At its July 16, 2026, meeting, the Board of Trustees heard a presentation from Admissions Chief Donna Hershkowitz highlighting the California Supreme Court’s order approving the State Bar’s recommendation to move to the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ NextGen Uniform Bar Examination (NextGen UBE) beginning in July 2028 and to prepare the addition of a California component for July 2029.
At its May 14–15, 2026, meeting, the Board of Trustees concurred with and approved the Committee of Bar Examiners’ (CBE) recommendation that the California Supreme Court adopt the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ (NCBE) NextGen Uniform Bar Exam (NextGen UBE) for administration beginning in July 2028.
At its February 26–27, 2026, meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the final 2026 State Bar budget. The 2026 budget includes total projected revenue of $374.5 million and total expenses of $463.5 million, resulting in a budgeted deficit of $89.0 million.
At its joint meeting on Friday, January 23, 2026, the Board of Trustees and the Committee of Bar Examiners voted to explore a plan that could have the State Bar, beginning in 2028, administer the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ NextGen Uniform Bar Examination, without a California-specific component.
A new impact brief from the State Bar of California’s Office of Access & Inclusion warns that budget cuts could undermine California’s legal aid infrastructure, threatening access to justice for millions of low- and middle-income residents.
At its November 20–21 meeting, the Board of Trustees approved raising Admissions Fund fees based on the recommended staff option, except for general applicants for the California Bar Exam and applicants for the Practical Training of Law Students program. Those fees will only be increased by the Consumer Price Index (3.3 percent). The Board’s action—to be implemented in 2026—will begin to address a critical structural deficit and rebuild depleted reserves that have been strained by unanticipated costs resulting from the February 2025 exam, including several million dollars in fee waivers issued as part of remedial measures and the return to in-person administration.
The State Bar of California Board of Trustees marked a historic leadership transition at its September 19 meeting, as Board Chair José Cisneros, Vice-Chair Mark Toney, PhD, and new Trustee David Jargiello were sworn into office by the California Supreme Court Associate Justice Martin J. Jenkins. All three were appointed to their new roles by the California Supreme Court.
On the first day of its two-day meeting, the Board of Trustees announced its appointment of Laura Enderton-Speed as the State Bar’s next Executive Director. Enderton-Speed is currently the director of the Leadership Support Services Office at the Judicial Council of California.
The California Supreme Court announced seven appointments and one reappointment to the State Bar of California’s Board of Trustees and the Committee of Bar Examiners, effective September 19.
At its July 3 meeting, the Board of Trustees discussed proposed amendments from the California Supreme Court to the Rules of Court that would update the authority and responsibilities of the Board and Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) over key aspects of admissions and the California Bar Exam.
