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.
No. Arrests are not reportable actions under current law, and the fact that an attorney has been arrested is not an independent basis for disbarment or suspension.
If I reported an incident of sexual assault or sexual harassment to an educational institution (undergraduate, graduate, or law school), do I have to disclose the matter on my moral character application as a civil action or administrative proceeding to which I was a party?
No. An applicant who reported an incident of sexual assault or sexual harassment to an educational institution is not required to disclose the incident on the moral character application as a civil action or administrative proceeding to which the applicant was a party.
However, if a complaint was filed against you and you were formally or informally dropped, suspended, warned, placed on disciplinary probation, expelled, or requested to resign or allowed to resign in lieu of discipline from the educational institution, you must disclose this information on the moral character application in response to the question about scholastic discipline.
What payment methods are accepted?
We accept credit/debit cards.
Does the New Attorney Training Program apply to attorneys licensed in other jurisdictions who have been newly admitted to the State Bar of California?
Yes. All persons newly admitted to the State Bar of California are required to complete the New Attorney Training Program.
I am trying to complete my course but can’t get the “NEXT” button to work.
Make sure that you have completed all interactive elements on the screen. The “NEXT” button will only activate once all of the screen elements have been completed. In addition, please allow the screen seek bar to progress on its own. If you manually drag it to complete the course, the “NEXT” button may not activate properly.
How does the State Bar handle attorney misconduct?
The Office of Chief Trial Counsel handles complaints from both clients, members of the public, and other attorneys over unethical professional conduct. Attorney misconduct complaint form available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, and Chinese.
You may also call the State Bar’s multilingual Contact Center at 800-843-9053 (in California) or 213-765-1200 (outside California) to request the form or discuss the complaint-filing process. There is no fee for filing a complaint, and you do not have to be a U.S. citizen. Be sure to include copies of any documents that will help support your claim.
When you are done filling out the form, mail it to:
The State Bar of California, of Chief Trial Counsel, Intake Unit 845 South Figueroa Street Los Angeles, CA 90017-2515
An inquiry is opened for every written communication that involves a complaint about an attorney's conduct. After the inquiry is evaluated, the accused attorney may be diverted out of the system, or the inquiry may be closed.
If it appears, however, that the attorney may be a repeat offender or have committed a violation where there is a serious likelihood of discipline being imposed, an investigator and a Bar prosecutor from the Enforcement Unit take responsibility for the investigation.
The accused attorney is given an opportunity to respond, witnesses are contacted and documents are reviewed. At the investigation's conclusion, attorneys decide whether to:
Dismiss the complaint
Impose an informal confidential resolution, or
File disciplinary charges.
The Notice of Disciplinary Charges is filed in State Bar Court, where it is assigned to a hearing judge. The accused attorney then must file an answer - or risk a default judgment or involuntary enrollment as an inactive bar member.
If a settlement cannot be reached, the case goes to trial in State Bar Court. After the trial, the hearing judge issues a written decision. Either side may appeal the decision to the State Bar Court's Review Department.
The California Supreme Court is the final arbiter in attorney discipline cases.
What are reduced fee legal services?
In addition to reporting pro bono legal services, Business and Professions Code section 6073.2(b)(2) requires attorneys to report the amount of reduced fee legal services hours performed for low-income individuals, nonprofit organizations, or public law libraries established under section 6360. Some examples of reduced fee legal services might include offering affordable help through programs like bar association reduced fee panels or legal clinics that provide services on a sliding scale.
Per Business and Professions Code section 6073.1(d), reduced fee legal services means “providing or enabling direct delivery of legal services at a substantially reduced rate affordable to persons of limited means to either a person of limited means or a person or organization identified in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (1) in subdivision (c) of section 6073.1.”
How do I contact the Ethics Hotline?
You can reach the Ethics Hotline in two ways:
By phone: Call 1-800-238-4427 (within California) or 415-538-2150 (outside of California). Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. to noon (PST). You may speak with a live agent or leave a callback number. Calls are returned in the order received.
Online request form: Submit a Research Assistance Request Form at any time. A staff member will respond by phone within one to two business days in the order received.
What happens after preliminary comments are collected?
Staff will compile and summarize comments for the Working Group, which may then revise its tentative proposal. Staff will submit the Working Group and staff recommendations to the Board.
My CLS no longer works under my supervision. What should I do?
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.
How long will it take for my CLS application to be processed?
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.
How should I manage potential conflicts of interest when enrolled in both the Law Office Study Program and the Certified Law Student Program?
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.
What are the possible outcomes?
Possible outcomes of the compliance review include:
Confirmation of compliance with no further action
Recommendations for best practices for a compliance review with minimal findings
A mandatory corrective action plan
Escalation to an investigative audit
Referral to the Office of Chief Trial Counsel for possible disciplinary action
What happens if I can’t find some of the records?
If certain records are unavailable, you must notify the CPA or State Bar reviewer as soon as possible. You may be asked to explain the reason for the missing documents and provide any alternative documentation or context available.
Are appellate counsel appointed to indigent defendants exempt from reporting?
No. Appellate counsel appointed to represent indigent defendants are not included in any of the categories of attorneys who are exempt from reporting pro bono or reduced fee hours under Business and Professions Code section 6073.2(d). Although work performed by appointed appellate counsel does not meet the definition of pro bono services under Business and Professions Code section 6073.1(c), this work may qualify as reduced fee or “low bono” legal services. Under Business and Professions Code section 6073.1(d), reduced fee legal services means providing or enabling the direct delivery of legal services at a substantially reduced rate that is affordable to persons of limited means to either a person of limited means or a person or an organization identified in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (1) in subdivision (c) of section 6073.1.” Attorneys are encouraged to use their best good-faith judgment when making these determinations.
I'm a lawyer. Am I eligible to become a certified specialist?
Are you licensed with the State Bar of California? Have you practiced in your specialty area for at least 25 percent of the time for each of the last three years?
If the answer is yes to each question, then you are ready to begin the process. Once open, you can register for the exam, which will be held every other year. Please visit the information on Becoming a Certified Specialist and the specific requirements for each specialty area.
Are county employees considered exempt?
No. County employees are not exempt. Employees of California Superior Courts are exempt from MCLE requirements.
Is my out-of-state/country CLE acceptable in California?
You may apply the MCLE credit from courses approved by many states and a few overseas jurisdictions if you were physically outside California when you completed them. This is by rule, so no special forms or requests are needed. Check the approved jurisdictions list on the State Bar website.
What will this information be used for?
The data is used to conduct demographic analyses of the legal profession. Demographic and employment information provided by attorneys assists the State Bar in complying with California Rule of Court rule 9.9 and California Business and Professions Code sections 6002.1 and 6009.5.
Most legal aid and pro bono organizations track the number of pro bono hours by their volunteers and law firms track the number of pro bono hours contributed by their firm members. In September 2024, the California legislature passed a law requiring active licensees to report hours provided for pro bono and reduced fee legal services annually. Through My State Bar Profile, attorneys may report this information optionally in 2025 and will be required to report this information in 2026.
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