For a year after reporting MCLE compliance, a member must retain and provide upon demand and to the satisfaction of the State Bar the following: 

•     a provider’s certificate of attendance
•     a record of self-study that includes the title, provider, credit hours and date of each activity
•     proof of exempt status

Rule 2.73 adopted effective Jan. 1, 2008

Each case is different. But most disbarred attorneys fall into one of two categories: They committed a very serious violation, such as perjury or stealing client funds, or they have a history of misconduct.

Reproval, either public or private, usually is reserved for first-time offenders whose misconduct falls on the low end of the scale.

For example, abandoning one client might lead to a private reproval or remedial action, such as Ethics School. Abandoning 12 clients, however, would likely result in much more serious discipline.

An attorney is placed on probation so that his or her conduct in the practice of law can be monitored - much like supervised probation in the criminal justice system.

Occasionally, another practicing attorney -- serving as a probation monitor -- meets with the disciplined attorney. The disciplined attorney then files regular reports and could be required to meet special conditions during the probationary period. Most conditions of probation are monitored by the Probation Unit.

Requests for duplicate audit notices and general questions regarding the MCLE Audit should be submitted to the State Bar’s MCLE Audit Team by completing a Licensee Records and Compliance Inquiry form online.  You may also call Attorney Regulation at 888-800-3400.

After April 10, 2025, the State Bar will send you a one-time enrollment email to set up your EBill Express account. Once you receive that email, you can follow the instructions provided to complete your account setup.

Information about MCLE requirements and CLE options is available online. If you have questions, please fill out the Licensee Records and Compliance Inquiry form or call 888-800-3400.

An attorney must be an active licensee in good standing of the State Bar, who has practiced law continuously for at least five years in any United States jurisdiction and actively practiced law in California or taught law in a California law school for at least two years immediately preceding the time of supervision. A judge must be a judge of a court of record in California, such as a California Superior Court or California Court of Appeal. Please refer to rule 4.29(B) of the Rules of the State Bar.

In addition, a supervising attorney or judge may not supervise more than two LOS students simultaneously.

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.

The State Bar Board of Trustees defines pro bono as providing or enabling “the direct delivery of legal services, without expectation of compensation other than reimbursement of expenses, to indigent individuals, or to not-for-profit organizations with a primary purpose of providing services to the poor or on behalf of the poor or disadvantaged, not-for-profit organizations with a purpose of improving the law and the legal system, or increasing access to justice.” See the Pro Bono Resolution on the State Bar’s website.

Legal work for clients referred from a legal aid program generally qualifies, but waiving fees for clients unable to pay does not count as pro bono if payment was initially expected. For the work perfrmed to fall within the meaning of pro bono, the lawyer providing the legal services must intend to do so for free, and the recipient must be indient. Pro bono opportunities vary depending on the needs of the client community. Examples might include:

• Representation (full or limited scope)
• Negotiation and settlement
• Screening and intake
• Brief service by phone or in person
• Legal informationor "Know Your Rights" workshops
• Document preparation and review
• Mentoring and training less experienced staff and volunteer attorneys
• Legal research and writing
• Consumer/public education
• Litigation support
• Legislative research and legal analysis

The Office of Chief Trial Counsel handles complaints from both clients, members of the public, and other attorneys over unethical professional conduct. Attorney misconduct complaint form available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, and Chinese.

You may also call the State Bar’s multilingual Contact Center at 800-843-9053 (in California) or 213-765-1200 (outside California) to request the form or discuss the complaint-filing process. There is no fee for filing a complaint, and you do not have to be a U.S. citizen. Be sure to include copies of any documents that will help support your claim.

When you are done filling out the form, mail it to:

The State Bar of California, of Chief Trial Counsel, Intake Unit
845 South Figueroa Street Los Angeles, CA 90017-2515

An inquiry is opened for every written communication that involves a complaint about an attorney's conduct. After the inquiry is evaluated, the accused attorney may be diverted out of the system, or the inquiry may be closed.

If it appears, however, that the attorney may be a repeat offender or have committed a violation where there is a serious likelihood of discipline being imposed, an investigator and a Bar prosecutor from the Enforcement Unit take responsibility for the investigation.

The accused attorney is given an opportunity to respond, witnesses are contacted and documents are reviewed. At the investigation's conclusion, attorneys decide whether to:

- Dismiss the complaint

- Impose an informal confidential resolution, or

- File disciplinary charges.

The Notice of Disciplinary Charges is filed in State Bar Court, where it is assigned to a hearing judge. The accused attorney then must file an answer - or risk a default judgment or involuntary enrollment as an inactive bar member.

If a settlement cannot be reached, the case goes to trial in State Bar Court. After the trial, the hearing judge issues a written decision. Either side may appeal the decision to the State Bar Court's Review Department.

The California Supreme Court is the final arbiter in attorney discipline cases.