Public Comment Guidelines

The State Bar Board of Trustees meets at least six times annually. The State Bar’s subentities—committees, commissions, councils, and boards—also meet throughout the year.

Most meetings are currently held either by videoconference or in a hybrid format (in person and accessible by videoconference). For guidance on accessing meetings remotely, please see these tips.

Purpose and scope of public comment

Meetings of the State Bar Board of Trustees and subentities are open to the public except for closed sessions as allowed by law for specified purposes. 

The State Bar is subject to open meeting rules under the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Govt. Code Sections 11120, et seq.).

The State Bar welcomes comment at all of its public meetings and appreciates listening to a wide range of viewpoints that reflect the diversity of California. Please note that comments and materials received will, in full, become part of the public record. 

To ensure the opportunity for the public to comment, the State Bar has developed a policy regarding public comment.

Highlights are summarized below:

Submitting written comment before a meeting

  • Members of the public may submit comments in writing before any public meeting by sending them to the email address listed on the agenda. 
  • To allow sufficient time for the members of the body to review written comments, please submit them at least 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting. 
  • Comments submitted less than 24 hours before the meeting will be shared with the members of the body the following business day.
  • If written comments are brought to a meeting for distribution, they will be distributed after the meeting.

Making oral public comment during a meeting

  • Members of the public who wish to speak at a meeting are encouraged to sign up in advance. The deadline to sign up is 24 hours before the start of the meeting. Sign-up instructions will appear on the agenda. Those who wish to speak may also make that request at the time public comment is called. 
  • Those who sign up in advance to comment in person will be recognized in the order in which they signed up.
  • Members of the public attending the meeting remotely will be called on in the order that their request to speak appears in the attendee list. View our public comment meeting tips for instructions.
  • The chair of the meeting may impose reasonable limitations on public comment. For example, in order for the entire meeting agenda to proceed on schedule, those who wish to speak are allotted limited time, typically no less two minutes. The time limit will be the same for all speakers on a particular item.
  • The chair may also decide at which point in the agenda to call for public comment. For example, when a large number of speakers wish to comment on one item on the agenda, the chair may decide to take general public comment at the start of the meeting and take public comment on a specific agenda item when that item is called. 

It is not guaranteed that all who request to speak can be accommodated.

Comments from groups

  • The State Bar encourages groups of people who have a shared position to appoint one or more spokesperson(s) to speak for their group. 
  • Members of the public cannot cede their time to another speaker.

Accessibility information

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, those requiring modifications or accommodations at State Bar open meetings should notify the designated staff coordinator at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in order to provide sufficient time to make arrangements for accommodations. This requirement applies to presenters as well as other meeting participants who need interpreters. Reasonable accommodations will be provided free of charge. Public speakers who require interpreters shall be given at least twice the time limit for other speakers.

The name and contact information for the staff coordinator can be found at the on the agenda.

Formal invitations to submit written comment

The State Bar circulates for public comment proposals to amend the Rules of the State Bar, Rules of Procedure of the State Bar Court, and the California Rules of Court prior to finalization and adoption. The State Bar may also circulate for public comment proposals on issues under consideration by State Bar subentities. Formal invitations to comment are posted on the Public Comment webpage. Comments may be submitted in the linked comment form for each proposal. All public comments and materials received will become part of the public record. Members of the public can sign up for email notifications of all invitations to comment using the signup form at the top of the Public Comment webpage.