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.

You will not receive credit for hours of study devoted to repetition of studies previously completed and you will lose credit for the entire six-month study session.

You may contact the assigned State Bar accountant or CPA firm’s accountant directly via the contact information they provide when the review begins. You may also reach out to the State Bar’s CTAPP team for questions. The contact information for the State Bar team was included in the initial notice of selection for audit.

After you select a CPA firm and the State Bar has assigned the compliance review engagement to the CPA firm, you will be contacted directly by the CPA firm, who may request additional records, ask clarifying questions, and coordinate with you for the remainder of the compliance review process. The State Bar will remain available to assist if needed.

Possibly. Uncompensated work with an LRS oversight panel may count toward the pro bono hours requirement if it enables the delivery of legal services at a charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or education organization in matters in furtherance of its organizational purposes as defined under Business and Professions Code section 6073.1(c)(1)(C). Licensees should use their best judgment when determining whether the work performed, particularly non-legal tasks, enables the direct provision of legal work to the indigent or other nonprofit organizations.

You have two options: (1) You can return to California and follow the instructions for being re-fingerprinted by a Live Scan vendor using the same OATI number; OR (2) You can order fingerprint cards and follow the instructions for out-of-state attorneys or out-of-country attorneys.

The Handbook on Client Trust Accounting for California Attorneys is the primary resource. The State Bar also maintains an online list of resources on client trust accounting as well as information about IOLTA (Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts) requirements. If you have questions, please fill out the Licensee Records and Compliance Inquiry Form.

Absolutely! All attorneys are encouraged to contribute their time and/or financial support. Please consider making a contribution directly to a pro bono legal services provider, or contribute to the Greg E. Knoll Justice Gap Fund annually through the State Bar licensee fee statement or on the State Bar’s website. 

No. To complete the audit you need to submit proof of completion of the required number of participatory courses. At least one-half of any MCLE requirement must be completed via participatory courses.

Contact the LAP office for details about the income eligibility requirements and the application process. Financial assistance can cover up to one year of LAP group fees and one year of lab testing fees.

For more information, see the LAP Growth Grant Criteria.

Yes. Many legal aid and pro bono legal services providers offer training in substantive legal areas that volunteer attorneys may not already be familiar. You can learn about a new area of law and, in many cases, be connected with a mentor who is an expert in the field, who can answer questions that may come up as you go along. Pro bono work is a great way to gain both knowledge and experience. Contact a pro bono or qualified legal services provider to explore the opportunities. You can also find training opportunities through the Practising Law Institute or Pro Bono Training Institute.

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.

No. Once you have submitted your fingerprints through a Live Scan vendor and received an ATI number, you should retain a copy of the Live Scan form for your records.

Upon submission of the ATI number on the Proof of Live Scan Submission page, the fingerprinting requirements status will be updated.

For more information, please complete the LAP/OPC Support Intake Form, give us a call (877-LAP-4HELP or 877-527-4435), or send an email to LAP@calbar.ca.gov. Contacting us is confidential.

Very often, the amount of money a lawyer handles for a single client is quite small, or will be held for such a short period of time that it cannot earn net income for the client.

When these small or short-term funds belonging to clients are placed in a single, interest- or dividend-bearing trust account, the funds collectively earn interest that the financial institution forwards to the State Bar of California to support nonprofit legal aid organizations that provide civil legal aid to indigent and low-income people, seniors and persons with disabilities.

Business and Professions Code Sections 6091.2, 6211, 6212, 6213 require that financial institutions that choose to participate in the IOLTA program offer comparable bank investment products to their IOLTA customers as they do to their similarly situated customers. If a financial institution does not meet this requirement, then attorneys are not allowed to hold their IOLTA at that financial institution.  

Helps California attorneys practice law ethically. The office develops and maintains resources that facilitate compliance with duties, such as an online Client Trust Accounting Handbook. The office administers a telephone legal ethics research assistance program for attorneys called the Ethics Hotline and conducts preventative education and outreach. The office also supports key committees and working groups that provide ethics guidance and address policy and rule changes to support evolving changes in the ethics rules. It certifies Lawyer Referral Services and administers the statewide Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program, which provides avenues for alternative dispute resolution of attorney‐client fee disputes.

If your deceased attorney was part of a law firm or law partnership, that firm would maintain custody of your file.

If your deceased attorney was a sole practitioner, you will need to obtain new counsel. Generally, the executor or administrator of the attorney's estate is responsible for notifying clients and returning their files. In some instances, the local superior court may appoint a practice administrator to handle these duties.

In other instances, the deceased attorney's law practice may be sold to another member of the bar. (Such sales are governed by ethical limitations outlined in the Rules of Professional Conduct).

Finally, there are unfortunate instances in which an attorney dies leaving no responsible person in charge of the law practice. In those instances, the State Bar or local county bar associations may assist in winding down the law practice (after obtaining authorization from the Superior Court).

Your first step should be to contact the law offices of your deceased attorney to determine whether your file is available. If you are unsuccessful, you may contact the State Bar Office of Chief Trial Counsel: 800-843-9053

The Tester ID was displayed when you paid for the test, on the payment confirmation webpage. It was also emailed to the account you used when you registered with the State Bar or, for those not licensed in California, to the email address you entered when you started the Self-Study payment process. If you cannot find the email, please check your spam or junk folder.

You will use the same password that you use to log in to My State Bar Profile. If you forgot that password, select “Forgot password?” on that page to reset it.

Contracted therapists agree to provide two additional sessions at $100 per session after the two free sessions that LAP pays for. For the fifth session, individuals can make their own arrangements with the therapist/counselor if they wish to continue.