Proposed California Rules of Court, Rule 9.45.1, to Establish a California Community Justice Worker Program
The State Bar seeks public comment on the California Supreme Court's version of rule 9.45.1 to establish a California community justice worker program.
Deadline: August 22, 2026, 11:59 p.m. (45 days)
Direct comments to
Comments should be submitted using the online Public Comment Form. The online form allows you to input your comments directly and can also be used to upload your comment letter and/or other attachments.
Background
A coalition of legal aid providers—including several organizations supported through State Bar grants—released a proposal in December 2024 titled Increasing Access to Justice Through Community Justice Workers: A Proposal for California. This proposal outlines a framework for a statewide program in which trained nonlawyers, known as community justice workers (CJWs), would deliver limited, supervised legal assistance to low‑income Californians. In November 2025, the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission (LSTFC), which oversees the State Bar’s legal aid funding and access initiatives, adopted a resolution endorsing the proposal authors’ efforts to advance a California-based CJW program. The following month, in December 2025, the proposal authors submitted a petition to the California Supreme Court seeking adoption of proposed Rule of Court 9.45.1 to establish the program.
On June 18, 2026, the Court filed Administrative Order 2026-06-17-01: Proposed Rules of Court, Rule 9.45.1 in response to the legal aid petition. The order directs the State Bar to solicit public comment on the Court’s version of the Proposed California Rule of Court 9.45.1 for a 45-day period. It further directs the State Bar to consider, after the public comment period concludes, whether to recommend adoption of the proposed rule, with or without changes, or offer other recommendations.
Discussion/proposal
In December 2024, a coalition of legal aid organizations, including several State Bar-funded grant recipients, published Increasing Access to Justice Through Community Justice Workers: A Proposal for California (the CJW Proposal). The CJW Proposal seeks to establish a California-specific program for trained nonlawyers—community justice workers (CJWs) —to provide limited legal services to low-income residents of California under attorney supervision. In November 2025, the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission (LSTFC) —the governing body for the State Bar’s legal aid grantmaking and access initiatives—approved a resolution supporting the CJW Proposal authors’ efforts to establish a California CJW program, to help increase access to justice for low-income and underserved communities. Shortly thereafter, in December 2025, the CJW Proposal authors petitioned the California Supreme Court to adopt proposed California Rule of Court 9.45.1 (Case Number S294332) to establish the program.
On June 18, 2026, the Court filed Administrative Order 2026-06-17-01, in response to the legal aid petition. The order directs the State Bar to solicit public comment on the Court’s version of the Proposed California Rule of Court 9.45.1 for a 45-day period. It further directs the State Bar to consider, after the public comment period concludes, whether to recommend adoption of the proposed rule, with or without changes, or offer other recommendations.
The Court’s proposed rule would provide that an “Authorizing Body”—an entity designated by the Court—would accept, review, and approve applications from legal services organizations (LSOs) to operate CJW programs. An Authorized LSO would, on approval, train and supervise the work of eligible CJWs. Authorized LSOs must certify to the State Bar the name, scope of practice, and proof of completed training of each CJW; ensure ongoing CJW supervision capacity; assume professional responsibility for CJWs’ work product; train CJWs to perform authorized activities; notify the State Bar within 30 days of changes to the organization’s or an individual CJW’s eligibility or if a CJW violates applicable rules; and report twice annually about the number of clients served, total hours worked, case resolutions, complaints, and program costs.
As proposed, a CJW must be at least 18 years old and a high school graduate or the equivalent; must not be licensed by the State Bar; must satisfy training and other requirements as certified to the State Bar by an authorized LSO; and must only engage in the limited practice of law under the exclusive supervision of the authorized LSO.
The State Bar would maintain and publicly post a roster of authorized LSOs and their certified CJWs, including each CJW’s scope of practice; and annually report to the Court and Legislature the number and disposition of complaints involving CJWs.
The Authorizing Body would evaluate the California CJW Program within two years of the first LSO’s authorization.
Fiscal/personnel impact
Staff estimates supporting a CJW program—including developing, reviewing, and administering applications; providing technical assistance to authorized legal services organizations; rulemaking; monitoring participating programs; and program evaluation—will require approximately 2.0 full-time equivalent program analyst and senior-level Office of Access & Inclusion staff, at an estimated annual cost of $650,000–$750,000. Since there is no dedicated funding for the CJW program, if the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission is named as the Authorizing Body, it will utilize Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) administrative funds for the pilot period. Long-term funding will require exploring a statutory change to make clear the use of IOLTA funds. This estimate includes salaries, benefits, and indirect costs for program administration only, and does not contemplate additional costs for discipline, technology, or other State Bar costs.
Background materials
- Increasing Access to Justice Through Community Justice Workers: A Proposal for California was published in December 2024 by a cohort of legal aid nonprofits, led by the Legal Aid Association of California, Legal Link, and One Justice
- Discussion Regarding Mapping the National Landscape to Expand Access to Legal Services (LSTFC, May 21, 2025) was a presentation and discussion-only agenda item to familiarize the LSTFC with the national regulatory reform landscape, and provide an overview of the CJW Proposal
- Discussion Regarding the 2024 California Justice Gap Study and State-Level Approaches to Expanding Legal Services (Board of Trustees, May 22–23, 2025) was a presentation and discussion-only agenda item to review the 2024 Justice Gap Study findings and familiarize Trustees with the national approach to regulatory reform
- Discussion Regarding the 2024 California Justice Gap Study, the Legal Aid Justice Technology Collaborative, and a Legal Aid Proposal to Create a California Community Justice Worker Proposal (Board of Trustees, September 18–19, 2025) was a presentation and discussion-only agenda item to further review the 2024 Justice Gap Study findings and introduce Trustees with the CJW Proposal
- Approval of Recommendation Regarding Letter to the Community Justice Workers Proposal Authors (LSTFC Program Development and Impact Committee, October 24, 2025)
- Approval of Recommendation Regarding Letter to the Community Justice Workers Proposal Authors (LSTFC, November 7, 2025)
- Petition for the California Supreme Court to Review and Approve Proposed California Rule of Court 9.45.1 to Establish a California Community Justice Worker Program. This is the petition filed on December 8, 2025, by legal aid attorneys from LAAC, One Justice, and Legal Link
- Discussion and Potential Action Regarding the Community Justice Workers Proposal and Senate Bill 1129 (LSTFC Executive Committee, April 30, 2026)
- Discussion and Potential Action Regarding the Community Justice Workers Proposal and Senate Bill 1129 (LSTFC, May 29, 2026)
- Community Justice Workers for Californians is a website that provides information about the CJW Proposal, maintained by the proposal authors
- Administrative Order 2026-06-17-01: Proposed California Rules of Court, Rule 9.45.1, to Establish a California Community Justice Worker Program
Attachments
- Attachment C: CJW Petition to the Supreme Court
- Attachment D: CJW Petition to Supreme Court Appendix of Exhibits
- Attachment E: State Bar's Response to the CJW Petition
- Attachment F: State Bar's Response to the CJW Petition Appendix of Exhibits Volume I
- Attachment G: State Bar's Response to the CJW Petition Appendix of Exhibits Volume II
- Attachment H: CJW Petitioners Reply to State Bar Response
Source
The Supreme Court ordered public comment through Administrative Order 2026-06-17-01.
Deadline
August 22, 2026, 11:59 p.m.
Direct comments to
Comments should be submitted using the online Public Comment Form. The online form allows you to input your comments directly and can also be used to upload your comment letter and/or other attachments.
For further questions, please email communications@calbar.ca.gov.