I work part-time at a government agency. Do I need to report?
Yes. Business and Professions Code section 6073.2(d)(2) only applies to full-time employees or officers or elected officials of the State of California, or political subdivision thereof, or the federal government. Part-time employees are required to report either the amount of pro bono service hours provided in the past year, that they did not track their pro bono or reduced fee legal services hours, that they did not complete any pro bono or reduced fee legal services hours, or that they decline to answer.
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).
Does the State Bar have a program for attorneys who only want to do pro bono work?
The State Bar’s Pro Bono Practice Program (PBPP) allows attorneys who would otherwise be inactive to maintain an active license, free of fees, to exclusively provide pro bono legal services in partnership with a pro bono legal services provider. To qualify for the PBPP, an attorney must maintain an active license, submit an application annually for the program, be certified as a pro bono practice attorney, and exclusively provide pro bono legal services through an approved or qualified pro bono services provider. For more information, see the Pro Bono Practice Program webpage.
How do I track and report my pro bono or reduced fee legal services hours?
Attorneys are expected to track their own hours for the purposes of this reporting requirement. Some law firms require their attorneys to track this time already. A nonprofit with whom the attorney provides pro bono legal services may assist in tracking hours.
Attorneys are asked to report pro bono and reduced fee hours as a range (e.g., 1–5 hours, 6–10 hours, 11–19 hours, etc.). Attorneys will also be able to select 0 hours or less than 1 hour of pro bono or reduced fee legal services hours, or select the checkbox if you did not track your hours or you prefer not to answer.
Does volunteering with an LRS oversight panel count as pro bono legal services?
Possibly. Uncompensated work with an LRS oversight panel may count toward the pro bono hours requirement if it enables the delivery of legal services at a charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or education organization in matters in furtherance of its organizational purposes as defined under Business and Professions Code section 6073.1(c)(1)(C). Licensees should use their best judgment when determining whether the work performed, particularly non-legal tasks, enables the direct provision of legal work to the indigent or other nonprofit organizations.
Does uncompensated work by volunteer attorneys at a legal aid organization or law school, or as a court mediator, count as pro bono legal services?
Yes. Uncompensated work by volunteer attorneys that enables the delivery of legal services at a charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or education organization in matters in furtherance of its organizational purposes would qualify as bono hours as defined under Business and Professions Code section 6073.1(c)(1)(C). This includes volunteer teaching at a law school as well as volunteer mediation or arbitration services provided through a court, even when the parties are not indigent.
Does serving on the board of a local or affinity bar association count as pro bono legal services?
It depends. Service to a local or affinity bar association counts toward the pro bono hours requirement if it is legal in nature (i.e., providing legal services to the nonprofit directly pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 6073.1(c)(1)(B) or 6073.1(c)(1)(C)). General board service qualifies only to the extent that the work enables legal services to the indigent, to another “charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or educational organization in matters that are designed primarily to address the needs of persons of limited means,” or to another “charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or educational organization in matters in furtherance of its organizational purposes.” Licensees should use their best good-faith judgment in determining whether their non-legal board activities enable the direct provision of legal work to the indigent or other nonprofits.
Does serving on the board of a legal aid organization count as pro bono legal services?
For purposes of this reporting requirement, board service for a legal aid nonprofit would qualify because all board work with such an organization is enabling the delivery of legal services to the indigent (since these organizations primarily serve indigent California residents). Please note that some legal aid providers and other nonprofits for which attorneys provide pro bono legal services may also ask attorneys to report pro bono hours, but the definition for pro bono legal services may vary for their purposes. Attorneys should confirm definitions with the entity before reporting pro bono hours to the entity.
What are some examples of pro bono legal services?
Pro bono opportunities vary depending on the needs of the client community. Examples of pro bono legal services to indigent clients may include, but are not limited to:
Representation (full or limited scope)
Negotiation and settlement
Screening and intake
Brief service by phone or in person
Legal information or “Know Your Rights” workshops
Document preparation and review
Legal research and writing
Litigation support
Legislative research and legal analysis
What is the guidance on pro bono and reduced fee hours reporting for pro bono professionals, law school professors, and attorneys employed at law schools?
Any active licensee who does not meet one of the exemptions in Business and Professions Code section 6073.2(d) is required to report the amount of pro bono service hours provided in the past year, including pro bono professionals, law school professors, and attorneys employed at law schools. Attorneys are asked to provide their best, good faith effort at reporting the amount of pro bono and/or reduced fee legal services hours provided to low-income individuals, nonprofit organizations, or public law libraries during the past year to meet the requirement of Business and Professions Code section 6073.2. Even licensees who are exempt from reporting their pro bono hours must declare their exemption status in My State Bar Profile.
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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