News Releases

California Supreme Court Appoints New Chair, Vice-Chair of the State Bar

The California Supreme Court appointed Jason Lee as Chair and Alan Steinbrecher as Vice-Chair of the State Bar of California's Board of Trustees. They will serve one-year terms in these roles.

The Court also appointed Brandon Stallings to the Board of Trustees, to serve a four-year term. The appointments continue the transition to an all-appointed Board and appointed Board leadership, a new reform that went into effect in January 2018.

Lee has served on the State Bar Board of Trustees since 2015 as an appointee of the California Supreme Court. Lee will be the first Chinese American leader of the State Bar. Steinbrecher has served on the State Bar Board of Trustees since 2016 and is also an appointee of the California Supreme Court.

"I'm grateful to the Court for this appointment, and I look forward to leading the State Bar in ongoing reforms toward greater accountability, transparency and effectiveness so that we are best accomplishing our public protection mission," said Lee. "Everyone in California should be able to have access to a qualified and ethical attorney, and we know that that legal profession is stronger when it reflects the diversity of our state."

"The State Bar will be in good hands under the leadership of Jason Lee. As Board colleagues we have made significant progress in recent years to improve the governance and impact of the State Bar," said Michael G. Colantuono, outgoing Chair of the State Bar Board of Trustees.

State Bar priorities for the year ahead include:

• Continuing reforms to ensure that the State Bar is transparent, accountable, and effective;
• Ongoing review of State Bar sub-entities to ensure that appropriate governance principles for a regulatory body are in place;
• Working to secure a fee increase for the State Bar, as the annual licensing fee for attorneys has remained flat for 20 years;
• Ensuring fair and equity-based grant-making to legal aid organizations;
• Expanding the State Bar's work on diversity and inclusion.

The next meeting of the State Bar's Board of Trustees is September 13-14, 2018, at the State Bar's Los Angeles office. Lee, Steinbrecher, and Stallings will be sworn in to their new roles on September 14. Information about State Bar Board of Trustees meetings, including agendas and webcasts, is available at www.calbar.ca.gov.