Title BPC — California Bus. & Prof. Code

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…

(a) The State Bar of California is authorized and directed to participate as a state agency in the Interagency Intercept Collections Program established pursuant to Section 12419.2 of the Government Code for the collection of any unpaid amounts owed to the State Bar of California…

(a) Any entity of the State Bar of California exploring a regulatory sandbox shall do all of the following: (1) Prioritize protecting individuals, especially those in need of legal assistance, from unscrupulous actors, including those actors seeking to do business in the legal fi…

Unless the contrary is stated or clearly appears from the context, the definitions set forth in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 82000) of Title 9 of the Government Code shall govern the interpretation of this article.

(a) Any member of the board of trustees shall disqualify themself from making, participating in the making of, or attempting to influence any decisions of the State Bar in which the member has a financial interest, as that term is defined in Section 87103 of the Government Code, …

No action or decision of the State Bar shall be invalid because of the participation therein by a member or members of the board of trustees in violation of Section 6036. However, any member who intentionally violates the provisions of subdivision (a) of Section 6036 is guilty of…

Attorney members of the Judicial Council, members of the Commission on Judicial Performance who are not judges, and employees designated in the Conflict of Interest Code of the State Bar of California are subject to provisions of this article with respect to making, participating…

(a) Every person who reports to the State Bar or causes a complaint to be filed with the State Bar that an attorney has engaged in professional misconduct, knowing the report or complaint to be false and malicious, is guilty of a misdemeanor. (b) The State Bar may, in its discret…

The chief trial counsel, with or without the filing or presentation of any complaint, may initiate and conduct investigations of all matters affecting or relating to: (a) The discipline of the licensees of the State Bar. (b) The acts or practices of a person whom the chief trial …

(a) When an investigation or formal proceeding concerns alleged misconduct which may subject a licensee to criminal prosecution for any felony, or any lesser crime committed during the course of the practice of law, or in any manner that the client of the licensee was a victim, o…

The board may establish an examining committee having the power: (a) To examine all applicants for admission to practice law. (b) To administer the requirements for admission to practice law. (c) To certify to the Supreme Court for admission those applicants who fulfill the requi…

(a) On or before November 30, 2026, the Committee of Bar Examiners shall provide a report to the board of trustees, the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, and to the Assembly and Senate Committees on Judiciary pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code on whether…

Three of the public members of the examining committee shall be appointed by the Senate Rules Committee, three of the public members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, and three of the public members shall be appointed by the Governor. They shall serve for a term …

(a) (1) (A) The Committee of Bar Examiners shall not alter the bar examination in a manner that requires the substantial modification of the training or preparation required for passage of the examination, except after giving two years’ notice of that change. (B) This requirement…

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the examining committee shall be responsible for the approval, regulation, and oversight of degree-granting unaccredited law schools that meet both of the following: (1) Award the juris doctor (J.D.) professional degree in California. (2) Are no…

(a) At least once every seven years, or more frequently if directed by the Supreme Court, the board of trustees shall oversee an evaluation of the bar examination to determine if it properly tests for minimally needed competence for entry-level attorneys and shall make a determin…

Subject to the approval of the board, the examining committee may adopt such reasonable rules and regulations as may be necessary or advisable for the purpose of making effective the qualifications prescribed in Article 4.