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 Superior Court attorneys required to comply with MCLE requirements?
No. Superior Court attorney employees are “Employees of the State of California” who are exempt from MCLE.
Who qualifies as a litigating attorney under rule 9.47?
An attorney licensed to practice law in one or more U.S. jurisdictions other than California who is providing litigation services in California as part of legal proceedings pending or anticipated either in California or another jurisdiction. See General Information FAQs for additional information.
If I practice as in-house counsel in California at or after the effective date of November 15, 2004, will my application for registration be denied?
No, that fact alone is not a ground for denial.
If I am eligible to practice in California under rule 9.47, am I allowed to appear in court in California?
No. Rule 9.47 applies only to litigation services in connection with litigation pending or anticipated either in California or another jurisdiction. If your anticipated authorization to appear in a formal legal proceeding serves as the basis for practice under rule 9.47, you must seek that authorization promptly once it becomes possible to do so. Failure to seek authorization promptly, or denial of that authorization, ends your eligibility to practice under rule 9.47.
Because the amount the program collects varies depending on interest rates, grant distribution has ranged from a high accumulation of over $22 million in 2008 to a low distribution of grants of slightly more than $6 million in 2016.
More than 95 percent of the funds received are distributed in grants to legal services programs. All administrative costs are paid out of the funds received; no attorney fees or other State Bar income is used. Over the course of its 25-year history, the State Bar has used less than 5 percent of the funds received to administer the program.
How do I request fee arbitration?
To initiate fee arbitration, you must complete a fee arbitration request form from the appropriate bar association and submit the filing fee set by the particular program. Find local fee arbitration programs here. Attach copies of any documents requested on the form. You should include information that specifically relates to the attorney's fees and costs and explain why you believe the attorney's fees are excessive or that no additional fees are owed. You will have an opportunity to present additional information at the arbitration hearing.
Can I mail in a printed test?
No, all MCLE tests offered by the State Bar are available only online. Only the online self-assessment tests are eligible for MCLE credit.
What if I forgot my password?
You will use the same password that you use to log in to My State Bar Profile. If you forgot that password, select “Forgot password?” on that page to reset it.
After my two free short-term counseling sessions, what is the cost?
Contracted therapists agree to provide two additional sessions at $100 per session after the two free sessions that LAP pays for. For the fifth session, individuals can make their own arrangements with the therapist/counselor if they wish to continue.
Are the LAP and the Alternative Discipline Program (ADP) the same?
No, the ADP is the State Bar Court's Alternative Discipline Program for attorneys with substance use or mental health problems.
The LAP is a separate program for law students, State Bar applicants, current and former attorneys with substance use or mental health issues, regardless of whether they have past or pending disciplinary matters.
The ADP has a close and mutually beneficial relationship with LAP. The ADP neither duplicates the LAP processes nor usurps the treatment function. The ADP seeks to identify and refer respondents with substance use or mental health problems to LAP in order that respondents so afflicted may be treated and rehabilitated. A respondent must be accepted into LAP to be eligible for the ADP.
What is the deadline for requesting fee arbitration?
If you received a Notice of Client's Right to Fee Arbitration form from the attorney, you have 30 days from the date you received it to submit your arbitration request form to the program.
If you do not file the request form with the program within 30 days, you will lose your right to arbitrate your fee dispute. A telephone call or letter to the program requesting arbitration will not protect that right. You must be sure that the request form is completely filled out and that you have included any filing fee that may be required.
If the attorney has already filed a lawsuit against you for unpaid fees, you may elect either to respond to the lawsuit or request fee arbitration. If you file a response to the lawsuit, you will lose your right to arbitrate the fee dispute. If you request arbitration, the lawsuit will be stayed, but you should file the appropriate notice of automatic stay with the court. To preserve your right to arbitrate, you should file a request for arbitration promptly.
Where can I find the Rules of Professional Conduct and formal ethic opinions?
What if my job title is not "attorney" or "administrative law judge"?
For purposes of 2.54(A)(3) and 2.54(A)(4), attorneys are exempt who are required by the State Bar of California to maintain an active license as a result of the duties they are required to perform by virtue of their employment with the State of California or the United States government.
An example of those exempt are law clerks.
What is a qualifying institution?
A corporation, partnership, association, or other legal entity, including its subsidiaries and organizational affiliates, that employs at least 10 employees full-time in California, or employs in California an attorney who is an active member in good standing of the California bar.
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