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.
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.)
A Registered Foreign Legal Consultant is admitted to practice and is in good standing as an attorney, counselor at law, or the equivalent in a foreign country and has a current State Bar Certificate of Registration as a Foreign Legal Consultant. A Registered Foreign Legal Consultant may practice the law of their country in California but may not practice California law. Please see rule 9.44 of the California Rules of Court and Title 3, Division 3, Chapter 4 of the Rules of the State Bar.
Can the State Bar recommend a Live Scan vendor?
The State Bar does not oversee Live Scan vendors and cannot endorse or recommend vendors to attorneys.The DOJ has a list of certified Live Scan vendors. Attorneys are encouraged to select a California DOJ certified Live Scan vendor.
Is there a list of low-cost MCLE programs?
The State Bar does not have a list of low-cost MCLE programs, only a complete list of all approved providers. Attorneys may find the following resources useful in determining the most convenient and cost-effective method of fulfilling requirements:
Legal daily newspapers and practice magazines, which may advertise/list approved activities or offer self-assessment tests
Attorneys can fulfill up to one-half of their total required MCLE hours by utilizing self-study options and should consider:
sharing self-study tapes with fellow practitioners
contacting their county law library for approved tapes that can be checked out for self-study credit
What is IOLTA?
IOLTA stands for "Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts." Rule 1.15 of the Rules of Professional Conduct requires attorneys who handle client funds or funds entrusted by others, including settlement checks, fees advanced for services not yet performed, or money to pay court fees, to hold those funds in one or more interest-bearing bank accounts labeled as a “Trust Account,” or words of similar import.
If the amount is large or the funds are to be held for a long period of time, the attorney must place the money in an individual interest-bearing account for the benefit of the client.
However, if the amount of client funds is small or the funds will be held for such a short period of time that they are not capable of earning interest for the client in excess of the cost of maintaining a separate bank account, then they are pooled in a single account with similar funds of other clients.
The interest on these pooled-fund, IOLTA accounts is forwarded to the State Bar of California and used to support approximately 100 nonprofit legal aid organizations that provide civil legal aid to indigent and low-income people, seniors, and persons with disabilities.
I didn’t save my Tester ID and cannot find the email. What do I do?
If you completed your test and received your certificate of completion, you do not need to do anything. If you need to complete a test, access a certificate of completion, or save a receipt after the fact, you need the Tester ID. If you cannot locate your ID, please contact us at feedback@calbar.ca.gov.
I am having a problem submitting my test.
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Are there other MCLE courses available through the State Bar?
Yes. The State Bar offers additional MCLE courses. For course listings, browse the E-Learning Portal catalog, where all State Bar courses are now available. If you are a California-licensed attorney or registered in the multijurisdictional practice (MJP) program, log in to My State Bar Profile to access the catalog.
How long is the Monitored LAP program?
Professional monitoring can be provided for as long as a participant wants it. If an attorney is required to successfully complete the LAP (often required by the State Bar’s discipline system), the attorney will have several goals to meet, including a minimum of three continuous years of sobriety and/or mental health stability.
What is the difference between binding and nonbinding arbitration?
Nonbinding arbitration means that after the arbitration decision is mailed, either party may file an action in court within 30 days, rejecting the award and requesting a trial in court. The party who files the action to reject the award will become the plaintiff in a lawsuit against the other party. This may entail additional costs and—for lawsuits filed in the Superior Court—the assistance of a lawyer.
Should I agree to binding arbitration?
The decision to choose nonbinding or binding arbitration is entirely up to you.
Fee arbitrations are nonbinding unless the parties agree in writing, after the dispute arises, to binding arbitration before the arbitrator takes any evidence. If only one of the parties agrees to binding arbitration, or if a party fails to respond, the matter will proceed as nonbinding arbitration.
If neither party files an action in court rejecting the award and requesting a trial within 30 days after the award is mailed, a nonbinding award will automatically become binding on the parties.
If the arbitration is binding, the award is considered to be final, and neither you nor the lawyer can request a new trial in court. A binding award can only be corrected or vacated by a court for very limited reasons.
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