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.
I reside out of state but decided to travel to California to be fingerprinted using a California Live Scan service. However, I was sent a rejection notice regarding my Live Scan fingerprints. What should I do?
You have two options: (1) You can return to California and follow the instructions for being re-fingerprinted by a Live Scan vendor using the same OATI number; OR (2) You can order fingerprint cards and follow the instructions for out-of-state attorneys or out-of-country attorneys.
Where can I find information about client trust accounts?
Who is responsible for the oversight of the IOLTA program?
The IOLTA Program is a department within the State Bar of California that administers IOLTA accounts, as well as two other sources of funding for free civil legal aid to low-income and indigent people: the California Equal Access Fund and the Greg E. Knoll Justice Gap Fund.
The State Bar initiated the IOLTA Program due to the lack of resources available for indigent clients who are in need of civil legal services. The substantial amount of money the program generates makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of these people to get the legal help that they need every year.
A 21-member Legal Services Trust Fund Commission appointed by the State Bar's Board of Trustees and the Chief Justice (on behalf of the Judicial Council of California) oversees the Trust Fund Program. Two-thirds of the commission members are attorneys and one-third are public members.
At least two of the 21 members must be "indigent persons" as defined by law. Three judges serve as non-voting advisors to the commission.
The Commission determines the eligibility of programs applying for funding, reviews recipients' budgets for compliance with the law, and monitors and evaluates the activities of programs receiving Trust Fund Program grants.
I purchased a CLE package. Do I need to list every course on the summary log?
Yes. You must enter each course included in the package into the online summary log and provide a copy of any proof of completion it may have included (for example, a log and witness statement, if the MCLE bundle include them.)
What is the cost for the weekly LAP support group meetings?
The cost is $275 per month, which is paid to the clinician who facilitates the group. Groups fees are assessed monthly, not on a week-to-week basis. Financial assistance is available for qualified participants.
Does pro bono always mean taking on an entire case?
No. A broad range of pro bono activities do not require direct, full representation, and/or court appearances. Many legal services and pro bono programs have volunteer opportunities at clinics and hotlines. Your only commitment is for the time spent at the clinic or covering the hotline. California courts allow unbundled (or limited scope) services, so that you can draft pleadings only or take on just a portion of the representation without committing to full representation.
Where do I go if I have questions about my MCLE compliance?
How and when will I receive notice of the annual fees?
You will be notified by email when you can access your annual fees through My State Bar Profile. It’s very important to update your contact information for official State Bar use so you’ll receive these and other important notifications. Group payments must be made through Agency Billing.
What legal services can I provide?
The legal services you are authorized to provide are limited to advice regarding the law of the jurisdiction in which you are licensed and identified in the Foreign Legal Consultant application.
I am an active attorney and currently serving in the military outside of the country. Do I need to satisfy the fingerprinting rule requirements?
Yes. A United States embassy or consulate, as well as local law enforcement agencies, may provide the necessary fingerprinting services.
How is the IOLTA grant money distributed?
The law and State Bar rules and regulations set out specific guidelines for distribution of IOLTA. First, 85 percent of funds available for distribution is allocated to counties based upon their share of the state's more than 6 million indigent persons.
Within the counties, 10 percent of the money is reserved for projects that use pro bono attorneys (attorneys who volunteer their services without pay) as their principal means of delivering legal services.
Money not distributed to pro bono projects is divided among all other "qualified legal services projects" in that county, according to a statutory formula that is tied to each program's previous year expenditures. In order to be a "qualified legal services project," an organization applying for money must be a nonprofit corporation and must, as its primary purpose, provide civil legal services without charge to persons who are indigent.
Qualified legal services projects provide legal aid in a range of substantive areas: housing, healthcare, education, public benefits, consumer law, disability rights, and more.
The remaining 15 percent of available funds (the portion that is not divided among the counties) is distributed to "qualified support centers," meaning organizations that, without charge and as their primary purpose, provide training, technical and advocacy assistance on cases and other support to attorneys and paralegals employed by qualified legal services projects, as well as private attorneys who have accepted pro bono referrals from a legal services project.
These funds are distributed equally to eligible support centers that serve programs around the state. As of 2017, 22 support centers share these funds.
How do I get my bar card?
You can download and print a paper bar card or order a plastic card after you log in to My State Bar Profile and pay your fees.
I paid $25, but I can't take the test.
Go to Complete Unfinished Test and enter the Tester ID you received for the test. Then click Next. You will be taken to the MCLE article and 20 questions.
Are Special Masters needed in my county?
Special Masters are needed in all counties in California. The State Bar attempts to maintain a large list of qualified Special Masters to avoid overburdening individual Special Masters.
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