News Releases

State Bar of California Closes San Francisco and Los Angeles Buildings to the Public, Details Service Changes in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

As of March 17, the State Bar of California announced operational changes in keeping with the evolving preventative public health guidelines for the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The Los Angeles and San Francisco offices are closed to the public, and with limited exceptions, staff are being required to telecommute.

“We are committed to maintaining essential public services while also safeguarding staff, those closest to them, and members of the public with whom we interact,” said Interim Executive Director Donna Hershkowitz. “After consultation with our Board leadership and the Supreme Court, we are taking these measures out of an abundance of caution and in an effort to protect State Bar staff and the community at large.”

The building closures are currently scheduled to continue through April 7, in keeping with recently announced shelter-in-place guidelines of Bay Area counties and other closure guidelines.

The State Bar has posted a webpage for COVID-19-related notices and updates. The web page will be updated as needed. Among the current impacts:

The State Bar Court

As a result of the building closures, the State Bar Court’s filing window and courtrooms are closed. On March 17, the State Bar Court issued orders detailing how the closures will impact its operations:

• The Hearing Department has vacated court events scheduled between March 17 and April 13, and is abating cases that had court events scheduled within that time frame, unless otherwise ordered.
• The State Bar Court continues to conduct essential business. If parties or their counsel must communicate with the State Bar Court, they are encouraged to do so by email, using the email addresses provided in General Order 20-01.
• Until further notice, the Court will accept electronic submissions of pleadings as  well as Early Neutral Evaluation Conferences and settlement-related documents.

Telephone support moves to email

The State Bar’s centralized Telephone Resource Center, which answers calls from the public, licensees, and admissions applicants using the State Bar’s various 800 and 888 numbers, is closed. The State Bar is working to resolve technical issues that would enable these calls to be shifted to teleworkers, so intends to restore telephone service as soon as possible. In the meantime, service inquiries and requests are being handled by email.

Board and committee meetings; classes and events

Until further notice, State Bar board and committee meetings will be conducted via teleconference and/or videoconference. Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-25-20, which suspends certain provisions of the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act during this period, shall guide the operations of those meetings. Classes and events that cannot be moved online are canceled.

The State Bar is rotating employees to perform certain essential functions onsite, such as opening and scanning complaints and time-sensitive admissions information, maintaining IT systems, and keeping the buildings secure.

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The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.