I work part-time at a government agency. Do I need to report?
Yes. Business and Professions Code section 6073.2(d)(2) only applies to full-time employees or officers or elected officials of the State of California, or political subdivision thereof, or the federal government. Part-time employees are required to report either the amount of pro bono service hours provided in the past year, that they did not track their pro bono or reduced fee legal services hours, that they did not complete any pro bono or reduced fee legal services hours, or that they decline to answer.
How do I make changes to the response I submitted?
Prior to the March 30, 2026, deadline, you can make changes to your pro bono hours reporting by going to My State Bar Profile, navigating to the Summary tab (located on the top navigation bar), and selecting “Edit your Pro Bono Hours” from the Pro Bono Hours tile (located about three-quarters of the way down the page).
Does the State Bar have a program for attorneys who only want to do pro bono work?
The State Bar’s Pro Bono Practice Program (PBPP) allows attorneys who would otherwise be inactive to maintain an active license, free of fees, to exclusively provide pro bono legal services in partnership with a pro bono legal services provider. To qualify for the PBPP, an attorney must maintain an active license, submit an application annually for the program, be certified as a pro bono practice attorney, and exclusively provide pro bono legal services through an approved or qualified pro bono services provider. For more information, see the Pro Bono Practice Program webpage.
How do I track and report my pro bono or reduced fee legal services hours?
Attorneys are expected to track their own hours for the purposes of this reporting requirement. Some law firms require their attorneys to track this time already. A nonprofit with whom the attorney provides pro bono legal services may assist in tracking hours.
Attorneys are asked to report pro bono and reduced fee hours as a range (e.g., 1–5 hours, 6–10 hours, 11–19 hours, etc.). Attorneys will also be able to select 0 hours or less than 1 hour of pro bono or reduced fee legal services hours, or select the checkbox if you did not track your hours or you prefer not to answer.
Does volunteering with an LRS oversight panel count as pro bono legal services?
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.
Does uncompensated work by volunteer attorneys at a legal aid organization or law school, or as a court mediator, count as pro bono legal services?
Yes. Uncompensated work by volunteer attorneys that enables the delivery of legal services at a charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or education organization in matters in furtherance of its organizational purposes would qualify as bono hours as defined under Business and Professions Code section 6073.1(c)(1)(C). This includes volunteer teaching at a law school as well as volunteer mediation or arbitration services provided through a court, even when the parties are not indigent.
Does serving on the board of a local or affinity bar association count as pro bono legal services?
It depends. Service to a local or affinity bar association counts toward the pro bono hours requirement if it is legal in nature (i.e., providing legal services to the nonprofit directly pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 6073.1(c)(1)(B) or 6073.1(c)(1)(C)). General board service qualifies only to the extent that the work enables legal services to the indigent, to another “charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or educational organization in matters that are designed primarily to address the needs of persons of limited means,” or to another “charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or educational organization in matters in furtherance of its organizational purposes.” Licensees should use their best good-faith judgment in determining whether their non-legal board activities enable the direct provision of legal work to the indigent or other nonprofits.
Does serving on the board of a legal aid organization count as pro bono legal services?
For purposes of this reporting requirement, board service for a legal aid nonprofit would qualify because all board work with such an organization is enabling the delivery of legal services to the indigent (since these organizations primarily serve indigent California residents). Please note that some legal aid providers and other nonprofits for which attorneys provide pro bono legal services may also ask attorneys to report pro bono hours, but the definition for pro bono legal services may vary for their purposes. Attorneys should confirm definitions with the entity before reporting pro bono hours to the entity.
What are some examples of pro bono legal services?
Pro bono opportunities vary depending on the needs of the client community. Examples of pro bono legal services to indigent clients may include, but are not limited to:
Representation (full or limited scope)
Negotiation and settlement
Screening and intake
Brief service by phone or in person
Legal information or “Know Your Rights” workshops
Document preparation and review
Legal research and writing
Litigation support
Legislative research and legal analysis
What is the guidance on pro bono and reduced fee hours reporting for pro bono professionals, law school professors, and attorneys employed at law schools?
Any active licensee who does not meet one of the exemptions in Business and Professions Code section 6073.2(d) is required to report the amount of pro bono service hours provided in the past year, including pro bono professionals, law school professors, and attorneys employed at law schools. Attorneys are asked to provide their best, good faith effort at reporting the amount of pro bono and/or reduced fee legal services hours provided to low-income individuals, nonprofit organizations, or public law libraries during the past year to meet the requirement of Business and Professions Code section 6073.2. Even licensees who are exempt from reporting their pro bono hours must declare their exemption status in My State Bar Profile.
How do I file a complaint against my lawyer or a lawyer referral service?
If you believe your lawyer has done something wrong, you can file a complaint with the State Bar. Complaints may be submitted online or by mail. If you have questions or need assistance in completing the form, call the State Bar’s Attorney Complaint Hotline at 800-843-9053. For more information on reporting a lawyer to the State Bar and handling other problems, read the legal guide If You Have a Problem with an Attorney.
If you have a complaint about a certified or uncertified LRS, you can file a complaint against the service with the State Bar. In order to promote public protection, the State Bar will review your complaint to determine if the LRS has violated Business and Professions Code Section 6155 and State Bar Rules.
For more information on certified lawyer referral services, contact LRS@calbar.ca.gov.
When are the annual fees due?
The due date is by March 30, or the next business day if that date falls on a weekend or holiday, each year during the annual license renewal process. The 2025 annual deadline is April 1, 2025. If you miss the deadline, you will be charged a penalty ($103 for active attorneys, $31 for inactive attorneys).
What activities qualify for general MCLE credit?
Activities that qualify for general MCLE credit must: (1) relate to legal subjects that are directly relevant to California attorneys, and (2) offer current, significant educational, professional, or practical content with the specific objective of increasing each participant’s professional competency as an attorney. Programs created primarily for nonattorney audiences (for example, general public, clients, or business staff) do not qualify and will not be approved for general MCLE credit. More on Standards for MCLE activity Approval.
What is IOLTA?
IOLTA stands for Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts. Attorneys deposit client funds that they plan to hold briefly, or that are too small to earn interest for the client, into larger shared accounts. Over 73,000 attorneys make deposits in approximately 49,000 IOLTA accounts in California. As of September 2019, IOLTA accounts hold nearly $5 billion. Any interest earned on these accounts is paid by financial institutions to the State Bar, which in turn distributes those funds as grants to qualified nonprofit civil legal organizations throughout the state.
Refer to the State Bar’s IOLTA FAQ page for more information.
How do I print a certificate of completion for MCLE credit?
Go to Certificate of Completion, enter your Tester ID, then click the Next button. The MCLE Self-Study Certificate of Completion, Test, and Answers will display. To print only your certificate of completion, please choose the "Printer friendly version - MCLE certificate only" link at the top of that webpage.
I paid $25 for the wrong test. What can I do?
If you paid $25 for a particular test, you can take only that test. If you wish to take a different test, you must pay $25 for that article and test. If you wish a refund, please contact us at feedback@calbar.ca.gov. Be sure to close and restart your web browser before trying to take a new test.
Are there other MCLE courses available through the State Bar?
Yes. The State Bar offers additional MCLE courses. For course listings, browse the E-Learning Portal catalog, where all State Bar courses are now available. If you are a California-licensed attorney or registered in the multijurisdictional practice (MJP) program, log in to My State Bar Profile to access the catalog.
How long is the Monitored LAP program?
Professional monitoring can be provided for as long as a participant wants it. If an attorney is required to successfully complete the LAP (often required by the State Bar’s discipline system), the attorney will have several goals to meet, including a minimum of three continuous years of sobriety and/or mental health stability.
What is the difference between binding and nonbinding arbitration?
Nonbinding arbitration means that after the arbitration decision is mailed, either party may file an action in court within 30 days, rejecting the award and requesting a trial in court. The party who files the action to reject the award will become the plaintiff in a lawsuit against the other party. This may entail additional costs and—for lawsuits filed in the Superior Court—the assistance of a lawyer.
Should I agree to binding arbitration?
The decision to choose nonbinding or binding arbitration is entirely up to you.
Fee arbitrations are nonbinding unless the parties agree in writing, after the dispute arises, to binding arbitration before the arbitrator takes any evidence. If only one of the parties agrees to binding arbitration, or if a party fails to respond, the matter will proceed as nonbinding arbitration.
If neither party files an action in court rejecting the award and requesting a trial within 30 days after the award is mailed, a nonbinding award will automatically become binding on the parties.
If the arbitration is binding, the award is considered to be final, and neither you nor the lawyer can request a new trial in court. A binding award can only be corrected or vacated by a court for very limited reasons.
Where can I find information on the annual fees?
You can calculate and view your annual State Bar fees and costs through your My State Bar Profile, and then pay by credit card or an electronic check from a checkings/savings (ACH). Annual fees are due February 1. View more information about the annual fees.
After a complaint has been filed, how long does it take for disciplinary charges?
Complaints typically take up to six months, sometimes more, for an investigation to be completed. In particularly complex cases, the investigation could take as long as a year. Many complaints are diverted out of the process along the way by, for example, a referral to mandatory mediation, an agreement requiring the attorney to meet certain conditions or the attorney's participation in other programs.
What if my job title is not "attorney" or "administrative law judge"?
For purposes of 2.54(A)(3) and 2.54(A)(4), attorneys are exempt who are required by the State Bar of California to maintain an active license as a result of the duties they are required to perform by virtue of their employment with the State of California or the United States government.
An example of those exempt are law clerks.
How long does my registration last?
You may practice as registered in-house counsel as long as you remain eligible and your registration remains current.
Do I have to renew my registration?
Yes. You must renew your registration annually by filing the appropriate form and fees.
Am I eligible if I am regularly employed, or regularly engage in substantial business or professional activities, in California?
No. (Rule 9.47 & 9.48)
What is Registered In-House Counsel? (Rule 9.46)
An attorney who is licensed to practice law in one or more U.S. jurisdictions other than California, resides in California, provides legal services as in-house counsel for a single qualifying institution in California, and is registered by the State Bar of California. See General Information FAQs for additional information.
If I failed the California Bar Exam after my registration as a registered legal services attorney, would my status be affected?
No. If you have successfully registered as a legal services attorney, your status will not change if you thereafter fail the California Bar Exam.
Under 9.46, may a non-California attorney register to work with more than one qualifying institution?
In-House Counsel may only register to work with a single qualifying institution.
Am I eligible if I have resigned with charges pending, or been disbarred or suspended from the practice of law in any other jurisdiction?
No.
How can I get a hard copy of the renewal packet?
Renewal packets are available by calling the Office of Admissions at 213-765-1519 or by sending an e-mail to mjp@calbar.ca.gov.
Should I use a specific browser to access the AIMS?
For maximum performance, you should use Google Chrome to access the AIMS.
As of April 5, 2019, Salesforce no longer supports Internet Explorer 9, 10, and 11. We recommend you move to a supported browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
For all browsers, enable JavaScript, cookies, and TLS 1.2. If TLS 1.2 isn’t available, enable TLS 1.1. Browsers that don’t support TLS 1.1 or TLS 1.2 won’t be able to access Salesforce after we deactivate TLS 1.0. Deactivation has already occurred in sandbox orgs and concludes with production orgs on July 22, 2017.
Some features use iframes to work in Lightning Experience, so you must have the appropriate browser security settings for iframes to load correctly. Follow your browser’s instructions to enable working with iframes and third-party cookies. For example: In Internet Explorer, set the Launching programs and files in an IFRAME security setting to Enable or Prompt. In Safari, we recommend changing your privacy settings for cookies to Allow from websites I visit. In Chrome, make sure that Block third-party cookies and site data isn’t selected in the Content settings.
The minimum screen resolution required to support all Salesforce features is 1024 x 768. Lower screen resolutions don’t always properly display Salesforce features such as Report Builder and Page Layout Editor.
For Mac OS users on Apple Safari or Chrome, make sure the system setting Show scroll bars is set to Always.
Some third-party browser plug-ins and extensions can interfere with the functionality of Chatter. If you experience malfunctions or inconsistent behavior with Chatter, disable the browser's plug-ins and extensions and try again.
What security training and certification do Live Scan vendors complete in order to submit fingerprints to the DOJ?
The State Bar has no authority and involvement with the security training and certification of Live Scan vendors. California law requires any individual who rolls fingerprints manually or electronically for licensure, certification and/or employment purposes to be certified by the state Department of Justice (Penal Code section 11102.1). For more information go to the California Department of Justice website.
Is the State Bar covering the costs of fingerprinting?
No. However, attorneys granted a specified fee reduction at 25 or 50 percent rate will be eligible to receive a one-time credit on their annual billing to cover a portion of the DOJ and FBI processing fees.
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