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).

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.)

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. 

Live Scan vendors are contracted through the DOJ and are not under the authority of the State Bar. Live Scan vendor complaints may be submitted to the State Bar, which will be sent to the DOJ. If you recently submitted your fingerprints through a DOJ-contracted Live Scan vendor and have had a negative experience, we encourage you to complete the Live Scan Vendor Complaint Form and email the completed form to the State Bar.

Failure to comply with the audit by the deadline will result in the assessment of a $103 late penalty and the issuance of a 60-day notice. Failure to pay the penalty and comply with the audit by the deadline on the notice will result in your placement on Administrative Inactive Status or Not Eligible to Practice status until you submit the required proof of compliance, pay the $103 penalty and an additional $205 reinstatement fee. You will not be eligible for reinstatement until you comply with the audit.  You may also be referred to the State Bar discipline system for filing a false declaration of compliance.

Please only submit letters printed on official letterhead. They may be scanned and sent as an attachment to the Licensee Records and Compliance Inquiry form.

The State Bar's Office of Information Technology is responsible for ensuring all data obtained and stored is kept secure and confidential. The data collection and storage process meets industry standards for retaining information in a secure and confidential manner. Survey data is stored on a secure server behind a firewall in a location accessible only by State Bar staff.  All State Bar surveys are subject to the following confidentiality statement: 

• Use of survey results: If published, survey results will be presented by the State Bar in an anonymous and aggregate summary format only.  

• Confidentiality: The State Bar takes reasonable measures to maintain the confidentiality of individual responses and will not disclose those responses to third parties unless we are legally required to do so.  

• Data handling: All participant information will be stored securely and will only be accessed by authorized State Bar personnel. We adhere to applicable laws and regulations regarding the collection, use, and protection of personal information. 

• Informed consent: By participating in this survey, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this notice. You agree to the handling of your information as described above. Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary, and you may choose not to answer any specific question or withdraw from the survey at any time. 

California Rule of Court Rule 9.9.5, requires all active attorneys to be re-fingerprinted. This is done to ensure that the State Bar is in compliance with Business and Professions Code Section 6054, which requires the State Bar to receive notifications of attorney arrests and convictions from the California Department of Justice (DOJ).

For the past 30 years the State Bar has been statutorily required to receive notification of subsequent arrests and convictions from the DOJ. Until 2018, the State Bar was out of compliance with this statutory mandate.

The only way for the State Bar to come fully into compliance is to re-fingerprint licensed attorneys. Although attorneys were fingerprinted at the time of admission to the State Bar, unfortunately neither the State Bar nor the DOJ retained those fingerprints for future notification services.

We apologize for our previous failure to comply with a statutory mandate, and for any inconvenience that may result from the re-fingerprinting attorneys will need to undergo. However this is a new State Bar focused on regulation and public protection. This Rule of Court enables statutory compliance and reflects the State Bar’s commitment to protecting the public.

Attorneys in the Pro Bono Practice Program may volunteer with a qualified legal services provider, a certified lawyer referral service, a court-based self-help center, or a nonprofit that provides free legal services to or on behalf of indigent Californians and has been approved by the State Bar as a pro bono legal services provide from the purposes of the Pro Bono Practice Program. See more information here.

A “qualified legal services provider” is one that receives funding from the State Bar’s Legal Services Trust Fund (IOLTA) Program. For a current list of grantees see theLegal Services Trust Fund Recipientson the State Bar’s website.

The State Bar's statutory mission includes support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system. This office takes the lead on many of the agency's access to justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The State Bar is California's largest legal aid funder, and this office distributes over $100 million annually in grants to more than 100 legal aid organizations statewide. The office also leads development of policy initiatives and collaborates with other organizations working to expand legal services access for all Californians. These efforts include encouraging pro bono participation; supporting a statewide Disaster Legal Services Response network; studying law school attrition data and working with law schools to develop improved approaches to student retention. The office also oversees the State Bar's DEI Leadership Seal program, which recognizes California legal employers that commit to implementing or are already implementing actions that further DEI in the workplace. 

All foreign-language documents must be accompanied by an English translation by a certified translator; the original foreign-language documents must also be submitted. 

Your My State Bar Profile will indicate the steps you must take to satisfy the fingerprinting rule requirement. Compliance with the Rule will be effective on the date you submit proof that you were fingerprinted pursuant to the State Bar’s instructions. For more information go to your My State Bar Profile.

The State Bar does not have a list of low-cost MCLE programs, only a complete list of all approved providers. Attorneys may find the following resources useful in determining the most convenient and cost-effective method of fulfilling requirements:

• Online CLE (California Lawyers Association)
• A local bar association
• Provider websites
• Legal daily newspapers and practice magazines, which may advertise/list approved activities or offer self-assessment tests

Attorneys can fulfill up to one-half of their total required MCLE hours by utilizing self-study options and should consider:

• sharing self-study tapes with fellow practitioners
• contacting their county law library for approved tapes that can be checked out for self-study credit

IOLTA stands for "Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts." Rule 1.15 of the Rules of Professional Conduct requires attorneys who handle client funds or funds entrusted by others, including settlement checks, fees advanced for services not yet performed, or money to pay court fees, to hold those funds in one or more interest-bearing bank accounts labeled as a “Trust Account,” or words of similar import.

If the amount is large or the funds are to be held for a long period of time, the attorney must place the money in an individual interest-bearing account for the benefit of the client.

However, if the amount of client funds is small or the funds will be held for such a short period of time that they are not capable of earning interest for the client in excess of the cost of maintaining a separate bank account,  then they are pooled in a single account with similar funds of other clients.

The interest on these pooled-fund, IOLTA accounts is forwarded to the State Bar of California and used to support approximately 100 nonprofit legal aid organizations that provide civil legal aid to indigent and low-income people, seniors, and persons with disabilities.

Provides the technology solutions that power the State Bar’s public service mission. IT is responsible for the State Bar’s business applications and infrastructure in support of its operations and programs and is continually updating and upgrading them to provide the highest quality and most cost-effective solutions. The office also provides a wide range of collaboration tools and end-user support to enhance the State Bar employees’ experience.

You can increase the font size by adjusting your browser settings to "zoom" in. This will increase the size in the printed version as well. 

If you fail the exam, the course will allow you to click “Retry” to retake the exam. You may retake the exam as many times as needed until you obtain a passing score. Because you must complete all lessons before reaching the Final Assessment, each lesson will be unlocked and available for review.

A failing score will allow you to review which questions you answered incorrectly. It is advisable to take your time and use the navigation menu to review the lesson covering that topic before retaking the Final Assessment.

Per Business & Professions Code section 6234, any information obtained by the LAP is confidential and cannot be disclosed as part of a civil proceeding, a disciplinary proceeding, or a public records request.

Licensed mental health professionals who may work within the LAP must still comply with laws regarding the reporting of danger to self or others, suspected elder or dependent adult abuse, and suspected child abuse.

While participants receive a personalized plan tailored to their individual needs, there are general similarities. Some common recommendations are:

- Attend several abstinence-based self-help group meetings each week
 (for those with substance use problems) or attend therapy sessions
 (for those with mental health concerns).
- Attend LAP support group meetings each week.
- Abstain from all drugs that are not prescribed, including alcohol.
- Meet with the Clinical Review Team periodically.
- Maintain regular contact with a Clinical Rehabilitation Coordinator.
- Participate in lab testing on a random basis (typically for those with a    history of problematic substance use).

There may be additional and more specific recommendations depending on the needs of an individual participant, such as inpatient treatment or counseling for a specific problem.

No. By law, mandatory fee arbitration cannot help you recover damages or offset expenses incurred for the attorney’s misconduct or malpractice. If the arbitrator determines that the attorney’s malpractice or professional misconduct reduced the value of legal services provided, the arbitrator can reduce the attorney’s fees.

If you think you have a separate claim for legal malpractice, you should discuss your rights with an independent lawyer. However, if you file a lawsuit for malpractice or seek court resolution of the fee dispute after receipt of the Notice of Client’s Right to Fee Arbitration, you waive your right to pursue mandatory fee arbitration.

The Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program does not have the authority to discipline attorneys for professional misconduct.

If you wish to file a disciplinary complaint with the State Bar of California about your attorney's conduct, you may do so online. Please keep in mind that a discipline complaint and a request to arbitrate a fee dispute are separate matters. Filing a complaint may result in disciplinary action against the attorney; however, the result may or may not require the attorney to refund fees.

The State Bar's pamphlet, "If You Have a Problem with an Attorney," may be helpful in deciding whether to file a complaint.