The State Bar of California announces the launch of its new website:

 

www.calbar.ca.gov.

 

The website redesign and overhaul comes at a time of ongoing reforms for the State Bar, and aims to provide greater accessibility for the public, attorneys and applicants.

 

With the agency’s primary mission focused on public protection, the new website provides easier access to attorney discipline information and legal resources. The site is mobile-optimized to reflect the reality that many Californians access the web primarily through mobile devices. The site aims to help the public better find information on how to file an attorney misconduct complaint and other attorney discipline system resources.

 

Features and highlights of the new website include:

 

Resources for the Public:

 

- Information about how to file an attorney misconduct complaint

 

- Information about how to avoid fraud from people posing as attorneys, and how to file a complaint against non-attorneys for the unauthorized practice of law

 

- Multilingual information: complaint forms and instructions on how to file a complaint are now available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian. Additional legal resource translations will also be available online soon. Google translate is also available on many legal resources pages for the public

 

- Information about disbarments, suspensions and other attorney discipline

 

- Multilingual intake hotline for complaints against attorneys (and for complaints about unauthorized practice of law): 800-843-9053

 

Information for attorneys licensed in California:

 

- Revamped attorney records (known as the My State Bar Profile feature)

 

- Pro bono opportunities and other information about supporting legal aid

 

- Information about attorney ethics and other rules of professional conduct

 

- MCLE requirements and reporting

 

- Information about fees and licensing

 

- California Bar Journal and attorney discipline listings are now part of the main State Bar website

 

Easier access to information for greater transparency:

 

- Public meetings of the Board of Trustees, as well as State Bar committees and commissions   of Board of Trustees meetings

 

- Listings of disbarments, suspensions and other attorney discipline now housed directly on the State Bar website

 

- Public comment

 

- Public records

 

- News releases

 

Information for prospective attorneys:

 

- Better access to registration tools and Bar Exam information

 

Information about access to justice:

 

- Details about the State Bar’s work to promote access to justice and diversity in the legal system, including the approximately $30 million distributed annual directly to legal aid

 

- Resources for those who wish to donate their time or money to helping Californians access the legal system

 

- Contact information for the public for legal aid organizations that receive grants from the State bars