Title BPC — California Bus. & Prof. Code

(a) Upon the trial and hearing of all matters, the State Bar Court may do all of the following: (1) Take and hear evidence pertaining to the proceeding. (2) Administer oaths and affirmations. (3) Compel, by subpoena, the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers…

(a) In any disciplinary proceeding under this chapter, a certified copy of a final order made by any court of record or any body authorized by law or by rule of court to conduct disciplinary proceedings against attorneys, of the United States or of any state or territory of the U…

In all disciplinary proceedings pursuant to this chapter, the testimony of a witness given in a contested civil action or special proceeding to which the person complained against is a party, or in whose behalf the action or proceeding is prosecuted or defended, may be received i…

Whenever any person subpoenaed to appear and give testimony or to produce books, papers or documents refuses to appear or testify before the subpoenaing body, or to answer any pertinent or proper questions, or to produce such books, papers or documents, he or she is in contempt o…

The State Bar Court or the chief trial counsel may report the fact that a person under subpoena is in contempt of the subpoenaing body to the superior court in and for the county in which the proceeding, investigation or other matter is being conducted and thereupon the court may…

A motion to quash a subpoena issued pursuant to Section 6049 shall be brought in the State Bar Court.

The State Bar Court or the chief trial counsel, or their designee, may administer oaths and issue any subpoena pursuant to Section 6049. Depositions may be taken and used as provided in the rules of procedure adopted by the board pursuant to this chapter.

Whenever in an investigation or proceeding provided for or authorized by this chapter, the mental or physical condition of the licensee of the State Bar is a material issue, the board or the committee having jurisdiction may order the licensee to be examined by one or more physic…

(a) State and local law enforcement and licensing bodies and departments, officers and employees thereof, and officials and attachés of the courts of this state shall cooperate with and give reasonable assistance and information, including the providing of state summary criminal …

This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the Nonprofit Association Act.

(a) The State Bar, acting pursuant to Section 6001, shall assist the Sections of the State Bar to incorporate as a private, nonprofit corporation organized under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code and shall transfer the functions and activities of the 16 State Bar Sec…

(a) On or before January 31, 2018, the State Bar shall transfer to the Association all membership fees and other funds paid for membership in the sections or paid in sponsorships, donations, or funds for the benefit of the sections, including, but not limited to, State Bar sectio…

To be certified to the Supreme Court for admission and a license to practice law, a person who has not been admitted to practice law in a sister state, United States jurisdiction, possession, territory, or dependency or in a foreign country shall: (a) Be at least 18 years of age.…

(a) Any disciplinary action taken against an individual at a university or an accredited law school for violation of university or law school rules of conduct shall not be used as the sole basis for denying the individual admission to practice law in the State of California. (b) …

(a) Commencing July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the State Bar shall transmit to the Legislature a report detailing the number of complaints regarding access issues related to the biannual state bar exam detailed as follows: (1) The testing location in which the complaints o…

(a) All investigations or proceedings conducted by the State Bar concerning the moral character of an applicant shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed pursuant to any state law, including, but not limited to, the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing wi…

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, any identifying information submitted by an applicant to the State Bar for admission and a license to practice law and all State Bar admission records, including, but not limited to, bar examination scores, law school grade point average (GPA), …

(a) An application to take the California bar examination administered in February must be filed with the State Bar not later than the first business day of the preceding November, and an application to take the California bar examination administered in July must be filed with t…

Neither the board, nor any committee authorized by it, shall require that applicants for admission to practice law in California pass different final bar examinations depending upon the manner or school in which they acquire their legal education. This section shall not prohibit …

Notwithstanding Section 30 of this code and Section 17520 of the Family Code, the Committee of Bar Examiners may accept for registration, and the State Bar may process for an original or renewed license to practice law, an application from an individual containing a federal tax i…

The examining committee shall be responsible for the approval, regulation, and oversight of degree-granting law schools that meet both of the following: (a) Award the juris doctor (J.D.) professional degree in California. (b) Are not approved by the American Bar Association.

Approval of any agency or agencies not existing under and by virtue of the laws of this State shall not be made a condition for accreditation of any California law school.

Any law school that is not accredited by the examining committee of the State Bar shall provide every student with a disclosure statement, subsequent to the payment of any application fee but prior to the payment of any registration fee, containing all of the following informatio…

A law school that is not accredited by the examining committee of the State Bar may refer to itself as a university or part of a university and, if it so refers to itself, shall state whether or not the law school is associated with an undergraduate school.

(a) Any law school that is not approved by the American Bar Association shall publicly disclose on its Internet Web site, with a link from the Internet home page under “Admissions,” all of the following information: (1) Admissions data. (2) Tuition, fees, and financial aid. (3) C…

(a) To be certified to the Supreme Court for admission, and a license to practice law, a person who has been admitted to practice law in a sister state, United States jurisdiction, possession, territory, or dependency the United States may hereafter acquire shall: (1) Be of the a…

Applicants for admission to practice shall pay such reasonable fees, fixed by the board, as may be necessary to defray the expense of administering the provisions of this chapter, relating to admission to practice. These fees shall be collected by the State Bar and paid into the …

(a) Upon certification by the examining committee that the applicant has fulfilled the requirements for admission to practice law, the Supreme Court may admit the applicant as an attorney at law in all the courts of this state and may direct an order to be entered upon its record…

No person who advocates the overthrow of the Government of the United States or of this State by force, violence, or other unconstitutional means, shall be certified to the Supreme Court for admission and a license to practice law.

Any applicant for admission to practice who did not pass the California bar examination, for 30 days following the release of examination results, shall have electronic access to their answers to the written sessions of the bar examination, which shall include the ability to down…

Any person refused certification to the Supreme Court for admission to practice may have the action of the board, or of any committee authorized by the board to make a determination on its behalf, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, reviewed by the Supreme Court, in accor…

Every person on his admission shall take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California, and faithfully to discharge the duties of any attorney at law to the best of his knowledge and ability. A certificate of the oath sha…

It is the duty of an attorney to do all of the following: (a) To support the Constitution and laws of the United States and of this state. (b) To maintain the respect due to the courts of justice and judicial officers. (c) To counsel or maintain those actions, proceedings, or def…

(a) Every licensee of the State Bar shall be deemed by operation of this law to have irrevocably authorized the disclosure to the State Bar and the Supreme Court pursuant to Section 7473 of the Government Code of any and all financial records held by financial institutions as def…

(a) The State Bar shall request the California Supreme Court to adopt a rule of court authorizing the State Bar to establish and administer a mandatory continuing legal education program. The rule that the State Bar requests the Supreme Court to adopt shall require that, within d…

(a) For the purpose of subdivision (c) of Section 6070, “full-time employees of the State of California” shall include all licensees of the State Bar employed by the California State Legislature, regardless of the licensee’s official position classification. (b) This section is d…

(a) The State Bar shall adopt regulations to require, as of January 1, 2022, that the mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) curriculum for all licensees under this chapter includes training on implicit bias and the promotion of bias-reducing strategies to address how uninte…

(a) The State Bar shall request the California Supreme Court to amend Rule 9.31 of the California Rules of Court, relating to the mandatory continuing education program, to provide that one hour of the mandatory eight hours of legal education activities in legal ethics or law pra…

(a) A contract with the state for legal services that exceeds fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall include a certification by the contracting law firm that the firm agrees to make a good faith effort to provide, during the duration of the contract, a minimum number of hours of …

It has been the tradition of those learned in the law and licensed to practice law in this state to provide voluntary pro bono legal services to those who cannot afford the help of a lawyer. Every lawyer authorized and privileged to practice law in California is expected to make …

For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply: (a) “Legal aid organization” has the meaning provided in Section 6159.51. (b) “Person of limited means” means an individual qualified as “low-income,” “very low income,” or “extremely low income” under the current Dep…

(a) Pursuant to Section 6073, every lawyer should aspire to fulfill their individual commitment to provide pro bono legal services each year and contribute financially to California legal aid organizations. (b) An active licensee shall report whether they have provided pro bono l…

(a) The Legislature finds that securing civil legal assistance is difficult for veterans, service members, and their families who cannot afford legal services, for reasons unique to their military or veteran status. The Legislature further finds that the State Bar is uniquely sui…

In their relation to the provisions of Article 6, concerning the disciplinary authority of the courts, the provisions of this article provide a complete alternative and cumulative method of hearing and determining accusations against licensees of the State Bar.

With the approval of the Supreme Court, the Board of Trustees may formulate and enforce rules of professional conduct for all licensees of the State Bar.

The rules of professional conduct adopted by the board, when approved by the Supreme Court, are binding upon all licensees of the State Bar. For a willful breach of any of these rules, the State Bar Court has power to discipline attorneys by reproval, public or private, or to rec…

An attorney and his or her employees who are employed primarily to assist in the collection of a consumer debt owed to another, as defined by Section 1788.2 of the Civil Code, shall comply with all of the following: (a) The obligations imposed on debt collectors pursuant to Artic…

After a hearing for any of the causes set forth in the laws of the State of California warranting disbarment, suspension, or other discipline, the State Bar Court has the power to recommend to the Supreme Court the disbarment or suspension from practice of licensees or to discipl…

(a) The Supreme Court shall appoint a presiding judge of the State Bar Court. In addition, five hearing judges shall be appointed, two by the Supreme Court, one by the Governor, one by the Senate Committee on Rules, and one by the Speaker of the Assembly, to efficiently decide an…

The exercise by an attorney of his or her privilege under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United Sates, or of any other constitutional or statutory privileges shall not be deemed a failure to cooperate within the meaning of subdivision (i) of Section 6068.