CaliforniaState Bar Act: expedited licensure: federal attorneys.
What it does
The State Bar Act provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California (State Bar), a public corporation governed by a board of trustees. The act requires a person who has been admitted to practice law in specified jurisdictions outside of this state, including a sister state, in order to be certified to the Supreme Court for admission and a license to practice law in this state, to meet certain criteria, including having passed the general bar examination or Attorneys' Examination, as applicable, given by the examining committee.
More detail
This bill would require the State Bar to transmit, on or before January 1, 2026, a proposal outlining a process for expediting the licensure to practice law in this state of an attorney who meets certain criteria, including that the attorney was employed by an agency of the federal government on January 20, 2025. The bill would define "expediting the licensure" to mean a licensing process that does not require an attorney to take either the general bar examination or the attorneys' examination. The bill would exclude any person eligible for licensure as an attorney pursuant to this process from the requirement that the person pass the general bar examination or attorneys' examination to be certified to the Supreme Court for admission and a license to practice law in this state.
The State Bar Act also provides for the investigation and discipline of a licensee of the State Bar and authorizes the Supreme Court to suspend or disbar an attorney for specified causes, including for a conviction under the laws of another state or territory of the United States that is deemed a felony. Existing law provides that specified evidence that a licensee committed professional misconduct in another jurisdiction is conclusive evidence that the licensee is culpable of professional misconduct.
This bill would provide that an excluded event shall not be grounds for disciplinary action or require an attorney or applicant to report the excluded event to the State Bar, supply evidence that an attorney is culpable of professional misconduct in this state, or serve as grounds to deny admission to the State Bar to an applicant. The bill would define "excluded event" to mean certain actions taken when based on the application of another state's law that interferes with any person's right to receive, provide, recommend, enable, or advocate for sensitive services, as defined, that would be lawful in this state.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Jun 17In committee: Set, second hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.Latest
- Jun 13In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
- May 15From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- May 14Referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- May 6In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- May 5Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 60. Noes 17. Page 1422.).Passed Assembly
- Vote recorded AB 1522 JUD. Third Reading Urgency By KALRA. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 23Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Apr 22From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (April 22).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 21Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Apr 10From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 24Referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Mar 19From printer. May be heard in committee April 18.
- Mar 18Read first time. To print.Introduced