The Overview

If you hold an active California law license, your annual fee cap stays at $400 for 2027. California's State Bar of California bill, AB 2784, became law when Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed it Sept. 27. California's attorney-discipline system has drawn scrutiny for years: a 2022 state audit found the State Bar had not effectively deterred some attorneys from repeatedly violating professional standards, and Reuters reported that more than 64 percent of discipline cases from 2010 to 2021 were closed during intake. The fee-cap provisions take effect for 2027 and expire Jan. 1, 2028. ​

What the Law Does

The active-attorney license fee cap stays at $400 for 2027, matching the 2026 ceiling; the cap for inactive licensees remains at $100, and attorneys may now file for inactive status through Dec. 31 of the calendar year before they go inactive.

On discipline, the law expands disbarment or suspension grounds to include any felony conviction, not just those involving moral turpitude. It also lets the chief trial counsel subpoena the attorney under investigation and extends compliance-review information requirements to disciplinary investigations.

Any licensee whose misconduct triggered a payout from the Client Security Fund, which reimburses clients harmed by attorney dishonesty, must now repay that fund regardless of whether they were publicly reproved or suspended; failure to pay becomes grounds for suspension.

The law also requires financial institutions to report interest on lawyer trust accounts to the State Bar and bars any entity from calling itself a law school unless it awards a juris doctorate and is approved or registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners.

Legislative Status

The Committee on Judiciary is listed as the bill's lead sponsor. Every recorded vote was unanimous: the Assembly Judiciary Committee approved it 12-0 on April 14, the full Assembly passed it 73-0 on May 11, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed it 13-0 on June 23, and the full Senate passed it 40-0 on Aug. 30. The Assembly then concurred in Senate amendments 78-0.

The State Bar of California told the Senate Judiciary Committee it was "pleased to support AB 2784 (Judiciary), which maintains attorney license fees at the current level."

---

AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.

---

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article