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.
No. Part-time employees can be exempt as long as they are permanent or probationary employees who do not otherwise practice law. The words "those employed full-time ... who do not otherwise practice law" in sections 2.54(A)(3) and 2.54(A)(4) refer to employees "employed on a permanent or probationary basis, regardless of their working hours, who do not practice law in California" except as employees of the State of California or the United States government.
What is the difference between participatory and self-study?
The MCLE rules specify that some types of activities qualify only for self-study credit. Other kinds of activities can qualify for either participatory or self-study credit, depending on whether or not the member participated in the particular activity is verified by a provider.
If a provider verifies your "participation," an activity is "participatory." Provider verification consists of ALL the following:
the provider has you sign in at the time of the activity (electronic sign-in is acceptable)
the provider keeps a list of those who signed in
the provider issues a certificate of attendance to attendees
Online courses, CD ROM-based courses, and some tape-based courses can count for participatory credit if they are verified by an approved provider. If unsure, contact the individual provider to verify that the program has been approved for participatory credit. To confirm a tape or other self-study activity is still current, contact the provider.
What is an out-of-state attorney arbitration counsel (OSAAC)?
An out-of-state attorney arbitration counsel is an attorney who is not a licensed attorney of the State Bar of California but who is an active attorney in good standing of and eligible to practice before any Bar of the United States and who has been retained to appear in the course of, or in connection with, an arbitration proceeding in this state.
How many times may I apply as an OSAAC?
There is no hard and fast rule to determine this. It is usually up to the discretion of the arbitrator and/or arbitral panel who may ask the applying attorney to inform him/her how many times the applying attorney has appeared as an OSAAC. The spirit of the rule that the arbitral panel will follow mandates that out-of-state attorneys not abuse OSAAC as a substitute for practicing in California.
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.
Do I have to comply with California's MCLE requirement?
Yes. Within the first 12 months after approval of your application for registration as a legal services attorney, you must complete the same 25 hours of MCLE activities that members of the California bar must complete in a 36-month period. 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.
Do I have to take the California bar exam?
No. You must meet all of the requirements for admission to the California bar except that you do not need to take the bar exam or the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam.
May a non-California attorney register as both a legal services attorney and in-house counsel?
Yes, if the attorney meets the eligibility requirements for each category.
What constitutes a transaction or other non-litigation matter?
A transaction or other non-litigation matter refers to any legal matter other than litigation, arbitration, mediation, or a legal action before an administrative decision-maker.
Will I receive a receipt following my renewal?
To request a receipt of your MJP renewal fees, please call Member Records and Billing at 888-800-3400. Press "0" and a representative will assist you.
What is IOLTA?
IOLTA stands for Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts. Attorneys deposit client funds that they plan to hold briefly, or that are too small to earn interest for the client, into larger shared accounts. Over 73,000 attorneys make deposits in approximately 49,000 IOLTA accounts in California. As of September 2019, IOLTA accounts hold nearly $5 billion. Any interest earned on these accounts is paid by financial institutions to the State Bar, which in turn distributes those funds as grants to qualified nonprofit civil legal organizations throughout the state.
Refer to the State Bar’s IOLTA FAQ page for more information.
Can I obtain a copy of the DOJ/FBI criminal offender record information sent to the State Bar?
The State Bar is unable to provide you with a copy of confidential information received from the Department of Justice. Only those authorized entities or persons authorized by statute may obtain access to DOJ records. If you would like to request a copy of a DOJ record relating to yourself, you must request that records from the DOJ pursuant to procedures set forth in the California Penal Code. See Ca. Penal Code sections 11122-11123.
If my employer is offering to provide Live Scan services and cover the cost, will my employer be receiving my criminal offender record information as a result of the fingerprinting?
Your employer will not receive information regarding criminal history as a result of submitting your fingerprints. The State Bar will be the only entity receiving your information once you submit your fingerprints using the pre-populated Live Scan form obtained from your My State Bar Profile or a State Bar authorized fingerprint card. The State Bar is prohibited from sharing your criminal offender record information with outside entities.
Contact us
Need additional help? Visit our Contact Us page for additional resources.
