An attorney who wants to provide legal help as arbitration counsel in California, but who does not have a State Bar of California license, can still serve as long as they apply to the Out-of-State Attorney Arbitration Counsel (OSAAC) program.Section 1282.4 of the California Code of Civil Procedure details the prerequisites of an OSAAC appearance. Lawyers must be in good standing and eligible to practice before another U.S. bar. An attorney who resides in California will not be eligible to participate in this program.
To apply to the OSAAC program, an attorney must:
Paralegals, assistants, and California bar licensees can submit OSAAC applications through the Applicant Portal on behalf of the out-of-state attorney interested in participating in the program. Paralegals and assistants must create their own portal accounts using their own credentials, while California bar licensees can contact the Office of Admissions to reactivate their account to submit the application on behalf of the participating attorney.