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.
Will the State Bar require me to resubmit criminal information previously reported?
No. If you already reported criminal information to the State Bar in the moral character process or under the self-reporting mandate, you are not required to report the same information again.
Does the State Bar have a legal specialist program?
Replace with the following:
The State Bar certifies specialists in 11 areas: Admiralty & Maritime, Appellate, Bankruptcy, Criminal, Estate Planning, Family, Franchise & Distribution, Immigration, Legal Malpractice, Taxation, and Workers' Compensation. If you have questions, please fill out the Licensee Records and Compliance Inquiry Form or call 415-538-2120.
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.
If I live outside of California, can I travel to California to submit my fingerprints through a Live Scan vendor?
Yes. Attorneys residing outside of California can choose to travel to California to submit fingerprints through a California Live Scan vendor in lieu of submitting fingerprint cards. All attorneys impacted by the fingerprinting rule can download a prepopulated Live Scan form on their My State Bar profile. However, in the event an attorney’s Live Scan fingerprints are rejected by the DOJ and/or FBI, the attorney must return to a Live Scan vendor in California to resubmit their fingerprints without new processing charges. If the attorney chooses not to return to a California Live Scan vendor, they must be fingerprinted using a fingerprint card, which will incur additional costs.
I am no longer eligible to practice in California. Do I need to satisfy the fingerprinting rule requirements?
No. Currently, you are not required to take any action. If and when you are reinstated to active status, you will be required to satisfy the fingerprinting rule requirements. If you are reinstated to inactive status, you are not required to take any action. However, prior to transitioning from inactive status, you will be required to satisfy the fingerprinting rule requirements.
Will the State Bar share my information with my employer and/or other agencies?
No. The State Bar is legally prohibited from sharing the information received and from using it for any purpose other than licensing and regulation.
How do I calculate and log credit for the articles I wrote?
When logging credit for published articles, it is not necessary to put in a provider number on the summary log. The provider will be the name of the publication and the course will be the article title. This is self-study credit. When you submit your proof of compliance, articles should be noted on your self-study log along with the date of publication (or submission if publication is pending). Again please note the name of the publication and the title of the article.
In order to be eligible for MCLE the article must meet the following conditions:
have contributed to the attorney’s legal education
have been published or accepted for publication
have not been prepared in the ordinary course of employment or in connection with an oral presentation at an approved educational activity
I am on voluntary Inactive status and wish to return to Active status. What is my MCLE requirement?
There is no specific MCLE requirement for reactivation. An attorney will receive a 60-day notice to comply soon after reactivation. However, for attorneys who have been Inactive for two (2) or more years, previously accrued hours may have all been tolled off.
Is the candidate given an opportunity to refute and/or respond to any negative comments received by the investigating commissioners?
Yes. The investigating commissioners are required by the rules to notify the candidate at least four business days prior to the interview of any criticisms they have preliminarily found to be substantial and credible.
The candidate is given an opportunity to respond to, and present evidence to rebut, all reported criticisms at the interview.
After I have incorporated, how much time do I have to register with the State Bar of California?
You must register with us before you start practicing law as a law corporation in the state of California.
May I have my administrator or paralegal respond to the audit on my behalf?
You may choose to delegate, however, you are ultimately responsible for the safe-keeping of your documentation, the accurate and timely submission of your response to the audit notice and payment of any penalties.
What if I completed more than 25 credit hours? Should I submit them all?
Please submit the required amount of hours based on your status during the compliance period. Excess hours may not be applied to the next compliance period.
Can I fax my Certificate to the State Bar?
No. The certificate should be mailed since it must include the $50 processing fee.
Contact us
Need additional help? Visit our Contact Us page for additional resources.
