TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The State Bar is committed to transparency and accountability in all aspects of its work. That commitment is enshrined in the State Bar’s 2022–2027 Five-Year Strategic Plan and has led to sweeping policy changes and mandates, with more to come.
2024 Operational Metrics Report
The State Bar’s operational metrics are designed to evaluate core performance objectives such as operational efficiency, customer responsiveness, and compliance. In 2024, of the 46 metrics with performance goals, 30 metrics, representing 65 percent, successfully met those targets.
Spotlights on Transparency and Accountability
Fee increase strengthens State Bar’s public protection mission
In September 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3279, the annual attorney licensing fee bill that funds much of the State Bar’s General Fund. The bill authorized an $88 increase for active attorneys and $22.60 for inactive attorneys, effective January 1, 2025—only the second fee increase in 25 years. This funding supports staffing, regulatory improvements, and new initiatives such as enhanced trust account oversight and an expanded disciplinary diversion program. It stabilizes the State Bar’s finances in the short term and strengthens its long-term capacity to protect the public. State Bar leadership issued reports and engaged stakeholders, including bar associations, in townhalls to explain why a fee increase was needed.
Strong transparency and ethical conflict standards in place
In 2024, led by the Office of General Counsel, the State Bar continued to advance transparency and accountability through strong financial disclosure practices. As required by state law and overseen by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), all Board members, State Bar Court judges, and designated employees must file Form 700 statements to help prevent conflicts of interest. Beginning in January 2024, the State Bar provided enhanced trainings on Form 700s and conflicts of interest to all those with compliance requirements (the Board’s training was in partnership with the FPPC); these trainings will continue going forward. In 2024, all Board members, State Bar Court judges, and designated staff completed their required annual filings. Under Rule 2201, the State Bar’s conflicts program, the Office of Chief Trial Counsel must recuse the unit from any attorney investigation if a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest is identified. These cases are referred to external counsel, the State Bar’s Special Deputy Trial Counsel. In 2024, 73 percent of Board members and 99 percent of staff submitted timely Rule 2201 conflict reports. For more information, visit the State Bar’s Transparency and Accountability page.
State Bar’s Workforce Analytics Dashboard provides insights
To promote transparency, the State Bar in 2024 published a detailed analysis of its workforce demographics, including race/ethnicity, gender, job titles, promotions, and vacancies. In 2024, the State Bar employed 631 staff—241 in San Francisco and 390 in Los Angeles—with a workforce that was 55 percent women, 33 percent men, and 11 percent who declined to state. Racial/ethnic breakdowns included 26 percent White, 20 percent Asian, 18 percent Hispanic or Latino, 13 percent Multiracial, 9 percent Black, and 13 percent who declined to state. At 47 percent, the Office of Chief Trial Counsel had the highest percentage of the State Bar’s workforce. In 2024, the State Bar made 73 new hires, had 101 promotions, and reported 62 staff vacancies. See more workforce dashboard details for 2024 and previous years.
Board, subentity meeting agendas, and public comment pages are updated
In 2024, the State Bar created a new Meeting Center, including a State Bar One Meeting Portal where you can find upcoming Board, committees, and commissions meetings in one location. The State Bar also has a public comment page that lists all currently available public comment opportunities. The public is now able to provide public comment in writing using the easy-to-use ThoughtExchange forms. All of these efforts are designed to provide an easier and transparent user experience.