Under rule 9.49, a PLL is allowed to provide a broad array of legal services for clients, including appearing before a court; drafting legal documents, such as contracts, transactional documents, and pleadings; engaging in negotiations and settlement discussions; and providing other legal advice, provided that the work is performed under the supervision of their Supervising Lawyer. The limits on what a PLL can do, or what needs to be done under direct versus general supervision, are largely left to the Supervising Lawyer to determine based on the readiness of the PLL. 

At the joint meeting on August 14, 2025, the Board of Trustees and the Committee of Bar Examiners set the new fees for the PLP. Please find them below. 

Yes. Even if you know that the court, opposing counsel, or some other entity has already made the report to the State Bar or is required to report to the State Bar, your obligation remains.[6]

Yes, and all courses can be accessed on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. No special software is required. All you need is a modern web browser (Google Chrome is recommended) and a stable internet connection. 

Yes, an invoice will be emailed to you after your purchase is complete. 

The Client Security Fund reimburses clients who have lost money or property due to theft or other dishonest acts by a California lawyer acting in a professional capacity. Supported entirely by lawyers’ annual fees, the fund reimburses eligible applicants up to $100,000. See the State Bar pamphlet The Client Security Fund Can Help You for more information.

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. 

Yes, to the extent consistent with the information needed to research the issue.

All information about program participation is reported in aggregate. To view data about the LAP, please see the annual Lawyer Assistance Program Fact Sheet.

• 2023 Fact Sheet
• 2024 Fact Sheet
• 2025 Fact Sheet
   

The Working Group webpage provides membership details, guiding principles, and past agendas and materials. Interested parties can subscribe to email updates from the webpage and can watch past meeting recordings on the State Bar’s YouTube channel.

You may change or add an employer/agency by submitting an original Certified Law Student Program Application, a Supervising Attorney Declaration form from each new supervising attorney at the new employer, and the fee set forth in the Schedule of Charges and Deadlines through the Applicant Portal, prior to the commencement of the supervision period.

No. You must take your first eligible California Bar Examination as determined by the State Bar; otherwise, you are not eligible to apply to participate in the program.

You will not receive credit for hours of study devoted to repetition of studies previously completed and you will lose credit for the entire six-month study session.

You may contact the assigned State Bar accountant or CPA firm’s accountant directly via the contact information they provide when the review begins. You may also reach out to the State Bar’s CTAPP team for questions. The contact information for the State Bar team was included in the initial notice of selection for audit.

After you select a CPA firm and the State Bar has assigned the compliance review engagement to the CPA firm, you will be contacted directly by the CPA firm, who may request additional records, ask clarifying questions, and coordinate with you for the remainder of the compliance review process. The State Bar will remain available to assist if needed.

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.

No. Comparable courses from other providers do not satisfy the NAT requirement.

You may receive MCLE credit for qualifying NAT course hours, as applicable, but outside MCLE courses cannot be substituted for the required State Bar NAT courses. 

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.

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.