The State Bar of California has named a new Chief Court Counsel to lead the State Bar Court of California. The State Bar named Deputy Chief Trial Counsel Gregory Dresser to fill the independent court's management and legal counselor position. Dresser previously served as interim chief trial counsel for 13 months and as assistant chief trial counsel. Prior to joining the State Bar, he was a litigation partner at Morrison & Foerster.
How many attorneys are in California?
The State Bar of California licenses more than 250,000 attorneys. For more details, go to Bar Numbers.
Do I have to pay fees immediately when I am sworn in?
No. But all bar members, both inactive and active, must pay annual fees.
Your official date of admission is considered the day you take your oath. Your membership fees will be calculated based on that date, and you should be able to access a fee statement within 30 days. Your fees will be due 45 days from the day you get your invoice. More information concerning fees is available through the State Bar website. If you have additional questions about fees after reading the material on the website, contact Member Records at 888-800-3400.
How do I know if I passed the exam?
If you took the February bar exam, your results will be mailed to you in mid-May. If you took the July bar exam, your results will be mailed to you in mid-November. You can also check to see if your name is on the pass list available on the State Bar of California website. You will need your applicant and file numbers to log in and see your results. It will show only whether your name is on the pass list.
Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB 36 into law, the fee bill for the State Bar of California. In addition to setting the annual licensing fee for lawyers, SB 36 includes historic reforms for the public protection agency.
The State Bar submitted a final report and analysis of the California Bar Exam passing score yesterday to the California Supreme Court. The first-ever such report in California is also one of the most comprehensive of its kind in the country.
The State Bar Court of California has recommended that a Southern California lawyer be disbarred for misappropriating $30,000 from a trust fund for Armenian genocide survivors, using other trust money to pay for her children’s law school and failing to properly report the transactions to tax authorities.
Two experienced leaders step into new roles at the State Bar of California today to continue the momentum of reforms at the agency. Leah T. Wilson steps into the role of executive director, after serving two years as chief operating officer. Michael G. Colantuono was sworn in as president of the Board of Trustees.
The State Bar Board of Trustees voted to submit three options regarding the California Bar Exam cut score to the California Supreme Court. The Court holds the ultimate authority to set the passing score for the exam.
Updates:
Aug. 9, 2017 - More information on how the California Bar Exam passing score was evaluated
Aug. 1, 2017 - The State Bar is seeking public comment on the proposed options for bar exam cut score and the Standard Setting Study.
