Please contact our support team via email at elearning@calbar.ca.gov. Please note, response times may take up to 48 hours. 

State Bar investigations and inquiries are, by statute, confidential. The complaint becomes public when disciplinary charges are filed against an attorney in State Bar Court. By law, however, any other pending investigations involving the same attorney must remain confidential at that point. If it is determined that public protection is seriously at stake in a particular case, the Chief Trial Counsel does have the authority to publicly reveal a pending investigation.

Under limited circumstances, the Board of Trustees, or the Chief Trial Counsel and Chair of the Board of Trustees, may waive confidentiality, but any public disclosure will remain limited to confirming the fact of a complaint or investigation; a brief factual summary to identify the subject matter of the complaint or investigation; and the status of the complaint or investigation.

If criminal conduct is suspected, the State Bar may also refer the matter to a law enforcement agency for investigation and potential prosecution.

While there is no requirement to provide pro bono hours, the State Bar encourages attorneys to provide at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services annually. However, any amount will have a positive impact on the individuals and groups served.

Attorneys are also encouraged to contribute financial support to nonprofit organizations that provide pro bono legal services, especially those attorneys who are unable to directly render services. Options include making a contribution directly to a legal aid organization or donating to the Greg E. Knoll Justice Gap Fund through your annual fee statement, or at any other time in Agency Billing or My State Bar Profile. See the Pro Bono Resolution on the State Bar’s website. 

The types of ethical questions that the Ethics Hotline can assist with include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Conflicts of interest
• Communication with the represented person
• Duties of confidentiality and competence
• Advertising and solicitation
• Fee arrangements and client trust accounting
• Withdrawal from representation of a client
• Other issues under the California Rules of Professional Conduct and Business and Professions Code

Staff can provide citations to relevant rules, cases, and ethics opinions (State Bar or local bar associations).

Prior to adopting any rules, the Board is required to issue the proposal for a public comment period. The Board will then review feedback and decide whether to adopt the proposal, revise it, or send it back to staff or the Working Group for further work.

A Certified Law Student whose certification has been revoked may request reconsideration of the revocation. The request must be in writing and submitted to the State Bar within 15 days of the applicant’s receipt of the notice of revocation. Any arguments or evidence in support of the request must be submitted with the request through the Applicant Portal. Within 60 days of receipt of the request, the State Bar will provide the applicant with a written decision. The decision constitutes the final action of the State Bar.

No. You may only use the title “Certified Law Student” in connection with your activities performed under the program. You may not claim in any way to be a licensee of the State Bar of California.

The CLS Program certifies law students to provide legal services on a restricted basis under the supervision of a licensed California attorney who is active and in good standing.

The compliance review itself is not a disciplinary proceeding. However, serious or unresolved findings may result in a referral to the Office of Chief Trial Counsel. Attorneys who demonstrate good faith effort to comply and correct issues are generally supported with guidance and corrective measures, not discipline.

A client ledger is a record of all trust account transactions for a specific client or matter. The account journal is a running record of all transactions affecting the entire trust account. The client ledger tracks individual client balances, while the journal shows the total activity in the account.

Yes. There is no restriction in the statute regarding where the pro bono work is performed or where the clients are located. Pro bono services provided outside California should therefore be included in what licensees report.

If the State Bar decides to file charges against the attorney, the case will go to the independent State Bar Court and will become public, with notice on the attorney’s online profile. A judge can dismiss the case, issue an admonishment or reproval, or recommend suspension or disbarment. The California Supreme Court has the final say in all discipline cases involving suspension or disbarment.

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.

The State Bar also accredits the following organizations, which certify attorneys in eleven additional practice areas: 

 American Board of Certification

• Business Bankruptcy Law
• Consumer Bankruptcy Law
• Creditors' Rights Law

National Board of Trial Advocacy

• Civil Trial Advocacy
• Criminal Trial Advocacy 
• Family Law Trial Advocacy
• Social Security Disability Law

National Elder Law Foundation

• Elder Law

American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys

• Legal Malpractice
• Medical Malpractice

National Association of Counsel for Children

• Juvenile Law (Child Welfare)

Retired attorneys or attorneys taking a break from the active practice of law can participate in a wide range of pro bono activities including mentoring, participation in a legal clinic or full representation. The State Bar waives the annual fee for those who practice solely for the purpose of providing pro bono legal assistance through pro bono legal services providers. For more information and an application see the Pro Bono Practice Program.

The State Bar sponsors professional liability insurance through CalBar Connect.

Most legal aid and pro bono programs provide malpractice insurance for attorneys and other advocates volunteering through their organizations. You should always check with your pro bono provider for more specific information about coverage.

Go to your MCLE summary log. Look for the course you’d like to edit and click the red “Edit” button on the right side of the log. Make your changes and save each one. Remember to hit “Submit” when you are done. Whenever you update your online log, please complete the Licensee Records and Compliance Inquiry form.

See Title 3, Division 3, Chapter 4 of the Rules of the State Bar. 

The evidence of security for claims may be a certificate of insurance, a letter of credit, a written guarantee, or a written agreement executed by the applicant. It must be provided in a form acceptable to the State Bar and must be computed in U.S. dollars.

Yes, you must submit an annual renewal application in the Applicant Portal along with:

• the required fee;
• current certificate(s) of good standing; and
• proof of security for claims.

Attorneys who meet the exempt criteria must report compliance by claiming their exemption every compliance period. They should do so online by logging on to "My State Bar Profile." Without a statement of compliance, the State Bar has no way of determining whether or not an attorney was exempt for any particular compliance period.