2024 California Rules of Court
Rule 9.2. Interim Special Regulatory Assessment for Attorney Discipline
(a) This rule is adopted by the Supreme Court solely as an emergency interim measure to protect the public, the courts, and the legal profession from the harm that may be caused by the absence of an adequately functioning attorney disciplinary system. The Supreme Court contemplates that the rule may be modified or repealed once legislation designed to fund an adequate attorney disciplinary system is enacted and becomes effective.
(b) (1) Each active licensee shall pay a mandatory regulatory assessment of two
hundred ninety-seven dollars ($297) to the State Bar of California. This assessment is calculated as the sum of the following amounts:
(A) Two hundred eighty-three dollars ($283) to support the following departments and activities:
Office of Chief Trial Counsel
Office of Probation
State Bar Court
Mandatory Fee Arbitration program
Office of Professional Competence
Office of General Counsel
Office of Licensee Records and Compliance
Licensee Billing
Office of Communications (support of discipline only)
California Young Lawyers Association (discipline-related only).
(B) Nine dollars ($9) to fund implementation of the workforce plan recommendations from the National Center for State Courts.
(C) Five dollars ($5) to make up for revenue the State Bar will forgo because of assessment scaling and assessment waivers, as provided for under this rule.
(2) The $297 assessment specifically excludes any funding for the State Bar's legislative lobbying, elimination of bias, and bar relations programs.
(3) Payment of this assessment is due by March 1, 2017. Late payment or nonpayment of the assessment shall subject a licensee to the same penalties and/or sanctions applicable to mandatory fees authorized by statute.
(4) The provisions regarding fee scaling, fee waivers, and penalty waivers contained in Business and Professions Code section 6141.1 and rules 2.15 and 2.16 of the Rules of the State Bar of California shall apply to requests for relief from payment of the assessment or any penalty under this rule. Applications for relief from payment shall be made to the State Bar, which may grant or deny waivers in conformance with its existing rules and regulations. The State Bar shall keep a record of all fee scaling and fee waivers approved and the amount of fees affected.
(Subd (b) amended effective January 1, 2019.)
(c) A special master appointed by the Supreme Court shall establish the Special Master's Attorney Discipline Fund, into which all money collected pursuant to this rule shall be deposited. The special master shall oversee the disbursement and allocation of funds from the Special Master's Attorney Discipline Fund for the limited purpose of maintaining, operating, and supporting an attorney disciplinary system, including payment of the reasonable costs and expenses of the special master as ordered by the Supreme Court. The special master shall exercise authority pursuant to the charge of the Supreme Court and shall submit quarterly reports and recommendations to the Supreme Court regarding the supervision and use of these funds. The State Bar shall respond in timely and accurate fashion to the special master's requests for information and reports.
Should any funds collected pursuant to this rule not be used for the limited purpose set forth in the rule, the Supreme Court may order the refund of an appropriate amount to licensees or take any other action that it deems appropriate.
(Subd (c) amended effective January 1, 2019.)
Rule 9.2 amended effective January 1, 2019; adopted as rule 9.9 effective November 16, 2016; previously renumbered effective January 1, 2018.
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