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.
Are there any exceptions to the reporting obligation under rule 8.3?
Yes, there are exceptions to the reporting obligation under rule 8.3. For example, rule 8.3 does not apply to information gained by a lawyer while participating in a substance use or mental health program, or information that is protected by confidentiality rules or laws.
What activities can I perform in the e-learning portal?
You can:
View and complete courses.
Download MCLE certificates or certifications of completion for completed courses.
View announcements and messages.
Generate reports.
How do I locate my MCLE Certificate or Certificate of Completion?
Go to your Learning page, and then click on the Completed tab. Once there, click the “+” icon for the course you want the certificate for. Click on the ribbon icon to view your completion certificate. Download/save a copy of the certificate for your records. The certificate will be available for only 30 days from the date of completion.
Where can I find additional information regarding MCLE requirements?
Submit a registration application, which includes an Application for Determination of Moral Character, to the State Bar with the appropriate fees. MJP registration applications are available online. The moral character application is available, but must be submitted with the MJP application, not separately.
Do MJP attorneys have a continuing education requirement?
Legal services attorneys and in-house counsel must comply with the same 25-hour MCLE requirement as licensed attorneys of the California bar within their first year of practice. The 25-hour requirement includes four hours of legal ethics, one hour of prevention, detection and treatment of substance abuse, and one hour of elimination of bias in the legal profession. Please refer to the appropriate rule of court and FAQ for additional information.
Am I allowed to maintain an office in California for the practice of law?
No. You are not allowed to establish or maintain a resident office or other continuous presence in California for the practice of law. You must maintain an office in a U.S. jurisdiction other than California in which you are licensed. (Rule 9.47 & 9.48)
What are the requirements for practicing as an MJP attorney?
An MJP attorney must be an active licensed attorney in good standing of the bar of at least one U.S. state, jurisdiction, possession, territory or dependency. The other requirements vary depending on the category. Please refer to the appropriate rule of court and FAQ for additional information.
What is the purpose of this program?
The Leadership Bank program recognizes financial institutions that elect to waive fees and pay the established compliance interest rate, thereby increasing funding for free civil legal aid to low-income Californians through the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program. Civil legal aid ensures that low-income individuals and families have access to attorneys and the legal system to address critical legal issues.
Can we use our own fingerprint cards?
No. Out-of-state attorneys and out-of-country attorneys must obtain fingerprint cards through the State Bar. The cards can be requested by logging into the MSBP. If the out-of-state fingerprint vendor is unable to process the cards issued by the State Bar, the attorney must contact FingerPrinting Card Request for further assistance. Failure to follow State Bar procedures may result in non-compliance with the fingerprinting rule.
My employer provides Live Scan services. Can I use their services or do I have to use an outside vendor?
You can use any Live Scan service as long as the vendor has a contract with the California DOJ to submit your fingerprints and can provide you with an ATI number.
When completing the Live Scan form, do I have to enter an alias?
Almost all active attorneys will need to be re-fingerprinted. The only exceptions are:
(1) attorneys for whom the State Bar has hard copy fingerprint cards. (Due to the State Bar’s previous retention policy of destroying fingerprint cards after 3 years, this applies only to a limited number of attorneys who applied from admission from outside California on or after July 1, 2014.)
and;
(2) attorneys who applied to the State Bar after July 1, 2017.
Your My State Bar Profile will indicate if you are required to be fingerprinted.
I was already fingerprinted when I applied for admission to the State Bar, so the State Bar should have my fingerprints. Why can't the State Bar just use those fingerprints to obtain my criminal record information?
The State Bar is not in possession of the majority of attorney fingerprints. As part of the moral character review process, applicants provide the State Bar with fingerprint cards or fingerprints are submitted electronically directly to the DOJ. A contract with the DOJ is required in order for the State Bar to receive subsequent notification of arrests and conviction information from the DOJ for attorneys admitted to the State Bar or multijurisdictional practitioners. The State Bar entered into this contract on July 1, 2017. As a result, the vast majority of attorneys will need to be re-fingerprinted.
A Subsequent Arrest Notification (SAN) services contract between the State Bar and the DOJ was finalized on June 28, 2017, effective July 1, 2017, to address the error of not securing SAN services on all persons admitted to the State Bar. Due to DOJ policies, the SAN services cannot be applied retroactively. Accordingly, the Supreme Court of California is requiring the resubmission of attorney fingerprints to the DOJ.
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