The State Bar of California's highest priority is protection of the public. The State Bar licenses, regulates, and disciplines the 260,000 attorneys in California.
This section includes reports of recent disciplinary actions the State Bar has taken against attorneys in violation of their ethical obligations: disbarments, suspensions, and probations. You can filter these by county.
The State Bar investigates complaints against individuals who engage in the unauthorized practice of law (UPL). If the investigation uncovers UPL, the Office of Chief Trial Counsel sends a cease and desist notice to the individual or business. Recent notices are posted in this section. You can filter these by county.
Complaints about repeated or multiple violations may result in the State Bar taking action in Superior Court to obtain orders to shut down the unlawful law practice.
Here you can find annual and quarterly data by county on attorney discipline and nonattorney actions taken by the State Bar.
Check out the State Bar's progress and actions taken on the Ad Hoc Discipline System Commission's recommendations. The commission was tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the discipline system to assess the efficacy of existing reforms and identify additional measures needed to enhance fairness and effectiveness, with a particular focus on addressing any disparities that may exist based on race or gender.