Will you send me a reminder before my deadline? Will there be a reminder in My State Bar Profile?
No. The State Bar will not send a reminder before your NAT completion deadline. You are personally responsible for tracking and meeting your deadline.
If you do not complete NAT by your deadline, the State Bar will send you a notice of noncompliance. The notice will explain that you must complete NAT and pay any assessed noncompliance penalty to avoid being enrolled as inactive and becoming ineligible to practice law.
Because NAT is a onetime requirement, it may not appear in the same area of My State Bar Profile as your annual MCLE compliance obligations. Remember to:
Keep your email address and mailing address current with the State Bar,
Review your notifications in My State Bar Profile regularly, and
Complete NAT well before your deadline.
If I miss the deadline, how do I pay the noncompliance penalty?
If you do not complete NAT by your deadline, you will be assessed a noncompliance penalty, which may take up to 90 days to appear in My State Bar Profile. To pay the noncompliance penalty:
Select “Compliance Dashboard” in the top navigation menu.
In the “Annual License Fee Status” section, select “Pay your annual fees.”
Select “Calculate and pay my fees.”
Follow the instructions to pay any outstanding balance.
Even after a noncompliance penalty has been assessed, you are still required to complete NAT. If you do not complete NAT and resolve any assessed fees by the applicable deadlines, you may be enrolled as involuntarily inactive and become ineligible to practice law.
What is the New Attorney Training Program?
The State Bar of California’s New Attorney Training (NAT) Program is a mandatory online training program for all newly admitted California attorneys. It consists of nine State Bar–produced courses covering professional responsibilities and practical skills for practicing law. The courses may be completed in any order and at your own pace.
Topic
MCLE Credit
Attorney as an Officer of the Court—Civility and Pro Bono Legal Services
1.0 hour of Civility
Attorney Communication Duties
1.25 hours of Legal Ethics
Attorney Well-Being: The Bedrock of Competence
1.0 hour of Competence: Prevention and Detection
Attorney-Client Relationships
1.25 hours of Legal Ethics
Conflict Resolution, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, and Technology
0.75 hours of General
Elimination of Bias
1.0 hour of Elimination of Bias
Introduction to Law Practice Management Skills
1.0 hour of General
The Attorney as a Fiduciary of Funds and Property of Clients and Others
1.5 hours of Legal Ethics
The Duty of Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest
1.25 hours of Legal Ethics
Can I claim MCLE credit for NAT courses?
The State Bar’s New Attorney Training is a separate requirement and is not MCLE. However, you may apply NAT course hours toward your MCLE requirements if you complete the hours during your first MCLE compliance period. (Rule 2.142.) Review your MCLE requirements, including any proportional requirement, to determine whether and how the NAT hours apply to your situation.
When is my deadline to complete NAT?
You must complete NAT by the last day of the month of your one-year anniversary as a State Bar licensee. (Rule 2.141.)
For example, if you were admitted on October 15, your deadline is October 31 of the following year. If you have a question about your deadline, complete the Licensee Records and Compliance Inquiry form.
How do I access the New Attorney Training?
The New Attorney Training Program courses can be accessed through My State Bar Profile. The fee to access all nine courses is $55. Fee waivers are not available.
Locate the e-learning section toward the bottom of the home page, and select “E-Learning Portal.”
On the E-Learning Dashboard’s top navigation bar, select “View Catalog.”
In the search box, type “New Attorney Training.”
Select “Add to Cart” and complete the checkout process.
After you purchase the courses, when you return to the E-Learning Dashboard, select “Not Started” to locate the course you want to start. Then, select the red + button to the right of the course title, and select “Launch.”
Can I get a fee waiver for the course?
No. Fee waivers are not available. The fee to access all nine NAT courses is $55.
Can I request an exemption or time extension?
There are no exemptions from the NAT requirement. (Rule 2.143.)
Time extensions are granted only in rare cases involving documented personal hardship. (Rule 2.144.) If you believe you have a qualifying hardship, submit the applicable State Bar request as soon as possible and ideally before your NAT deadline, if feasible.
Submitting a request does not excuse compliance unless the State Bar grants it. Do not delay beginning or completing NAT while awaiting a decision.
I’m a former Provisional Licensure Program (PLP) participant and was recently admitted. Do I need to take NAT again?
If you completed any portion of NAT while enrolled in the State Bar’s PLP, you are considered to have satisfied that portion of the NAT requirement and do not need to retake it. Make sure you complete all nine NAT courses by the deadline.
Check your E-Learning Portal to confirm that your completed courses are reflected. If a completed course does not appear in your record, contact elearning@calbar.ca.gov for assistance.
As a federal or state employee, am I exempt from completing NAT?
No. Although certain federal or state employees may be exempt from the general MCLE requirement, there are no exemptions from the NAT requirement for new licensees. (Rule 2.143.) You must complete NAT by your one-year admission anniversary deadline.
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.
Is the State Bar, as an employer, participating in the program?
Yes. The State Bar earned the gold tier DEI Leadership Seal in January 2024. The State Bar recruited three impartial external reviewers to review and score the State Bar’s application and submitted materials.
Will I be assessed fees from the State Bar?
Yes. The 2025 annual fees will be available to calculate and pay online through My State Bar Profile effective February 1, 2025.
How and when will I receive notice of the annual fees?
You will be notified by email when you can access your annual fees through My State Bar Profile. It’s very important to update your contact information for official State Bar use so you’ll receive these and other important notifications. Group payments must be made through Agency Billing.
Early Neutral Evaluation Conferences
The commission explored the phase of the discipline process. The ENEC is a settlement conference held before OCTC files a Notice of Disciplinary Charge and its purpose is for all parties to obtain a judicial evaluation of the case. Attorneys facing discipline for criminal conviction matters are not given the option to settle their cases with an ENEC because the current statutory timeline does not allow sufficient time for an ENEC to be offered, scheduled, and conducted. Business and Professions Code section 6101 requires OCTC to transmit criminal conviction cases to the State Bar Court Review Department within 30 days of receipt if it determines that the case may or does involve moral turpitude.
As a result, the commission recommended that the Board of Trustees:
Seek a statutory amendment to extend the deadline for the transmission of criminal conviction matters in misdemeanor cases to allow for an ENEC.
How can I file a complaint against an attorney?
You can file a complaint online. If you prefer, you can download a complaint form, fill it out, and return it by mail. If you have questions about what information to provide on a complaint form, please call 800-843-9053.
What is the purpose of this program?
The Leadership Bank program recognizes financial institutions that elect to waive fees and pay the established compliance interest rate, thereby increasing funding for free civil legal aid to low-income Californians through the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program. Civil legal aid ensures that low-income individuals and families have access to attorneys and the legal system to address critical legal issues.
How can I file a complaint against a judge?
The Commission on Judicial Performance is the independent state agency responsible for investigating complaints of judicial misconduct and judicial incapacity and for disciplining judges. Here are instructions for filing a complaint against a judge.
How many JNE Commission members are assigned to investigate a candidate?
For Trial Court: Two or more commissioners, at least one of whom is an attorney member; for Supreme and Appellate Courts: Three or more commissioners, at least one of whom is a public member.
Can the JNE Commission nominate or appoint judges?
No, that is entirely a gubernatorial prerogative.
How far back can a provider seek retroactive approval for a single activity?
Up to two years from the date of the activity.
Do prerecorded recordings/CDs/webinars or on-demand activities qualify for participatory or self-study MCLE credit?
Prerecorded programs only qualify for self-study MCLE credit if the provider is able to verify attendance. If this is the case, then the prerecorded program may be eligible for participatory MCLE credit.
Can the same instructional time be applied to a legal specialty area and to one of the subfields?
Yes, the same instruction time can be allocated to a legal specialty area and to one of the subfields.
What is the deadline for scaling?
Payment and scaling declaration must be received by the State Bar of California no later than April 1, 2025, to qualify under the fee scaling criteria. Payments and fee scaling declarations submitted after April 1, 2025, will incur a penalty. The penalty will be eligible for fee scaling but reinstatement fees, if applicable, are not eligible for scaling.
Do I need to sign a fee scaling declaration?
Yes, the fee scaling declaration is available online through your My State Bar Profile.
Do I have to participate in the Fresh Start Settlement Program?
Your participation in this program is voluntary to resolve the debt that is owed to the State Bar. If you choose not to take advantage of the Fresh Start Settlement Program, the State Bar reserves all rights to pursue, or continue to pursue, any and all available legal remedies to recover the total owed debt, including without limitation reporting the debt to FTB, credit reporting agencies, entry of a Superior Court money judgment and/or pursuing legal actions.
If you were an active or voluntarily inactive licensee as of January 1, 2025 and do not participate in the Fresh Start Settlement Program, or are not able to reach a settlement, you are required to pay your outstanding discipline costs, monetary sanctions and/or Client Security Fund reimbursements as originally ordered by the Supreme Court of California, State Bar Court and/or the Client Security Fund. If you were granted an extension of time to pay costs, your extension order will still be valid.
I am not allowed to practice law as of January 1, 2025, and am experiencing extreme financial hardship, and cannot settle for the amount offered. What can I do?
If you reject the settlement offer and are experiencing extreme financial hardship, please enter an amount you would be able to pay on the feedback form or indicate in the comments that you are experiencing financial hardship. You will receive an email with a link to a questionnaire about your financial situation. All information and attachments will be kept securely and confidentially. The State Bar will review the answers in your questionnaire and email a response from eConciliador.
What happens to my installment plan granted by State Bar Court, if I settle through the Fresh Start Settlement Program?
Settlements made through the Fresh Start Settlement Program will supersede any existing installment order from State Bar Court.
How will settling through Fresh Start affect my potential for reinstatement? What is the process for reinstatement?
If you reach a settlement and complete payment through the Fresh Start Settlement Program, the State Bar will thereafter consider the eligible debt as itemized on your Fresh Start Settlement Program account paid in full for all purposes, including petitioning for reinstatement to the practice of law. This is not to imply reinstatement is automatic or guaranteed; standard reinstatement petition procedures would be required. Further, settlement through Fresh Start will not resolve outstanding probationary obligations or other outstanding costs, such as unpaid annual licensee fees and penalties, unpaid compliance fee and penalties, payments due to LAP, restitution due directly to individuals, etc. The program's settlement authority is limited to debt; we do not have legal authority to change other legal requirements for reinstatement to the practice of law.
For further information regarding reinstatement, please visit the State Bar Court website and see the FAQs. If you have a specific question about the court's reinstatement procedures that is not answered on the website, please call the court's main lines: 213-765-1400 in Los Angeles and 415-538-2050 in San Francisco. However, the court cannot provide specific advice on whether you are eligible for reinstatement.
Can employers with offices both in and out of California (such as national or international law firms) participate in the program?
Yes. Employers may choose to commit to and implement the Action Items for either their entire firm or only their California offices. If an employer commits to and implements the Action Items for specific offices, only those offices would be listed as participating employers and eligible to use the DEI Leadership Seal on their materials.
My employer is already a seal recipient, but we have implemented more Action Items and want to move up to a higher tier. What are the next steps? What documentation is required?
DEI Leadership Seal recipients who want to advance tiers must complete and submit a DEI Leadership Seal Tier Advancement Application and supporting documentation. The State Bar will provide several opportunities throughout the year for seal recipients to submit this documentation and advance tiers. Seal recipients that want to advance tiers must still submit an attestation form to affirm implementation of the Action Items for which their materials have already been reviewed and approved.
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