Frequently Asked Questions: Certified Law Student Program

The CLS Program certifies law students to provide legal services on a restricted basis under the supervision of a licensed California attorney who is active and in good standing.

You can participate in the program if you are currently enrolled in or have graduated from:

• A Juris Doctor (JD) program: Have successfully completed one full year of studies or have passed or established exemption from the First-Year Law Students’ Examination, and be enrolled and in good academic standing in the second, third, or fourth year of law school.
• A Master of Laws (LLM) program: Have a degree from a law school in a foreign jurisdiction that authorizes the applicant to practice law in that jurisdiction and is acceptable to the State Bar of California under the State Bar’s Guidelines for Applicants with a Foreign Language Degree; have successfully completed one semester or two quarters in an LLM program; be enrolled and in good academic standing in a second or subsequent semester or third or subsequent quarter of an LLM program; and have not failed to take or received results for the first California Bar Examination for which eligible, since first registering with the State Bar of California.
• The Law Office Study (LOS) Program: Have successfully completed one full year in the Law Office Study Program, have passed the First-Year Law Students’ Examination, and be actively continuing the study of law in a law office through the Law Office Study Program.

An applicant who graduates from a JD or LLM program or completes four years of recognized study through the LOS Program is eligible to apply for the CLS Program for up to 30 days after their graduation or completion of studies.

No. You are ineligible to participate in the program if you are licensed to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction.

No. You must take your first eligible California Bar Examination as determined by the State Bar; otherwise, you are not eligible to apply to participate in the program.

No. An applicant who graduates from a juris doctor (JD) program, completes one year in a Master of Laws (LLM) program, or completes their law study through the Law Office Study Program is eligible to apply for the Certified Law Student Program for up to 30 days after completing the program.

Once you have been certified by the State Bar, you may engage only in the activities permitted by rule 9.42(e) of the Rules of Court under supervision.

Generally, when you submit a complete and accurate CLS application through the Applicant Portal, the State Bar will process it within 30 days of receipt.

Incomplete applications will take longer to process. If your application is deemed incomplete, you will have 60 days from the date you received notification of the missing information or documentation to bring it to a complete status. If your application is not deemed complete within this period, your application will be abandoned without a refund of any fees paid, absent a showing of good cause.

No. You may only use the title “Certified Law Student” in connection with your activities performed under the program. You may not claim in any way to be a licensee of the State Bar of California.

Yes. To remain in the program, you must take your first eligible administration of the California Bar Exam, and your certification in the program will continue only until the State Bar releases results for that examination.

Your Supervising Attorney must be an active licensee of the State Bar of California in good standing. They must have practiced law for at least four years in any United States jurisdiction and have actively practiced law in California or taught in a California law school for at least two years immediately preceding the time of supervision. Please refer to California Rules of Court 9.42 (a)(4).

You may request to add or change a Supervising Attorney at the same employer/agency by submitting a “Certified Law Students Extension – Supervising Attorney Change” application, a Supervising Attorney Declaration form from each new supervising attorney, including the fee set forth in the Schedule of Charges and Deadlines through the Applicant Portal, prior to the commencement of the supervision period.

You may change or add an employer/agency by submitting an original Certified Law Student Program Application, a Supervising Attorney Declaration form from each new supervising attorney at the new employer, and the fee set forth in the Schedule of Charges and Deadlines through the Applicant Portal, prior to the commencement of the supervision period.

No. Your certification is only valid for the period stated in our application. You must submit a new Application for the Certified Law Student Program in the Applicant Portal with the required documentation and fee.

Once you become ineligible for the CLS Program, you must promptly inform the State Bar by submitting a general request through your Applicant Portal, and cease any activity a Certified Law Student can perform.

Supervising Attorneys are required to notify the State Bar within 30 days if the supervision of a CLS is ending before the period stated in the CLS’s Notice. Please email special.admissions@calbar.ca.gov to provide this notification.

A Certified Law Student whose certification has been revoked may request reconsideration of the revocation. The request must be in writing and submitted to the State Bar within 15 days of the applicant’s receipt of the notice of revocation. Any arguments or evidence in support of the request must be submitted with the request through the Applicant Portal. Within 60 days of receipt of the request, the State Bar will provide the applicant with a written decision. The decision constitutes the final action of the State Bar.

Applicants enrolled in both programs, along with their respective supervisors, are expected to take proactive steps to avoid or address any actual or potential conflicts of interest or ethical issues. This includes exercising good judgment in situations where their dual roles may overlap. For example, an applicant who studies in the Law Office Study Program under the supervision of a judge should avoid appearing before that same judge when representing a client in the Certified Law Student Program.