Logo: Office of Public Trust Liaison

Do you have questions or concerns about attorney discipline complaints or admissions issues that you have been unable to resolve through other channels at the State Bar? The Office of Public Trust Liaison (OPTL) is here to help.

What is the Office of Public Trust Liaison?

The OPTL helps educate members of the public about how the State Bar can help them within the areas of our public protection mission.

With an initial focus on attorney discipline issues and admissions issues, the office receives inquiries, responds to questions and concerns brought by members of the public that remain unresolved through other channels, and investigates to ensure proper procedures were followed.

Proactive

The OPTL educates the public by clarifying how the discipline system works and outlining what constitutes a viable complaint. The office can also make recommendations based on findings for improvements to the attorney discipline system and admissions process.

Independent and Impartial

The OPTL is independent of the State Bar’s Office of the Chief Trial Counsel and Office of Admissions. This independence enables the OPTL to impartially evaluate complaints from the public and provide objective annual reports to State Bar leadership.

Confidential

The OPTL cannot disclose any information, statements, or documents that are confidential under the law to any other entity or person. For example, complaints about attorneys and information received by the State Bar about applicants for admission are confidential by law. Additionally, the substance of an OPTL inquiry and the name of the person submitting the complaint are also generally confidential. Confidential information may be shared internally within the State Bar as needed to resolve the issue at hand.

Contact the OPTL if you:
  • Have questions about:
  • Already have an attorney complaint number and are requesting an update;
  • Have a closed, previously filed complaint that you believe needs to be reviewed to ensure that proper procedures were followed; or
  • Want to express concerns or make a suggestion that you wish to bring to the attention of the State Bar for improving the discipline or admissions systems. 
The OPTL cannot:
  • Draft a complaint for you;
  • Act as a legal representative for you in any matter;
  • Intervene in a pending disciplinary matter or any formal process of the resolution of complaints, or in any pending admissions matter, such as Committee of Bar Examiners administrative reviews or State Bar Court hearings;
  • Overturn, reverse, or modify a finding or decision regarding any discipline complaint or admissions matter, such as moral character determinations, testing accommodations decisions, or Chapter 6 Notices; or
  • Make binding decisions or mandate policies.
Contact the Office of Public Trust Liaison

Submit Inquiry Form

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