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.
I’m planning to apply for the PLP once the application opens. What should I do in preparation?
In preparation for the PLP application opening on September 1, 2025, you are encouraged to:
Submit an Application for Determination of Moral Character as soon as possible in the Applicant Portal if you do not have a valid positive moral character determination or a pending moral character application.
Sign up for the MPRE or ensure you have a passing score on file with the State Bar Office of Admissions. Verify your MPRE status via the status screen in the Applicant Portal.
Secure a California attorney who is willing to be your Supervising Lawyer and meets the requirements of rule 9.49.
By December 31, 2025, you must have a passing MPRE score on file and either a valid positive moral character determination, or an adverse moral character determination that is pending on administrative review by the Committee of Bar Examiners or on appeal in the State Bar Court. We recommend that you fulfill these requirements as soon as possible.
My client and I were both sanctioned. Do I still need to report it?
Yes. If you are named either individually or jointly with a client or other party, you must report the sanctions.
Do I receive a certificate upon completion?
Yes, most courses include either an MCLE certificate or a certificate of completion. You can download and print your certificate once you complete all course requirements. Certificates are only available for 30 days after you complete the course.
How do I access my purchased courses?
After purchase, your courses will be available under the "Learning Page" in your account.
What does the State Bar do when a California attorney is convicted of a crime?
The convicted attorney, the district attorney, and the court are each required, by law, to notify the State Bar any time that an attorney is arrested and charged with a crime or criminally convicted. These overlapping requirements help assure that the State Bar will be notified. When the State Bar receives such a report, the information is forwarded to the State Bar Court. Then it is handled in several different ways, depending upon the nature of the conviction.
If the attorney is convicted of a felony, they are placed on interim suspension pending a disciplinary hearing on the merits in State Bar Court.
Attorneys convicted of a misdemeanor also are put on interim suspension if the crime involved “moral turpitude” by its very nature. Some crimes, such as theft, are designated by law as crimes involving moral turpitude.
If the attorney’s misdemeanor conviction does not by its very nature involve moral turpitude, they face a hearing in State Bar Court to determine the discipline, if any, to be imposed in the case.
I changed jobs this year. For the first part of the year, I was at a government agency and exempt from reporting. I’m now working at a law firm. Do I need to report?
Yes. An active licensee who met one of the exemptions in Business and Professions Code section 6073.2(d) for part of the year, but at any point in the year does not meet that exemption, is still required to report the amount of pro bono service hours provided in the past year. Even licensees who are exempt from reporting their pro bono hours must declare their exemption status in My State Bar Profile.
Does the Ethics Hotline provide advisory opinions?
Fees have not been set. By law, the program must be self-funded through certification fees. Attorney license fees may not be used to support the program.
How is the State Bar developing the program?
State Bar staff is drafting recommendations for the Board of Trustees with guidance from an ADR Working Group of experts. The Working Group, its subgroups, and staff develop and review proposals, refine them, and will prepare a tentative proposal for preliminary public comment. The Working Group and staff will consider revising the proposal in light of the comments and will then submit their recommendations to the Board, which will then issue the proposal for another public comment period before deciding on adoption.
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.
I am a U.S. attorney. Can I apply for the CLS Program?
No. You are ineligible to participate in the program if you are licensed to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction.
How does my supervisor complete the supervision attestation?
On the end date of your study session, the State Bar will send your supervisor an email asking about your progress over the last six-month study period. Your supervisor is required to attest whether you have demonstrated sufficient academic progress to continue to the next study session for each six-month period. If your supervisor does not provide a positive attestation or fails to provide one, your participation in the program will be terminated, unless the requirements of State Bar rule 4.29(N)(1)–(2) are met.
How much time will I have to respond to the State Bar/CPA reviewer’s questions or requests for documents?
You will be given a due date by which you must respond to each request from the State Bar/CPA reviewer. It is important to communicate proactively if you need more time, as deadlines are designed to keep the review on track.
If I’m denied the exemption to hiring a CPA firm, can I appeal or request reconsideration?
To qualify for an exemption, supporting documentation must show gross revenue (gross receipts) before expenses are deducted of $150,000 or less. The supporting documentation is generally Schedule C of the attorney’s tax return. There is no appeal process because the criteria is objective.
How do I make changes to the response I submitted?
Prior to the March 30, 2026, deadline, you can make changes to your pro bono hours reporting by going to My State Bar Profile, navigating to the Summary tab (located on the top navigation bar), and selecting “Edit your Pro Bono Hours” from the Pro Bono Hours tile (located about three-quarters of the way down the page).
I practiced in another jurisdiction before being admitted in California. Do I still need to take NAT?
Yes. Attorneys newly admitted to the State Bar of California must complete NAT during their first year as California licensees, even if they previously practiced law in another jurisdiction. There are no exemptions from NAT based on prior legal experience or admission elsewhere. (Rule 2.143.)
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.
I live outside of the U.S. Will the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in my country complete the fingerprint impressions on the two fingerprint cards?
It depends. Not all U.S. Embassies and Consulates provide fingerprinting services. You should contact the embassy or consulate to confirm whether you can have your fingerprints taken. Another option will be to contact your local enforcement agency to request this service.
What if I didn’t take enough courses during the compliance period?
Failure to complete the requirements during the compliance period will result in your having to make up the deficiency. You will have to submit all required hours to the online log and then submit the proof of compliance. You will also need to provide the audit submission cover sheet, a brief cover letter explaining why you were unable to complete the requirements during the compliance period along with the $205 deficiency fee for non-compliance by the deadline.
Do I send in the original certificates or the copies?
Photocopies are sufficient for the purposes of the audit. Hold on to your originals through the end of the year you report MCLE compliance.
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