Dues bills mailed Dec. 1
The bills for the
2012 State Bar dues were mailed to members Dec. 1; the deadline for
payment is Feb. 1. Although the legislature authorized a $410 fee, it also
approved a one-time $10 rebate for all California lawyers. Therefore, active
lawyers will owe $400. The fee includes $40 for the Client Security Fund, $25
for disciplinary activities, $10 for the Lawyer Assistance Program, $10 for a
building fund and $10 for technology upgrades; the remainder goes to the
general fund.
Inactive members
will owe $115, an amount that includes $10 for both the Client Security Fund
and the building fund, $25 for discipline and $5 for the LAP as well as general
fund money. Annual membership fees are waived for inactive lawyers who are 70
years of age on Feb. 1.
Those lawyers
whose last names start with H-to-M (Group 2) also have a Feb. 1 due date to
report completion of their 25 hours of MCLE.
Failure to pay
dues by the deadline will trigger a $100 late payment penalty for active
lawyers and a $30 penalty for inactive attorneys.
Lawyers also will
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 2011.
Dues can be paid
and MCLE compliance can be reported online by logging on to My State Bar Profile.