State Bar Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Changes to Adjudication Procedures for Provisionally Licensed Lawyers

By James Lanham At its February 25, 2022 meeting, the Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California voted to make available for a 45-day public comment period proposed new rules 5.480–5.486 of the Rules of Procedure of the Continue reading

State Bar of California Proceeds with Recommendations from the Committee on Special Discipline Case Audit for the Development of a California Trust Account Program

By Ian Ross On November 19, 2021, the State Bar of California’s Committee on Special Discipline Case Audit (Committee) submitted its Report to the Board of Trustees, recommending that the Board establish a Client Trust Account Protection Program (CTAPP) to Continue reading

California to Hold February 2022 Bar Examination In-Person

By James Lanham On February 22–23, 2022, applicants for the California State Bar will take the California Bar Examination in person. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Bar began administering exams remotely on October 5-6, 2020. [see 26:1 CRLR 123] Continue reading

State Bar of California Releases Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Plan: 2021-2022 Biennial Report to the Legislature

By Juan M. Villalvazo On March 15, 2021, the State Bar of California published its biennial report to the state legislature on its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Plan pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 6001.3(c). This is the Continue reading

California Superior Court Sustains State Bar’s Demurrer to LegalMatch’s Constitutional Challenge to Business and Professions Code § 6155; Second Amended Cross Complaint Pending

By Kirstin Jensvold-Rumage On February 3, 2021, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman sustained the State Bar of California’s demurrer to LegalMatch’s First Amended Cross Complaint (FACC) for Declaratory Relief, with leave to amend, in State Bar of California Continue reading

State Bar of California Board of Trustees Postpones Consideration of Creating New Rule of Professional Conduct Concerning Campaign Contributions and Prosecutorial Conflicts

By Kirstin Jensvold-Rumage  On January 22, 2021, the State Bar of California Board of Trustees voted to defer creation of a new Rule of Professional Conduct or Ethics Opinion related to law enforcement unions’ financial contributions to prosecutorial campaigns, and Continue reading

Two New Studies Reveal the California Bar Exam Cut Score’s Racially Disparate Impact, and State Bar of California Continues its own Study of the Bar Exam

By Juan M. Villalvazo In October 2020, two studies analyzing the various ways in which California’s minimum bar exam passing score (“cut score”) on the Bar exam impacts examinee outcomes. Both studies were conducted by the same authors, and were Continue reading

State Bar of California Board of Trustees Approves Appointees to Closing the Justice Gap Working Group

By Kirstin Jensvold-Rumage On November 2, 2020, the State Bar of California Board of Trustees Executive Committee approved the Board’s Appointments Liaisons’ recommended slate of two officers and sixteen members to the Closing the Justice Gap Working Group (CTJG Working Continue reading

Committee of Bar Examiners Holds Emergency Teleconference Meeting to Address Legal Education and Exam Administration in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Halie Turigliatti On March 30, 2020, the State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) held an emergency and special meeting over teleconference. The meeting began by voting to start an official emergency meeting, according to the Bagley-Keene Continue reading

State Bar of California Board of Trustees Postpones Votes on Several Recommendations From the Access Through Innovation of Legal Services Task Force

By Madelin Rojer At the State Bar of California Board of Trustees’ March 12, 2020, meeting, [Agenda item 702], the Task Force on Access Through Innovation of Legal Services (ATILS) presented its Final Report with seven recommendations to the Board. Continue reading