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 does the installment plan provide flexibility?
The plan allows attorneys to spread their total fee into smaller, manageable payments while ensuring compliance with their financial obligations.
What happens if I miss an installment plan payment?
Missed payments should be made up immediately. Failure to do so may result in your removal from the payment plan, and your outstanding balance becoming immediately due.
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.
Who else makes reports to the State Bar?
Effective August 1, 2023, lawyers must comply with Rule of Professional Conduct 8.3, which requires a lawyer to report certain misconduct by another lawyer. The Rule 8.3 Reporting Requirements page provides more information about this reporting obligation.
California criminal prosecutors are required to notify the State Bar when they file criminal charges (felony or misdemeanor) against an attorney.[7]
California courts are required to notify the State Bar when an attorney is convicted of any crime;[8] when an attorney has been found in contempt;[9] when an attorney has been sanctioned $1,000 or more (except for discovery sanctions);[10] when an attorney has been found in violation of certain statutes;[11] or when a civil judgment has been entered against an attorney for fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, or gross negligence committed in a professional capacity.[12]
Insurance companies are required to notify the State Bar upon receipt of a claim or action against an attorney for fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, or gross negligence committed in a professional capacity.[13]
The insurance commissioner reports workers’ compensation fraud to the State Bar.[14]
Banks submit reports to the State Bar when an attorney trust account is overdrawn.[15]
The State Bar is statutorily authorized to receive Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI)[16] from the California Department of Justice for purposes of admission, discipline, and regulation of attorneys.[17]
The State Bar is statutorily authorized to receive subsequent arrest notification services[18] for attorneys.[19]
How will attorneys know that we are a Leadership Bank?
Starting in January 2020, the State Bar will highlight the Leadership Bank Program through press releases and social media accounts. In addition, the State Bar will ensure that Leadership Banks are prominently displayed on its website and have active hyperlinks to the Leadership Banks’ IOLTA websites. Lastly, designated Leadership Banks may advertise their IOLTA offerings with the State Bar Leadership Bank logo.
My fingerprints were rejected and the State Bar rejection letter is requiring that the Live Scan reference the Original Applicant Tracking Identifier (ATI) for re-submittal. What does that mean?
When the DOJ/FBI rejects an individual’s fingerprints, the individual must be re-fingerprinted by the same Live Scan vendor to avoid paying another processing fee. The Live Scan vendor must submit the subsequent set of fingerprints as a re-submittal using the Original Applicant Tracking Identifier (OATI). The OATI refers to the ATI number that is associated with the fingerprints that were previously rejected. If the Live Scan vendor does not enter the OATI correctly or fails to enter the OATI when submitting the subsequent set of fingerprints, the DOJ/FBI will not associate the subsequent set of fingerprints as a re-submittal. The OATI indicates to the DOJ/FBI there were a previous set of fingerprints submitted through the Live Scan process and rejected. Attorneys should contact the State Bar when a Live Scan vendor fails to re-submit the fingerprints correctly and multiple rejections occur.
Would it be permissible to amend the Live Scan form, assuming we have authorization from our agency, to include an agency billing number that will allow my employer to cover the cost for submitting fingerprints to the DOJ and FBI?
Yes, attorneys are allowed to modify the Live Scan form to include their employer’s agency billing number on the billing number line. Attorney must confirm that their agency has an active account with the DOJ and the Live Scan vendor to pay fingerprinting fees.
Do I have to enter my home address on the Live Scan form?
The DOJ procedures recommend entering a home address when completing the California DOJ Live Scan form. However, some Live Scan vendors may accept a non- California home address. The State Bar does not receive or track any information provided to the Live Scan vendor. You are not required to provide the same address reported to the State Bar.
I completed Live Scan fingerprints and my prints were rejected. Can I submit a fingerprint card in lieu of resubmitting my fingerprints to the Live Scan vendor?
No, the DOJ will not accept ink fingerprint cards from an individual who resides in or has a California address.
Will the State Bar retain my fingerprints?
No. The DOJ will retain fingerprints only for the purpose of notifying the State Bar of subsequent criminal offense information.
a declaration by the out-of-state attorney containing his/her name, home and business addresses; where he/she is licensed to practice; and whether the attorney is a member in good standing in his/her home state.
the name, phone number, address and bar number of the California attorney of record.
It is advisable to speak with the office of the arbitrator for information regarding its requirements and documentation
Do I need to send in anything else when reporting my Compliance online?
Except in the case of an audit, an attorney should never send in any MCLE-related documentation unless specifically requested to do so by the State Bar (otherwise, it will be returned).
However, in the event that an attorney's compliance is audited, attorneys are required to maintain sufficient proof of compliance with the education requirement or of an exemption status for at least one year from the date they report compliance.
Can the Governor appoint a candidate whom the JNE Commission finds not qualified?
Yes. If the Governor appoints a person to a trial court who has been found not qualified, the State Bar may make this fact public after due notice to the appointee of its intention to do so.
If the Governor nominates or appoints a person who has been found not qualified to the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal, the JNE commission submits its recommendation, and the reasons for such recommendation, to the Commission on Judicial Appointments.
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