Beef up your online profile

Sept. 1 marks the start of a new “Find Legal Help” feature on the State Bar website that allows the public to get more information about California attorneys that may aid in their decision to hire a particular lawyer. Attorneys are invited to add a photo and information to their public record such as area(s) of practice, additional language(s) spoken and law firm website address.

By mid-August, more than 400 attorneys had added information on their State Bar page through My State Bar Profile. Bar officials hope that other California attorneys will be encouraged to voluntarily update their profiles knowing that the public now has access to the additional information.

Besides the current search by attorney name and bar number (in the regular search) and by location (in the advanced search), the new feature will allow for searches based on languages spoken. A random list of up to 500 attorneys will be available based on the search criteria. Although the area of practice may be included on the website, the board of governors decided not to include it as a searchable feature by the public.

Other information currently visible to the public includes contact information, date admitted to the State Bar, undergraduate and law schools attended, disciplinary record, if any, sections membership and other bar administrative information.