Can I have an extension to submit a request for administrative review?
No. The State Bar is unable to extend the period to request administrative review. The CBE will decide whether to accept an untimely request for administrative review.
What are the possible outcomes once I submit a request for administrative review?
The CBE will review your request and your application. The CBE may take any action it deems appropriate, including but not limited to granting you a positive determination, requesting more information, extending an offer of abeyance, or rendering an adverse determination.
If the CBE declines to grant you a positive determination, it will decide how long you must wait before you may submit a new Application for Determination of Moral Character, which could be the same or different from the time that was set by State Bar staff when it made the initial determination.
What happens if I am given an adverse moral character determination?
The notice of the adverse determination will provide you with the date on which you may submit a new Application for Determination of Moral Character. You are encouraged to engage in affirmative rehabilitative activities during the period you must wait to reapply.
Alternatively, you may choose to request administrative review by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE). If you request review by the CBE, the date on which you will be eligible to reapply may change, as it will be determined by the CBE in the event it issues an adverse determination.
My application is in drafted status, and I am experiencing technical issues. What is the best way to resolve the issue?
Please call 415-538-2450 and ask to speak with the Moral Character Person of the Day. Please be prepared to email a screenshot if the issue cannot be resolved over the phone. Some issues may take more time to resolve if technical assistance is necessary.
I travel a lot, including overseas, and I cannot recall every address where I lived. How do I appropriately respond to the “Residence” section of the moral character application?
Some applicants have traveled extensively in the past three years and have numerous addresses to report on the moral character application. You are encouraged to provide as much information pertaining to each residence as can be reasonably recalled. You are responsible for the complete and accurate reporting of information on the application to the best of your ability, and the failure to provide complete responses could result in a delay in the processing of the application.
How long must I have resided at a particular location for the residence to be reportable on the moral character application?
You must disclose all residences for the past three years, regardless of how long you resided at the location.
Do I have to disclose all past residences, no matter how long ago I resided at a location?
No. You are only required to disclose the addresses of the places you have lived within the past three years, including college and law school residences.
Some of my references told me they did not receive a questionnaire after I submitted my application; should I be worried?
No. Some references may not be contacted. You may wish to remind your references to check their email spam folders periodically and to use the Google Chrome internet browser, if possible, when submitting the questionnaires to avoid potential technical issues.
How do I properly report my enlistment and job in the military?
Report military enlistment in the “Current/Previous Employment section” and the “Military Services” section of the moral character application. List your last duty station, supervisor, date of enlistment, and date of discharge (or the date you left active duty if you are currently on inactive status). An applicant who is discharged from active duty must also provide a DD-214 military discharge document that clearly indicates the type of discharge.
What do I do if I do not know the supervisor’s email address?
Contact the employer and attempt to obtain the information. If you do not remember your supervisor’s name or your supervisor is no longer with the business, please enter "Human Resources" into the Full Name of Supervisor field and enter the appropriate information into the Email Address of Supervisor and Phone Number of Supervisor fields.
If the company is no longer in business (defunct), contact information will not be required once you indicate that the company is no longer in business.
Do NOT use your own email address or phone number.
What is the criteria for financial assistance and how much does it cover?
Contact the LAP office for details about the income eligibility requirements and the application process. Financial assistance can cover up to one year of LAP group fees and one year of lab testing fees.
There is no set time for Support LAP. It is completely voluntary. Participants can enroll, withdraw, and re-enroll whenever they want to.
What happens if I don’t I get a bar number immediately?
After submitting your completed membership enrollment card, allow one to two weeks for delivery, then check Attorney Search to confirm your enrollment and find your bar number. If you do not see your name on the State Bar website after two weeks from the date you submitted the card, call 888-800-3400 or email AttorneyRegulation@calbar.ca.gov.
I work for a California company. However, I work remotely and live out of state. Can I participate in the MJP Program as Registered In-house Counsel?
No. Pursuant to rule 9.46 of the California Rules of Court and Title 3 Division 3 Chapter 1 Article 3 of the Rules of the State Bar, you must reside in California. As defined in rule 3.370(D), this means that you must live or be located in California on more than a temporary or transient basis.
I would like to change or add another employer. What should I do?
You may change or add an employer/agency by submitting an original Certified Law Student Program Application, a Supervising Attorney Declaration form from each new supervising attorney at the new employer, and the fee set forth in the Schedule of Charges and Deadlines through the Applicant Portal, prior to the commencement of the supervision period.
I want to apply for the CLS Program, but I missed my first eligible bar examination. Can I still apply?
No. You must take your first eligible California Bar Examination as determined by the State Bar; otherwise, you are not eligible to apply to participate in the program.
What happens if I repeat a course I previously completed? Will I lose all credit for the entire study session?
You will not receive credit for hours of study devoted to repetition of studies previously completed and you will lose credit for the entire six-month study session.
How do I satisfy my requirement to submit a Certificate of Standing?
Do I need to submit a Certificate of Admission or Certificate of Good Standing with my PHV application to the State Bar of California?
No. However, you may submit Certificates of Admission or Certificates of Good Standing for each court to which you are admitted in lieu of listing each court and your standing in that court.
Rule 9.49(a)(3)(C) says that by May 31, 2026, I must have a Supervising Lawyer who is committed to supervising me through the end of 2027, or until I pass the bar exam. Does this mean I cannot change my supervisor after May 31, 2026?
No. You must have a Supervising Lawyer who is committed to supervising you by May 31, 2026. However, you are still permitted to change supervisors, if the need arises, and in compliance with rules 9.49(e)(7)-(8), by submitting a PLP Employment Update application in the Applicant Portal with a declaration from each new Supervising Lawyer. You may not work at any organization unless you have submitted a declaration from a Supervising Lawyer with that organization, and the State Bar has approved your PLP Employment Update.
What if I do not have a passing MPRE score?
Pursuant to the California Rules of Court, rule 9.49(d)(1)(C), you must complete the legal ethics courses of the New Attorney Training Program within 30 days of the date of approval of your PLP application if you did not have a passing MPRE score on file when you submit your PLP application.
If you take the MPRE in August 2025, you may wish to apply for the PLP once your passing MPRE score has been uploaded to your Applicant Portal. We anticipate that scores from the August 2025 administration of the MPRE will be uploaded by the end of September. Please note that you must have designated California to receive your MPRE score and have your accurate NCBE number and Social Security Number in the Applicant Portal for the State Bar of California to upload your MPRE score.
If I reported an incident of sexual assault or sexual harassment to an educational institution (e.g., submitted a Title IX complaint), do I have to disclose the matter on my moral character application as a civil action or administrative proceeding?
No. An applicant who reported an incident of sexual assault, sexual harassment, or other sexual misconduct to an educational institution (e.g., to a Title IX Office) is not required to disclose the incident on the moral character application as a civil action or administrative proceeding.
However, if a complaint against you was submitted to an educational institution, and you were formally or informally dropped, suspended, warned, placed on disciplinary probation, expelled, or requested to resign or allowed to resign in lieu of discipline from the educational institution, you must disclose this information on the moral character application in response to the question about scholastic discipline.
How do I change or add a Supervising Attorney?
You may request to add or change a Supervising Attorney at the same employer/agency by submitting a “Certified Law Students Extension – Supervising Attorney Change” application, a Supervising Attorney Declaration form from each new supervising attorney, including the fee set forth in the Schedule of Charges and Deadlines through the Applicant Portal, prior to the commencement of the supervision period.
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