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california
bar admission administrative agency:
the state bar of california
office of admissions
180 howard street
san francisco, ca 94105-1639
tel: 415/538-2303
website:
http://www.calbar.org/
website:
http://www.californiaspecialist.org/
bar admission options:
without bar examination
registered in-house counsel program. california rules of court, rule
965, permits an attorney who resides in california and who is licensed to
practice law in one or more jurisdictions of the united states other than
california to register to provide legal services as in-house counsel for a
single qualifying institution in california without becoming a member of the
state bar of california. registered in-house counsel is permitted to practice
law in california exclusively for a qualifying institution that employs him or
her. registered in-house counsel is not permitted to provide personal or
individual representation to any customers, shareholders, owners, partners,
officers, employees, servants, or agents of the qualifying institution.
registered in-house counsel is not permitted to make court appearances in
california state courts or to engage in any other activities for which pro hac
vice admission is required if they are performed in california by an attorney
who is not a member of the state bar of california. application and annual
registration fees are established by the state bar.
registered legal services attorney program. california
rules of court, rule 964(f) permits an attorney who relocates to california and
who is licensed to practice law in one or more jurisdictions of the united
states other than california to practice law in california under a registration
system without becoming a member of the state bar of california. a registered
legal services attorney may practice law in california for no more than three
years and during that period must do so under the supervision of an attorney
employed by a qualifying legal services provider. application and annual
registration fees are established by the state bar.
with bar examination
examination required for all applicants--who will take either the
attorneys' examination or the general bar examination (california bar
examination).
1. attorneys' examination: an attorney admitted to practice before the
highest court of any u.s. jurisdiction who has satisfied all other state
requirements may be certified for admission after having passed either the
attorneys' examination or the general bar examination. applicant must
have been an active member in good standing of the bar of the admitting state or
jurisdiction for at least four years immediately preceding the filing of his or
her application to take the california bar examination.
2. general bar examination: all applicants who do not meet the
requirements listed above must take the general bar examination if they
have satisfied the pre-legal and legal education requirements.
examination components: attorneys' examination:
1. academic: six state essays; two performance test problems.
2. ethics: mpre scaled score of 79 is transferable from any u.s.
jurisdiction.
examination components: general bar examination:
1. academic: mbe; six state essays; two performance test problems.
2. ethics: mpre scaled score of 79 is transferable from any u.s.
jurisdiction.
examination dates:
february (deadline: november 1 of the preceding year)
july (deadline: april 1 )
applications accompanied by late fees are accepted until january 15 for the
february exam and june 15 for the july exam.
application/admission fees:
$145.00 registration fee (attorney applicant); $378.00 application for
determination of moral character; $674.00 application to take the california
bar examination (attorney applicant); $464.00 application to take the
california bar examination (general applicant).
other state bar requirements:
1. minimum age: 18
2. educational requirements:
a) graduate of a law school accredited by the aba, or accredited by the
examining committee; or
b) studied law diligently and in good faith for at least four years in any of
the following manners:
(1) in a law school that is authorized by the state of california to confer
professional degrees; is registered with the committee; and which requires
classroom attendance of its students for a minimum of 270 hours a year; or
(2) in a law office in this state and under the personal supervision of a member
of the state bar of california who is, and who has been continuously, an active
member of the state bar of california for at least the last past five years; or
(3) in the chambers and under the personal supervision of a judge of a court of
record of this state; or
(4) by instruction in law from a correspondence law school requiring 864 hours
of preparation and study per year and which is registered with the committee; or
(5) by any combination of the methods referred to in this subsection (b).
3. good moral character.
4. must not be in arrears with court-ordered family or child support
obligations.
5. required annual fees: $390.00 (active members); $50.00 (inactive members).
regulation of in-house counsel
california regulates in-house counsel practice. see bar admission options:
without bar examination, above.
bar association status:
[x] mandatory (see required annual fees above)
[ ] voluntary
specialty certification
certification is conferred by state bar certification programs or entities
accredited by the state bar. aba-accredited certification programs may be
recognized, provided they can demonstrate compliance with certain california
standards. written examinations are required in each specialty.
attorneys may advertise that they are certified specialists as long as they also
state the complete name of the certifying entity.
areas of specialization approved by the state board of legal specialization
include:
1. appellate law
2. personal & small business bankruptcy law
3. criminal law
4. estate planning and trust law
5. family law
6. immigration and nationality law
7. taxation
8. workers' compensation
private specialty certification programs (including aba-accredited programs) accredited by the state bar include:
1. business bankruptcy
2. civil trial advocacy
3. consumer bankruptcy
4. creditors' rights
5. criminal law trial advocacy
6. elder law
7. family law trial advocacy
