Proposed Amendment to State Bar Rule 3.114 Regarding Specialty Education Noncompliance Fee for Certified Legal Specialists

The State Bar seeks public comment on proposed amendments to State Bar Rule 3.114.

Deadline: October 23, 2025, 11:59 p.m. (30 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

The State Bar’s Legal Specialization Program certifies licensees as legal specialists who have demonstrated proficiency in specified areas of the law. Once certified, specialists must maintain their certification by recertifying every five years, paying the Legal Specialization Program Annual Fee, and reporting compliance of the education requirement by completing 36 hours of legal specialist continuing legal education every three years. Staff time is required to send compliance notifications and reminders to specialist to report their education requirements and in processing the late compliance forms. Proposed amendment to rule 3.114 would authorize a noncompliance fee.

Discussion/proposal

California Rules of Court, rule 9.35 serves as the basis for the creation of the State Bar’s Legal Specialization Program and rule 9.35(e) provides that the State Bar has the authority to set and collect appropriate fees and penalties for this program.

Once certified, legal specialists must maintain their certification by recertifying every five years, paying the Legal Specialization Program Annual Fee, and reporting compliance of the education requirement by completing 36 hours of legal specialist continuing legal education every three years. Staff time is required to send compliance notifications and reminders to specialist to report their education requirements and in processing the late compliance forms.

The State Bar proposes to assess a noncompliance fee for legal specialists who fail to timely comply with their specialty education requirements.

Any fiscal/personnel impact

Using data from prior years, the new noncompliance fee for Legal Specialization is estimated to generate $33,269.00 per deadline. This additional funding for the Legal Specialization Program would offset the cost of staff’s efforts to ensure compliance and allow ongoing oversight and investment in the program.

Background material

Source

Board of Trustees

Deadline

October 23, 2025, 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.