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.
IOLTA is a primary source of funding for civil legal aid in California. Civil legal aid provides free legal services to those who would not otherwise be able to afford them. On average low-income Californians report experiencing twice as many civil legal problems in a year as nonindigent Californians. Approximately 20 percent of Californians live in poverty and rely on these services for their civil legal needs.
Currently, almost 100 organizations receive IOLTA grants from the State Bar. In 2018 the State Bar distributed over $51 million to support civil legal aid. (This includes other funds besides IOLTA, such as the Equal Access Fund and the Greg E. Knoll Justice Gap Fund.) Top areas where these organizations provided legal assistance included housing, immigration, and family law/domestic violence cases. In 2017, almost 5,000 families were able to stay in their homes, over $16 million in unpaid wages were recovered, and over 2,000 individuals were able to obtain or maintain their health insurance as a result of civil legal aid.
When is the deadline to submit my audit packet? What happens if I miss the deadline?
The deadline to show proof of compliance is stated on your MCLE Audit Notice. If you fail to submit adequate proof of compliance by the deadline, you will be assessed a $103 penalty for late compliance, and you will receive a Non-Compliance Notice that gives you 60 days to comply. If you do not submit adequate proof of compliance and pay the late fee within that time period, you will be placed on Not Eligible to Practice status until you submit the required proof of compliance, pay the $103 non-compliance fee, and pay an additional $308 reinstatement fee.
I can’t find all of my certificates. What can I do?
If you are unable to locate your certificates or proof of course completion, please contact your provider immediately to request a copy of the attendance certificate or a printout. Many providers are happy to assist. However, please note that California MCLE course providers are not required to issue replacement certificates. The State Bar only mandates that they provide the original certificate received upon course completion.
Regardless of the time increment, the speaker should be awarded their actual speaking time multiplied by four. For example, a speaker who speaks for 15 minutes would receive 1 hour of speaking credit (i.e., 0.25 hours x 4 = 1.00 hour speaking credit). Additionally, the speaker credit should be rounded to the nearest quarter-hour if necessary. For example, a speaker who speaks for 10 minutes should receive 45 minutes of speaking credit (i.e., 10 minutes x 4 rounded up to the nearest quarter-hour = 45 minutes or 0.75 hours).
Please note: Speaker credit should only be granted for the first presentation of a program. Speakers who repeat the same presentation should only receive attendance credit for that presentation.
Do I qualify if my income from the practice of law is less than the qualifying amount?
Eligibility is based on your total 2024 gross annual individual income from all sources and is not based on income earned from the practice of law only.
Are new licensees admitted after May 31 eligible to fee scale the half-year active fees?
No, new licensees admitted after May 31 are not eligible to fee scale the half-year active fees.
How do I access the Fresh Start Settlement Program’s website?
You will be sent a letter and an email, which will include the website link and your login details (your State Bar Number and a personal PIN). After logging in, you can create your own password or continue using the provided PIN.
What if I want to speak to someone in person?
We want to make this process as easy as possible for you. Call 1-855-394-5084 and please have your State Bar Number ready.
What methods of payment does the Fresh Start Settlement Program accept?
We strongly encourage online payment via credit card or ACH. All credit cards are accepted. Click on the link on the Fresh Start Settlement Program website to pay through Wells Fargo.
If for some reason you are unable to pay online, we also accept mailed check payments made payable to State Bar of California, mailed to:
State Bar of California
Attn: Collections
180 Howard St San Francisco, CA 94105
Your check must include your State Bar Number in the memo line. Please do not mail a check until you have signed the settlement agreement. Please include a signed copy of your settlement agreement with your check.
What is the State Bar DEI Leadership Seal program?
The DEI Leadership Seal Program is an optional program that employers with California attorneys can participate in to signal their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
As part of its 2022 Diversity Report Card, the State Bar of California published Calls to Action that legal employers and attorneys can implement to support greater DEI in the workplace. The DEI Leadership Seal program recognizes California legal employers that commit to and implement specific DEI action items.
Can legal departments or teams within a larger employer (like a corporation’s legal department, or a university’s law school) participate in the program?
Yes. Employers may choose to commit to and implement the Action Items for either their entire organization or only their legal department or team. If an employer commits to and implements the Action Items only for their legal department, only that department would be listed as a participating employer and eligible to use the DEI Leadership Seal on its materials.
My employer is a committed participating employer, but we have implemented at least five of the Action Items. Do we need to wait until June to receive the DEI Leadership Seal?
Committed participating employers who have implemented five or more Action Items and want to receive the DEI Leadership Seal before the June deadline must complete and submit a DEI Leadership Seal Tier Advancement Application and supporting documentation. There will be several opportunities throughout the year for committed employers to submit this documentation and receive the seal early. To be considered for tier advancement, please submit your application and supporting documentation.
3.5.1 Instead of the final declaration, I get an “Outstanding Reporting Requirements” warning that says, “Step 2: Account Registration is incomplete based on your responses in Step 1” and that I need to register client trust accounts maintained during the reporting period OR indicate why I am unable to provide account information using the options at the bottom of the Why am I getting this error?
Please check to make sure all of your accounts have been registered in Step 2. If all your accounts have been registered, the required account ending balance may be missing in Step 2. You must provide the account ending balance as of December 31 of the reporting period or the date the account was closed.
If all your accounts have been registered and each account has a balance, please review your responses in Step 1. If you chose multiple “Yes” answers requiring trust account registration, for example, in Step 1, in response to question 1 (IOLTAs), you selected “Yes, I will provide or update IOLTA (or similar pooled) account information, including the balance as of December 31, 2025, via My State Bar Profile …” and, in response to question 2 (non-IOLTAs), you also selected “Yes, I will provide or update non-IOLTA account information, including the balance as of December 31, 2025, via My State Bar Profile …,” based on your selected responses you are required to register both an IOLTA and a non-IOLTA trust account via My State Bar Profile. If you only have one trust account, please revise your response to either question 1 or question 2. A trust account can never be both an IOLTA and a non-IOLTA.
Similarly, if you selected multiple “Yes” responses requiring trust account registration to question 1 (e.g., “Yes, I will provide or update IOLTA account information, including the balance as of December 31, 2025, via My State Bar Profile” and “Yes, a firm or organization I am currently employed by or in practice with will provide or update IOLTA account information, including the balance as of December 31, 2025, via Agency Billing …”), based on your selected responses, you are required to register multiple IOLTAs via My State Bar Profile and Agency Billing. If you only have one IOLTA, please revise your responses to question 1 in Step 1.
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