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 had a bad experience with a Live Scan vendor. Can I report them to the State Bar?
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.
Will I be assessed fees from the State Bar?
Yes. The 2025 annual fees will be available to calculate and pay online through My State Bar Profile effective February 1, 2025.
What if I didn’t take enough courses during the compliance period?
Failure to complete the requirements during the compliance period will result in your having to make up the deficiency. You will have to submit all required hours to the online log and then submit the proof of compliance. You will also need to provide the audit submission cover sheet, a brief cover letter explaining why you were unable to complete the requirements during the compliance period along with the $205 deficiency fee for non-compliance by the deadline.
Do I send in the original certificates or the copies?
Photocopies are sufficient for the purposes of the audit. Hold on to your originals through the end of the year you report MCLE compliance.
We are dissolving our LLP, how do we terminate our Certificate of Registration with the State Bar?
In order to voluntarily terminate the LLP's Certificate of Registration with the State Bar, you must submit an original certified copy of the Secretary of State's LLP-4 form (including the blue and white cover sheet with red date stamp), showing that the entity ceases to exist as a limited liability partnership. Pursuant to 9.0 of the State Bar's LLP Rules and Regulations, the termination shall be effective as of the date the LLP is dissolved by the Secretary of State.
Do I lose my exemption if I do work "outside the scope of my employment?"
Yes. You lose your exemption for the entire compliance period, with the exception of "qualified" pro bono work (see details below).
Full-time employees of the State of California or the United States government are exempt under 2.54(A)(3) and 2.54(A)(4) only if the sole legal work done by the attorneys is within the scope of their employment.
If these attorneys engage in any legal activity outside the scope of their employment, including pro bono work (see below for exception) or legal work for the attorney personally, close friends or immediate family (such as drafting a will for a relative, reviewing a contract for a non-profit association of which the attorney is a member and giving advice respecting it, they are not covered by the exemption of section 2.54(A)(3) and 2.54(A)(4) and must comply with the full MCLE requirements.
I was exempt during the compliance period. Do I still have to respond to the audit?
If you claimed exempt status for any portion of the compliance period, please complete the MCLE Online Summary Log by selecting “Yes” in the Exempt box and provide a letter from all of your supervisors confirming your titles and dates of employment relative to the MCLE compliance period along with the MCLE Audit Submission Cover Sheet by the deadline. If you also have a proportional requirement you should submit the necessary number of certificates.
What are the requirements of OSAAC?
Section 1282.4 of the California Code of Civil Procedure details the prerequisites of an OSAAC appearance. Generally, an out-of state attorney may apply to become an OSAAC if he/she is not a resident of the State of California and is a member in good standing in the jurisdiction to which he/she has been admitted. The out-of-state attorney must provide the name and address of the California attorney of record and to disclose the title of the court in which the out-of-state attorney has applied to appear pro hac vice and OSAAC within the preceding two years. The out-of-state must file a Certificate with the arbitral panel and serve a copy on the State Bar of California. The State Bar is considered the custodian of records for OSAAC applications and does not approve or disapprove the OSAAC certificates. Approval of the certificate is determined by the arbitrator or arbitral panel to which the application is being made.
May I provide personal or individual representation to anyone other than through my employer?
No. You may provide legal services only to your employer. You are not permitted to provide personal or individual representation to any customers, shareholders, owners, partners, officers, employees, servants, or agents of your employer.
What activities count as participatory credit?
An education activity is participatory if a provider verifies the "participation." Provider verification consists of the following:
the provider has the attorney sign in at the time of the activity (electronic sign-in is acceptable),
the provider keeps a list of those who sign in, and
the provider issues a certificate of attendance to attendees
Online courses, and some CD- and tape-based courses can count for participatory credit if they are verified by an approved provider. Contact the individual provider to verify that the program has been approved for participatory credit.
What is the role of the JNE Commission?
The role of the JNE Commission is to gather information about the candidates and to conduct a confidential evaluation of the judicial qualifications of candidates whose names have been submitted to the commission by the Governor and to report its findings, in absolute confidence, to the Governor.
The commission, in evaluating candidates, functions independently of the Board of Trustees of the State Bar. Board liaison attend the commission meetings periodically but do not participate in discussions, express opinions, or vote, and are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as commission members.
Does SB 94 apply to an attorney who has been employed to enforce an existing loan modification agreement?
No. SB 94 applies only to employment contracts which are entered into for the purpose of obtaining a loan modification or forbearance for a borrower.
Does SB 94 apply to contracts or fee agreements entered into prior to October 11, 2009?
No. The law is not retroactive. Advanced fees paid to an attorney prior to October 11, 2009 are not affected by SB 94.
What if a written fee agreement was required but there isn't one?
If the lawyer did not use a written fee agreement, but was required to by law, the arbitrator will consider the terms of any oral agreement and whether they were reasonable. For example, if you orally agreed to pay the lawyer $300 per hour, but the arbitrator believes that $300 is not reasonable, the arbitrator may assess a reduced hourly fee. Or, if you orally agreed to a minimum fee per telephone call, even if the actual time spent on the call was less, and the arbitrator believes this is a reasonable practice, those charges will be enforced.
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