Regulation and Discipline
What We Do
The State Bar’s Office of Chief Trial Counsel (OCTC) investigates and prosecutes disciplinary complaints against attorneys and works with law enforcement to stop those who falsely claim to be attorneys. The State Bar also distributes restitution-type funds through the Client Security Fund to reimburse victims who have incurred a financial loss as a result of attorney theft or dishonest conduct. The Regulation Division maintains the official roll of attorneys, manages the registration of law corporations and limited liability partnerships, is responsible for ensuring the compliance of all licensees with various administrative requirements, and is charged with implementing the State Bar’s Client Trust Account Protection Program (CTAPP).
The State Bar Discipline System Includes
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Total cases opened
Complaints against attorneys or those engaging in the unauthorized practice of law come from many sources, including clients, judicial officers, banks, insurance companies, and other attorneys. Cases can also arise from an attorney’s criminal conviction; required attorney self-reporting of judgments for fraud or misrepresentation, orders for sanctions, or discipline by any other professional or occupational licensing agency, whether inside or outside of California; and investigations initiated by OCTC.
Attorneys disbarred
Discipline that revokes a license to practice in California.
Attorneys suspended/placed on probation
Forms of discipline that are typically less permanent than disbarment. Most require the attorney to comply with a variety of conditions before being allowed to return to practice.
Attorneys in court-ordered Lawyer Assistance Program
Some attorneys whose misconduct stems from a substance use or mental health issue receive recovery support through this attorney-funded program. (This figure is per calendar year.)
Victims reimbursed
Reimbursements paid
$4.4 million
All attorneys contribute to a fund that reimburses lost money or property due to theft or dishonest conduct by a California lawyer.
Key Metrics
The State Bar collects detailed data on the attorney discipline system: its workload, operations, initiatives, and performance in fulfilling its statutory obligation to protect the public from attorney misconduct. Regular metrics reporting is used to manage this critical State Bar function, as well as to facilitate external accountability.
Spotlights on Regulation and Discipline
OCTC focuses on reducing overaged case inventory
In July 2025, OCTC completed a reorganization to align with shifting complaint case trends and to adjust to the significant number of staff departures resulting from the State Bar’s voluntary workforce reduction effort. This staffing reduction—part of a broader State Bar budget initiative to reduce staffing through attrition rather than layoffs—occurred in parallel with OCTC’s intensified focus on reducing overaged case inventory. Despite the reduction in staff, OCTC’s effort to reduce its overaged case inventory has been highly successful. At the end of Q4 2023, 49.6 percent of the pending inventory had a case age greater than 180 days; by the end of Q4 2024, this had decreased to 46.4 percent. By the end of Q4 2025, it had been reduced to 34.2 percent.
Prioritizing public protection—holding attorneys accountable for serious misconduct
In 2025, OCTC pursued investigations, charges, and prosecutions against attorneys who posed high risks of harm to clients, the public, and the administration of justice. Addressing attorney misconduct that impacted voters, utility ratepayers, incarcerated individuals and criminal defendants, elderly trust beneficiaries, immigration clients, and tenants in landlord-tenant disputes, OCTC sought discipline against John Eastman, Aaron Spolin, attorneys involved in the LADWP billing scandal, Drexel Bradshaw, Claire White, Navpreet Thandi, and Kevin Jang.
The State Bar Defends Vulnerable Clients Against Attorney Misconduct
Formal launch of Attorney-Client Bridge Program results in 729 resolved requests
In March 2025, the Office of Public Trust Liaison (OPTL) formally launched the Attorney-Client Bridge Program (ACBP), a diversion program that helps clients and attorneys resolve low‐level issues, providing an alternative to the formal complaint process. If a client believes there is a lack of communication by their attorney or is seeking the return of files once an attorney-client relationship has ended, the ACBP can assist. Participation by the client and attorney is voluntary, and clients have the option to pursue this approach before filing a complaint. Attorneys have 10 business days to comply once they agree to participate. Eligibility requires no pending or prior complaints with OCTC between the client and attorney. In 2025, the OPTL resolved 729 ACBP requests for assistance.
Mandatory CTAPP compliance reviews strengthen client trust account oversight
To strengthen attorneys’ client trust accounting practices, the Division of Regulation launched mandatory CTAPP compliance reviews for 100 attorneys representing a cross-section of the attorney population. The program, which is now ongoing, includes effective and efficient compliance review procedures, partnering with and training CPA firms, and an informative CTAPP Compliance Review webpage for licensees. Prior to launching the mandatory compliance in September 2025, the State Bar conducted a voluntary compliance review pilot to test procedures and receive direct attorney feedback on the voluntary review.
UPL complaints continue to rise in 2025
OCTC expanded its outreach to community organizations and participated in media interviews, in both Spanish and English, providing information on how to avoid—and what to do when victimized by—the unauthorized practice of law (UPL). During 2025, the number of UPL complaints submitted to OCTC continued to rise, extending a six-year trend in which complaints increased by 67 percent from 1,215 in 2019 to 2,030 in 2025. In December, the State Bar seized the West Covina–based business of Jose Baez for engaging in UPL.
Expanded preventative education and on-demand programming for licensees
The Office of Professional Competence expanded access to preventative education by transitioning Ethics School, which addresses common ethical issues faced by attorneys, to an on-demand format and beginning the transition for Client Trust Account School, a comprehensive overview of client trust accounting rules and regulations, to on-demand delivery. These changes increase accessibility, support early intervention, and provide attorneys with practical tools to strengthen compliance before issues escalate. The courses can be taken voluntarily, completed as part of a diversion program, or ordered by the State Bar Court as a condition of discipline.
Alternative Dispute Resolution Certification Program guidelines underway
Pursuant to California Business and Professions Code section 6173, effective January 1, 2025, the State Bar is required to establish and manage a voluntary certification program for alternative dispute resolution (ADR) firms, providers, and practitioners. The State Bar formed a 21-member ADR Certification Working Group to develop the program, including rules and standards needed to govern. From February 2025 to February 2026, the working group held 12 meetings and 41 subgroup meetings. The working group approved tentative recommendations for informal public comment in nine areas: baseline certification requirements for arbitrators, mediators, and provider organizations; ethical standards for mediators and provider organizations; tiers criteria for arbitrators, mediators, and provider organizations; general program administration guidelines; and complaints procedures for arbitrators and mediators. The tentative recommendations were posted for informal public comment on February 27, 2026.
Modernizing compliance through automation and paperless systems
The Licensee Records and Compliance Unit of the Division of Regulation successfully deployed the automation of the transfer‑to‑active and transfer-to-inactive processes. This automation significantly reduced staff time previously spent manually reviewing transfer‑to‑active and transfer-to-inactive applications. Similarly, the Law Corporations/Limited Liability Partnerships team transitioned to a fully paperless registration and renewal process, reducing the manual data entry of thousands of applications submitted by firms seeking to obtain or renew their registration with the State Bar. The Law Corporations/Limited Liability Partnerships online application system had some technical issues, but the unit continues to make refinements, incorporating user feedback to resolve issues and enhance overall functionality.