file is handled individually. Processing time depends on whether we receive complete information. A Foreign Legal Consultant application cannot be approved until you have received a positive moral character determination. Generally, the moral character review process can take a minimum of six months to complete.
The evidence of security for claims may be a certificate of insurance, a letter of credit, a written guarantee, or a written agreement executed by the applicant. It must be provided in a form acceptable to the State Bar and must be computed in U.S. dollars.
How do I satisfy my requirement to submit a Certificate of Standing?
Be issued by the entity that has the highest regulating bar admissions authority for that jurisdiction
Contain your license number
Indicate the date you were admitted to practice law in that jurisdiction
State that you are currently in good standing
Indicate your disciplinary history
Contain an original ink signature, stamp, or seal from the jurisdiction
Be issued within six months of the current application's submission
Do these documents have to be in English?
All foreign-language documents must be accompanied by an English translation by a certified translator; the original foreign-language documents must also be submitted.
What legal services can I provide?
The legal services you are authorized to provide are limited to advice regarding the law of the jurisdiction in which you are licensed and identified in the Foreign Legal Consultant application.
What am I not permitted to do as a Foreign Legal Consultant?
appear for a person other than yourself as attorney in any court, or before any magistrate or other judicial officer, in this state or prepare pleadings or any other papers or issue subpoenas in any action or proceeding brought in any court or before any judicial officer;
prepare any deed, mortgage, assignment, discharge, lease or any other instrument affecting title to real estate located in the United States;
prepare any will or trust instrument affecting the disposition on death of any property located in the United States and owned by a resident or any instrument relating to the administration of a decedent’s estate in the United States;
prepare any instrument in the respect of the marital relations, rights or duties of a resident of the United States or the custody or care of the children of a resident; or
otherwise render professional legal advice on the law of the State of California, any other state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the United States or any country other than the country in which you are admitted to practice law, whether rendered incident to preparation of legal instruments or otherwise.
Am I required to renew my Registration as a Foreign Legal Consultant annually?
Yes, you must submit an annual renewal application in the Applicant Portal along with:
the required fee;
current certificate(s) of good standing; and
proof of security for claims.
What if my licensure status changes before an annual renewal application is due?
You must notify the State Bar of any changes in your status in any jurisdiction where you are admitted to practice or of discipline with respect to such admission within 30 days. Please do not wait to inform the State Bar of any changes until your annual renewal application is due.
