CA SB 253

Title: State Bar of California.
Author: Thomas J. Umberg

Summary
SB 253, as amended, Umberg. State Bar of California. Existing law, the State Bar Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California, a public corporation governed by a board of trustees. Existing law authorizes the State Bar to establish an examining committee, also known as the Committee of Bar Examiners, with powers that include examining all applicants for admission to practice law. Existing law, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, generally requires all meetings of a state body to be open and public. The State Bar Act makes the State Bar subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, with specified exceptions. The Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act authorizes a state body that is an advisory board, advisory commission, advisory committee, advisory subcommittee, or similar multimember advisory body to hold an open meeting by teleconference if certain requirements are satisfied.This bill would specify that the Committee of Bar Examiners shall not be considered an advisory board, advisory commission, advisory committee, advisory subcommittee, or similar multimember advisory body for purposes of those provisions.Existing law prohibits the Committee of Bar Examiners from altering the bar examination in a manner that requires the substantial modification of the training or preparation required for passage of the examination, except after giving 2 years’ notice of that change, and requires the committee to communicate and cooperate with the Law School Council.This bill would specify what constitutes a substantial modification for purposes of those provisions and would instead require the Committee of Bar Examiners to communicate and cooperate with the Law School Council and their deans, or their designees, of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association or the committee. The bill would authorize the use of scaling on the bar examination, as specified.Existing law, until January 1, 2026, requires the board of trustees of the State Bar to fix the annual license fee for active licensees for 2025 at a sum not exceeding $400, and, for the annual license fee for inactive licensees for 2025, a sum not exceeding $100.This bill, until January 1, 2027, would require the board to fix the annual license fee for active licensees for 2026 at a sum not exceeding $400, and the annual license fee for inactive licensees for 2026 at a sum not exceeding $100.

Status
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

Bill Documents
CA SB 253 - 06/13/25 - Amended Assembly
06/13/25 - CA SB 253 (06/13/25 - Amended Assembly)