Title BPC — California Bus. & Prof. Code

(a) The State Bar of California is a public corporation. It is hereinafter designated as the State Bar. (b) The State Bar has perpetual succession and a seal and it may sue and be sued. It may, for the purpose of carrying into effect and promoting its objectives: (1) Make contrac…

Protection of the public, which includes support for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system, shall be the highest priority for the State Bar of California and the board of trustees in exercising their licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the …

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the State Bar maintain its commitment to and support of effective policies and activities to enhance access, fairness, and diversity in the legal profession and the elimination of bias in the practice of law. (b) The Legislature finds …

Commencing on or before February 1, 2011, the State Bar shall make available, upon request of a member of the public, the classification and total annual compensation paid to each of its employees by name, as well as any and all rules, policies, and agreements pertaining to the c…

(a) The State Bar of California shall require that all employees and prospective employees, and may require volunteers, contractors, and subcontractors, to submit fingerprints to the Department of Justice and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in order to establish identity a…

(a) The licensees of the State Bar are all persons admitted and licensed to practice law in this state except justices and judges of courts of record during their continuance in office. (b) As used in this chapter or any other provision of law, “member of the State Bar” shall be …

(a) A licensee of the State Bar shall maintain all of the following on the official licensing records of the State Bar: (1) The licensee’s current office address and telephone number or, if no office is maintained, the address to be used for State Bar purposes or purposes of the …

Licensees of the State Bar are divided into two classes: (a) Active licensees. (b) Inactive licensees.

Every licensee of the State Bar is an active licensee until as in Section 6007 of this code provided or at the licensee’s request, the licensee is enrolled as an inactive licensee.

Inactive licensees are those licensees who have requested that they be enrolled as inactive licensees or who have been enrolled as inactive licensees as set forth in Section 6007.

(a) Active licensees who retire from practice shall be enrolled as inactive licensees at their request. (b) Inactive licensees are not entitled to practice law. Those who are enrolled as inactive licensees at their request may, on application and payment of all fees required, bec…

(a) When a licensee requires involuntary treatment pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 5300) of Chapter 2 of Division 5 of, or Part 2 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or when under an order pursuant to Section 3051, 310…

All property of the State Bar is hereby declared to be held for essential public and governmental purposes in the judicial branch of the government and such property is exempt from all taxes of the State or any city, city and county, district, public corporation, or other politic…

No bond, note, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, mortgage, deed of trust, assignment, pledge, contract, lease, agreement, or other contractual obligation of the State Bar shall: (a) Create a debt or other liability of the state nor of any entity other than the State Bar (or an…

Bonds, notes, debentures and other evidences of indebtedness of the State Bar are hereby declared to be issued for essential public and governmental purposes in the judicial branch of the government and, together with interest thereon and income therefrom, shall be exempt from ta…

The State Bar may vest in any obligee or trustee the right, in the event of default upon any obligation of the State Bar, to take possession of property of the State Bar, cause the appointment of a receiver for such property, acquire title thereto through foreclosure proceedings,…

All powers granted to the State Bar by Sections 6001 and 6008.3 may be exercised and carried out by action of its board of trustees. In any resolution, indenture, contract, agreement, or other instrument providing for, creating, or otherwise relating to, any obligation of the Sta…

The State Bar shall award no contract for goods, services, or both, for an aggregate amount in excess of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or for information technology goods, services, or both, for an aggregate amount in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), except …

The State Bar shall, by January 1, 2019, develop purchasing policies that align with the purchasing policies of other state agencies.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a city, county, or city and county may require attorneys who qualify as lobbyists, as defined by the local jurisdiction, to register and disclose their lobbying activities directed toward the local agencies of those jurisdictions, i…

The Legislature finds and declares that it is important to inform taxpayers that they may make voluntary contributions to certain funds or programs, as provided on the state income tax return. The Legislature further finds and declares that many taxpayers remain unaware of the vo…

The State Bar shall adopt procedures to facilitate reporting of mandatory and voluntary information by providing licensees with a centralized mechanism for reporting information online at the State Bar Internet Web site, including, but not limited to, data required to be provided…

(a) The State Bar is governed by a board known as the board of trustees of the State Bar. The board has the powers and duties conferred by this chapter. (b) As used in this chapter or any other provision of law, “board of governors” shall be deemed to refer to the board of truste…

(a) The board shall appoint an executive director of the State Bar, who shall be responsible for the leadership and management of the State Bar according to the strategic direction set by the board. (b) The board shall appoint a lawyer admitted to practice in California to serve …

(a) The board shall appoint a general counsel of the State Bar to serve as the chief legal advisor to the board on issues not related to attorney discipline. (b) The board shall appoint a lawyer admitted to practice in California to serve as general counsel of the State Bar. The …

(a) The Supreme Court shall appoint five attorney members of the board pursuant to a process that the Supreme Court may prescribe. These attorney members shall serve for a term of four years and may be reappointed by the Supreme Court for one additional term only. (b) The Supreme…

(a) One attorney member of the board shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and one attorney member of the board shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. (b) An attorney member appointed pursuant to this section shall serve for a term of four years. Vacanci…

Subdivision (c) of Section 450 and Sections 450.2 to 450.6, inclusive, shall apply to public members appointed or reappointed on or after January 1, 2012.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), any full-time employee of any public agency who serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California shall not suffer any loss of rights, promotions, salary increases, retirement benefits, tenure, or other job-relat…

No person is eligible for attorney membership on the board unless both of the following conditions are satisfied: (a) He or she is an active licensee of the State Bar. (b) Either: (1) Prior to October 31, 2020, if elected, he or she maintains his or her principal office for the p…

(a) The term of office of each attorney member of the board shall be four years. Vacancies shall be filled for the remainder of the term. (b) The board of trustees may provide by rule for an interim board to act in the place and stead of the board when because of vacancies during…

(a) Each appointing authority may remove from office at any time any member of the board appointed by that authority for continued neglect of duties required by law, or for incompetence or unprofessional or dishonorable conduct. (b) Nothing in this section shall be construed as a…

Each place upon the board for which a member is to be appointed shall for the purposes of the appointment be deemed a separate office.

The officers of the State Bar are a chair, a vice chair, and a secretary.

(a) The selection of the chair and vice chair of the board shall be made by appointment of the Supreme Court. (b) The chair and the vice chair shall each be appointed for a term not to exceed two years. The chair and vice chair shall assume the duties of their respective offices …

The officers of the State Bar shall continue in office until their successors are appointed or selected.

The chair shall preside at all meetings of the State Bar and of the board, and in the event of his or her absence or inability to act, the vice chair shall preside. Other duties of the chair and the vice chair, and the duties of the secretary, shall be such as the board may presc…

Subject to the laws of this state, the board may formulate and declare rules and regulations necessary or expedient for the carrying out of this chapter.

The State Bar is subject to the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code) and all public records and writings of the State Bar are subject to the California Public Records Act.

(a) The State Bar is subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) and all meetings of the State Bar are subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. (b) Notwithstan…

Special meetings of the State Bar may be held at such times and places as the board provides.

(a) The board may make appropriations and disbursements from the funds of the State Bar to pay all necessary expenses for effectuating the purposes of this chapter. (b) Except as provided in subdivision (c), no member of the board shall receive any other compensation than his or …

(a) The board may appoint such committees, officers and employees as it deems necessary or proper, and fix and pay salaries and necessary expenses. (b) The members of the executive committee of the board shall include at least one board member appointed by each of the following a…

The board shall be charged with the executive function of the State Bar and the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter. The violation or threatened violation of any provision of Articles 7 (commencing with Section 6125) and 9 (commencing with Section 6150) of this chapter …

(a) The board may aid in all matters pertaining to the advancement of the science of jurisprudence or to the improvement of the administration of justice. (b) Notwithstanding this section or any other law, the board shall not conduct or participate in, or authorize any committee,…

(a) The California Lawyers Association and its activities shall not be funded with mandatory fees collected pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 6140. The State Bar may provide the California Lawyers Association with administrative and support services, provided the California …

Notwithstanding any other law, the State Bar is expressly authorized to collect, in conjunction with the State Bar’s collection of its annual license fees, voluntary fees on behalf of and for the purpose of funding the California Supreme Court Historical Society, which advances t…

Notwithstanding any other law, the State Bar is expressly authorized to collect, in conjunction with the State Bar’s collection of its annual license fees, voluntary donations on behalf of and for the purpose of funding California ChangeLawyers, which promotes a better justice sy…

(a) The Public Interest Attorney Loan Repayment Account is hereby established within the State Treasury. (b) Funds from an IOLTA account that escheat to the state and are deposited into the Public Interest Attorney Loan Repayment Account pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 156…

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the State Bar is expressly authorized to facilitate the professional responsibilities of licensees by collecting, in conjunction with the State Bar’s collection of its annual license fees or otherwise, voluntary financial support for nonprofit o…