Feb. 1 deadline for fee payment, MCLE compliance

Members of the State Bar have until Feb. 1 to pay their annual fees of $410 for active lawyers and $125 for inactive lawyers.

The 2013 dues bill includes contributions to the Client Security Fund, disciplinary activities, the Lawyer Assistance Program, the building fund and technology upgrades. Fees are waived for inactive attorneys who are 70 years old on Feb. 1.

Those lawyers whose last names start with A-to-G (Group 1) also have a Feb. 1 deadline to report completion of their 25 hours of Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE).

Dues can be paid and MCLE compliance can be reported online by logging on to My State Bar Profile.

Failure to pay fees by the deadline will trigger a $100 late payment penalty for active lawyers and a $30 penalty for inactive attorneys.

Lawyers also have the opportunity to donate to the Justice Gap Fund (recommended donation $100), the California Bar Foundation ($50 recommended donation), the Conference of California Bar Associations (CCBA — $35 recommended donation) and the California Supreme Court Historical Society (CSCHS — a $25 donation is recommended). In addition, they can deduct $5 for lobbying, $5 for the elimination of bias fund and another $20 — with an option to donate that amount to legal services.

Active lawyers with qualifying income levels are eligible for a 25 percent reduction in the membership fee. To qualify, a lawyer must declare a total gross annual individual income from all sources of less than $40,000 in 2012.