The Office of Admissions seeks public comment on its revised proposal for admissions services fee increases.
Deadline: July 31, 2023, 11:59 p.m.
Comments should be submitted using the online Public Comment Form. The online form allows you to input your comments directly and can also be used to upload your comment letter and/or other attachments.
Fees assessed to support various State Bar admissions functions are supposed to fully cover the cost of providing those services; currently, fees charged do not generate enough revenue to cover expenses. As a result, the admissions budget is experiencing a structural deficit. In 2023, $7 million in deficit spending was budgeted. At the end of 2023, Admissions Fund reserves are projected to total $4 million, an amount insufficient to fully cover the future costs of admission operations. Absent a combination of both fee increases and cost reductions, severe cutbacks in admissions services will be required.
Some admissions fees have not increased in decades. Fees for the two largest areas of operational activity and expense—the California Bar Exam and the moral character determination process—have not increased since 2016. While fees have not increased, costs have; routine increases in the costs of administering the bar exam and hosting it at hotels and convention centers around the state, inflation, staff salary increases, and the COVID-19 pandemic collectively have resulted in significant increases in the cost of doing business over time.
Two fee increase options were previously circulated for public comment in April and May 2023. This final proposal reflects direction from the Board of Trustees as well as the public comments received.
Your comments are being sought on proposed fee increases for law study and exams, attorney special admissions, and law school regulation, as outlined in this detailed breakdown.
Your feedback will be shared with the Board of Trustees in September, for their final action on admissions fees.
The increases would reduce the structural deficit to a little more than one million dollars. With additional cost reduction strategies, the revenue and expenditures will be able to be brought into alignment. Please see the proposal out for public comment on reducing costs for administering the bar exam.
Board of Trustees
July 31, 2023, 11:59 p.m.