A number of legal services providers have projects specifically designed to use your skills as a transactional lawyer. In addition, there are many types of pro bono litigation matters, including some that may be of interest to you. Providers generally offer training and mentoring so you are well-supported throughout the pro bono engagement.

Submit the Application for Transfer to Inactive Status. To be eligible for the inactive fee the following year, you must submit the Transfer to Inactive Status form by December 1 and the effective date of the transfer must be on or before December 31. A Transfer to Inactive Status form submitted after December 1 or with an effective date after December 31 will not reduce the active fees owed. View detailed instructions and access the required form.

Each file is handled individually. Processing time depends on whether we receive complete information. A Foreign Legal Consultant application cannot be approved until you have received a positive moral character determination. Generally, the moral character review process can take a minimum of six months to complete.

An applicant must:

• have been admitted to practice law and have been in good standing as an attorney, counselor at law, or equivalent in a foreign country for at least four of the six years immediately preceding the application, and have actually practiced the law of that country;
• possess good moral character (an Application for Determination of Moral Character is required and will be processed by the Office of Admissions in the same manner as for California bar applicants); and
• provide the Office of Admissions with a written statement agreeing to maintain required security for claims for errors, omissions, and dishonest conduct.

Maintains, on behalf of the California Supreme Court, the official roll of attorneys—the records of all attorneys licensed to practice in California. The office helps licensees comply with their administrative requirements, including the Client Trust Account Protection Program and continuing legal education. The office also manages the registration of law corporations and limited law partnerships.

By law, all lawyers who handle small amounts of money for their clients, or money that is held for a short period of time, must participate in the program.

They must open interest- or dividend-bearing trust accounts at Eligible Financial Institutions and deposit all small and short-term sums into these accounts. They also must report annually to the State Bar whether or not they held a client trust account (including IOLTA) at any time during the prior year.

Once the account is designated an IOLTA account, lawyers are not responsible for ensuring that the interest is accumulated and forwarded to the State Bar.

The financial institutions with which the funds are deposited are responsible for complying with the law, and the IOLTA Program is responsible for monitoring compliance.

Go to Complete Unfinished Test and enter the Tester ID you received for the test. Then click Next. You will be taken to the MCLE article and 20 questions. 

Special Masters are needed in all counties in California. The State Bar attempts to maintain a large list of qualified Special Masters to avoid overburdening individual Special Masters.

You may access the course by logging in to My State Bar Profile and entering the E-learning Portal. In the “What do you want to learn?” search box, type “Ethics School” or “CTA School.” Click “Add to Cart” and complete the checkout process. The course is self-paced and available on demand 24/7. You may save your progress and return to the course at any time, prior to the expiration date. The course must be completed within 90 days of purchase.

LAP groups do not focus on the specific treatment of any diagnosis. A structured plan of support is beneficial in the recovery of a variety of problems.

Also, many LAP participants are recovering from both substance use and mental health issues. Feedback from LAP participants confirms that benefits are derived from the combined group meetings. The general public is not part of the LAP group meetings.

Depending on the circumstances, the arbitrator will consider several factors in reaching a decision. These may include:

• Whether there was a written fee agreement;
• The value of the attorney’s services;
• Whether the attorney spent an appropriate amount of time on your case;
• Whether there are any billing errors; and
• Whether any professional negligence or misconduct by the attorney affected the value of the services.

The arbitrator will decide the matter based on written submissions and the evidence presented at the hearing. The award will be either binding or nonbinding, depending on what the two parties choose.

The State Bar’s Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program is an informal, confidential, and low-cost forum for resolving fee disputes between attorneys and their clients. Clients have the right to have a neutral party—an arbitrator—hear fee disputes with their attorneys. The arbitrator determines whether the fees and costs charged by the attorney are reasonable for the services provided.

This kind of arbitration is mandatory for an attorney if requested by a client.