The PLP will sunset for first-time takers of the February 2025 CBX on December 31, 2027.

Pursuant to the California Rules of Court, rule 9.49(d)(1)(C), you must complete the legal ethics courses of the New Attorney Training Program within 30 days of the date of approval of your PLP application if you did not have a passing MPRE score on file when you submit your PLP application.

If you take the MPRE in August 2025, you may wish to apply for the PLP once your passing MPRE score has been uploaded to your Applicant Portal. We anticipate that scores from the August 2025 administration of the MPRE will be uploaded by the end of September. Please note that you must have designated California to receive your MPRE score and have your accurate NCBE number and Social Security Number in the Applicant Portal for the State Bar of California to upload your MPRE score.

First-time takers of the February 2025 CBX in the PLP must complete the New Attorney Training Program five months from the approval of their PLP application or by May 31, 2026, whichever is sooner. 

The New Attorney Training Program costs $55. After logging into the LMS portal, you will need to purchase the New Attorney Training Bundle.

“IOLTA” stands for Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts. IOLTA is a method of raising money, primarily for providing legal services to those unable to afford them. 

The State Bar’s Legal Services Trust Fund Program collects the interest generated by IOLTA accounts and distributes the funds to more than 100 nonprofit legal aid organizations that provide civil legal aid to indigent Californians. 

You can look up the IOLTA-funded organizations, and you can learn more about IOLTA accounts on the State Bar’s website.

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.

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In preparation for the PLP application opening on September 1, 2025, you are encouraged to: 

• Submit an Application for Determination of Moral Character as soon as possible in the Applicant Portal if you do not have a valid positive moral character determination or a pending moral character application. 

• Sign up for the MPRE or ensure you have a passing score on file with the State Bar Office of Admissions. Verify your MPRE status via the status screen in the Applicant Portal. 

• Secure a California attorney who is willing to be your Supervising Lawyer and meets the requirements of rule 9.49. 

By December 31, 2025, you must have a passing MPRE score on file and either a valid positive moral character determination, or an adverse moral character determination that is pending on administrative review by the Committee of Bar Examiners or on appeal in the State Bar Court. We recommend that you fulfill these requirements as soon as possible.

Applicants who are eligible for the PLP as first-time takers were notified by the Office of Admissions in June 2025 via email. 

You may also verify your eligibility via the status screen in the Applicant Portal. There are multiple PLP programs listed in your applicant portal. Make sure you are checking your eligibility for the PLP for first-time takers of the February bar exam, and not the expansion program also listed on the portal.

Once you become ineligible for the MJP Program, you must notify the State Bar within 30 days. 

You must report the above information in the Applicant Portal by following the steps below or emailing mjp@calbar.ca.gov. 

• Log in to the Applicant Portal. 

• From the home page in the Applicant Portal

• Click “Support Requests”
• Select “New General Request”
• For type, select “Other”
• Provide the update in the description box and click “Confirm” when you are ready to submit the update.

Unless you have been directed to do so by the arbitrator, you should not contact or send any correspondence to the arbitrator after the hearing has concluded. You may contact the program administrator if you have questions.

When you receive the arbitration award, you will also receive information about your options after arbitration. This is called the Notice of Your Rights After Arbitration. The Notice should answer most questions you have regarding your rights. Pay close attention to the deadlines in the notice.