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.
By statute, the State Bar is required to maintain certain information about California attorneys. Go to Look Up A Lawyer and follow the directions. For information about hiring an attorney, see our Need Legal Help section.
What are the requirements for a financial institution to become a Leadership Bank?
There are only two criteria. A financial institution must agree that it will pay at least 68 percent of the Federal Funds Rate (FFR) on IOLTA accounts or a floor rate of 0.68 percent, whichever is higher, and waive fees and charges on ALL IOLTA accounts, regardless of the account’s size.
How much will I have to pay for a referral to a lawyer?
Most certified LRSs charge a fee — about $40 to $75 — for a referral to a lawyer. This referral fee sometimes includes the initial consultation with the lawyer(s). Under the State Bar rules, the combined referral fee and the fee for the lawyer cannot cost more than it would if you found the lawyer yourself, without the help of an LRS.
An LRS may also be able to recommend a free or low cost legal service program in your area depending on the nature of your issue and your income. Such services include a modest means panel (lawyers charging reduced fees), a limited scope panel (lawyers offering help with a specific portion of case as opposed to the whole case), a flat fee panel (where the client is charged a set fee rather than an hourly fee for the service), sliding scale options, a payment schedule or a free referral for a 30-minute initial consultation.
Note that LRSs are not required to offer reduced rate panels or services for people of limited means across all referral panels. Be sure to ask which service(s) the LRS provides.
The State Bar investigates complaints of attorney misconduct. This website provides instruction and online forms in several languages for filing a complaint. If you need help you can also call the multilingual Attorney Complaint Hotline at 800-843-9053.
Meetings
The meetings of the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation are not open to the public.
Where can I find information about studying law and taking the California Bar Exam?
How long does the provider’s status remain effective once approved?
A SAP’s application/program is approved for a period of two years from the date of the activity. An approval for MAP status is granted for a period of two years.
What can be considered as written materials?
Substantive written materials handouts, presentations, slides, or other documents that provider meaningful written explanations of the topics and legal authorities covered in the program. They must do more than list agenda items or display primary sources; they should contain analysis, discussion, and practical guidance at a level that allows an attorney to use the materials as a stand-alone reference after the course. Materials consisting only of brief bullet point outlines, agendas, unannotated copies of cases, statutes, or regulations, or slide decks that are mainly pictures, charts, or a few large font bullet points without explanatory text are not considered substantive.
Is it the responsibility of the provider or the attorney to report credit hours earned to the State Bar?
The California licensee is responsible for reporting their compliance/credit hours earned to the State Bar at the end of their reporting period.
What is the process for calculating credit for panelists?
Panelist credit hours should be calculated by dividing the actual program time by the number of panelists participating. The following is an example of a 1-hour program with three panelists:
60 minutes (program time) ÷ 3 (number of panelists) = 20 minutes of speaking time for each panelist;
20 minutes (speaking time) x 4 = 80 minutes, rounded to the nearest quarter-hour = 1.25 hours of total speaking time to be awarded to each panelist.
How do I determine eligibility if I have not yet received my tax documents?
Calculate your total gross annual individual income for 2024 to the best of your ability. If you later determine that you do not qualify, contact the Division of Regulation to coordinate payment of the difference owed.
Who can participate in the Fresh Start Settlement Program?
Disbarred, resigned, not-eligible, active, and inactive licensees with outstanding debt owed to the State Bar.
How is the settlement offer calculated?
The offer considers several factors, including the type of debt, the licensee status of the individual, and the amount of debt.
If I pay in installments, are there additional fees or interest?
No, there are no additional fees or interest for choosing the installment payment option. If you opt for an installment plan of four or less payments, your monthly installments will be of equal value. If you opt for an installment plan of five or more payments, the first installment will be 25% of the settled value and subsequent installments will be of equal value.
Why is there interest included in my total debt balance?
Business and Professions Code section 6140.5 authorizes the State Bar to collect interest on CSF payments due. The interest rate is approved annually by the Board of Trustees (CSF Rule 3.45), and has been set at 10 percent per year, calculated from the date of disbursement. Judgments with underlying CSF debt also accrue interest on the CSF payments at the same rate.
What if my employer has already implemented at least five of the ten Action Items? Do I need to wait a year to receive the DEI Leadership Seal?
If your organization has already implemented five of the ten Action Items (including the two that are required) at the time of application, please indicate that on your application and provide the requested documentation. If your employer’s implementation of the Action Items is sufficient, you can receive the DEI Leadership Seal as soon as your application is reviewed.
Where did the list of Action Items come from?
The Action Items were derived, in part, from the Calls to Action in the State Bar’s 2022 Diversity Report Card and based on research on best practices to improve workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as feedback from various stakeholders across a variety of sectors in the legal profession. The Calls to Action, available by sector, provide additional best practices and resources. Calls to Action for attorneys are also available to encourage individuals to take an active role in advancing DEI in the workplace.
What benefits are available to participating employers?
Participating employers and seal recipients will be listed on the State Bar website. The State Bar plans to provide opportunities for participating employers to convene and discuss their DEI efforts, for example, at future Diversity Summits. The State Bar regularly hosts Diversity Summits to convene stakeholders to present and discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices in the legal profession.
The State Bar is also exploring additional benefits and opportunities it can provide to or facilitate for participating employers and seal recipients. These might include opportunities to participate in social media campaigns about the program, preferred job boards, and career fairs.
How do I calculate and submit Speakers Credit and Teaching Credit?
Speaking
Please submit course marketing materials that clearly show that the course was approved for MCLE, who the speakers were and how long the course was. You should also submit your certificate of attendance for that course if you were provided with one.
You may only claim speakers credit for approved MCLE activities. If you were part of a panel or you only presented a portion of the program you may only claim incremental speakers credit for the activity.
Teaching
You receive 12 times the credit hours awarded by the law school for the course. There is an exception for subfield requirements in Ethics, Elimination of Bias, Implicit Bias, Mental Competence (mental issues in the legal world or society), Wellness (mental competence specifically in the legal world ), Civility and Technology hours. For these "subfields," you only receive the actual speaking time.
To fill out the online form use the law school as the provider, the course title as the course and the date the class started as the date. Mark the course as participatory and note any qualifying subfield hours. Submit a syllabus and a letter from the law school stating that you were an instructor, the dates of the course, and the number of academic credits the school awarded for it.
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