The State Bar of California runs a free California State Bar lookup called Attorney Search that shows any licensed lawyer’s current status, disciplinary history, and credentials. Enter a name or bar number at calbar.ca.gov under “Find Legal Professionals,” and the profile tells you whether that person can legally represent you and what the Bar has on record about their conduct.1The State Bar of California. Find Legal Professionals
Running the Search
Every California attorney receives a unique bar number at admission. Searching by that number is the fastest way to land on the right profile, especially when the lawyer has a common name.2The State Bar of California. Attorney Search A name search works too, but you may need to scan a results table showing each match’s status, bar number, city, and admission date before clicking into the full profile.
The Advanced Search lets you filter by city, county, firm, language spoken, or certified specialty, which is more useful for finding a lawyer than for verifying one. One quirk: the search engine does not read accented characters, so drop the accent from any ñ or é and use the plain spelling.
What the License Status Means
The status line at the top of the profile is the first thing to read, because it tells you whether this person can take you on as a client today.
- Active. In good standing and authorized to practice. This is the only status that permits representing clients.
- Inactive. The attorney has voluntarily stepped away from practice. California has no “retired” status, so lawyers who stop practicing usually move here. An inactive lawyer may not represent clients or provide legal services.3The State Bar of California. Inactive and Not Eligible to Practice
- Not Eligible to Practice Law. An administrative hold rather than formal discipline. Common triggers are missed annual fees or an unmet continuing education requirement. The lawyer cannot practice until every outstanding issue is cleared.
- Suspended. Formal discipline. The attorney is barred from practicing for a set period, often with probation conditions attached.
- Disbarred. The license has been revoked for serious misconduct.
The gap between “Not Eligible” and “Suspended” matters when you are deciding whether to trust a lawyer. Both prevent the person from representing you, but the first can be a bureaucratic lapse while the second is the end result of a disciplinary case.
Reading the Discipline on a Profile
If an attorney has public disciplinary history, Attorney Search flags it on the profile and typically links to the State Bar Court decision. The one-line label does not tell you whether the misconduct was a bookkeeping slip or theft of client funds, so the decision document is worth opening.
Public Reproval
A public reproval is the mildest formal discipline. The attorney was found culpable of professional misconduct but no suspension was imposed. The reproval becomes part of the permanent public record, and the lawyer may be required to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination or meet conditions similar to probation.4The State Bar of California. Attorney Discipline Definitions Private reprovals exist as well, but they generally do not appear on the public lookup.
Suspension
Suspension stops the attorney from practicing for a defined period. The decision will spell out the length, any probation terms, and the stretch of “actual suspension” during which no practice is permitted at all. Separately, the California Supreme Court can suspend an attorney on an interim basis after a felony conviction or a conviction involving moral turpitude, before any disciplinary case concludes. That interim suspension remains until the conviction is final and the court orders otherwise.5California Legislative Information. California Business and Professions Code 6102
Disbarment
Disbarment revokes the license. A disbarred attorney may petition the State Bar Court for reinstatement, but reinstatement is rare and the burden is heavy. In practical terms, treat a “Disbarred” tag as definitive.
Resignation With Charges Pending
This status means the attorney surrendered their license while a disciplinary investigation or formal proceeding was underway. It functions as disbarment by consent, and the pending charges can be weighed against the lawyer if they ever seek reinstatement.4The State Bar of California. Attorney Discipline Definitions
What the Lookup Will Not Show
Attorney Search is comprehensive within its lane, but several things you might expect to see are not there.
Malpractice insurance. California does not require attorneys to carry professional liability coverage, and insurance status is not displayed on public profiles. Under Rule of Professional Conduct 1.4.2, an uninsured lawyer must tell you in writing at the start of the engagement when the work is expected to exceed four hours. If you want to know whether your lawyer is covered, ask directly.
Pending investigations. Complaints under investigation stay confidential. Nothing appears on the profile until the State Bar files formal charges, at which point the case moves to the State Bar Court and becomes public.6The State Bar of California. How to File a Complaint Against an Attorney
Federal court admission. California bar membership does not automatically authorize practice in federal court. Each federal court keeps its own admission roll, so if your case is in federal court, verify admission through that court’s own search.
Discipline in other states. The profile reflects only California discipline. A lawyer licensed in several states could show clean in California and carry serious discipline elsewhere. The ABA National Lawyer Regulatory Data Bank aggregates public disciplinary actions across all states and the District of Columbia.
The Certified Specialist Flag
If a profile shows a Certified Specialist designation, that is a meaningful credential. The California Board of Legal Specialization certifies attorneys in eleven areas: Admiralty and Maritime Law, Appellate Law, Bankruptcy Law, Criminal Law, Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, Family Law, Franchise and Distribution Law, Immigration and Nationality Law, Legal Malpractice Law, Taxation Law, and Workers’ Compensation Law.7The State Bar of California. Legal Specialty Areas8The State Bar of California. Becoming a Certified Specialist9The State Bar of California. Frequently Asked Questions Legal Specialization An uncertified lawyer can still practice in any area, but most lawyers never pursue the designation.
If the Lookup Reveals a Problem
If your search surfaces misconduct, or if you have been harmed by a lawyer whose profile is still clean, two separate processes exist.
You can file a complaint with the State Bar. The form is online in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, and Chinese, with a downloadable PDF version that must be opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader.6The State Bar of California. How to File a Complaint Against an Attorney A State Bar attorney reviews the submission, may request documents, and decides whether the facts warrant a formal investigation. Investigations usually take up to six months, with complex cases running a year.10The State Bar of California. Frequently Asked Questions Complaints and Claims Be ready for the Bar to disclose your identity to the lawyer; if you are the client, that disclosure is needed to waive confidentiality. Not every complaint ends in discipline. The Bar can issue a warning, direct the lawyer to a diversion program, or negotiate an agreement in lieu of discipline, and none of those appear on the public profile. Formal charges, if filed, go to the independent State Bar Court, and the California Supreme Court has the last word on any suspension or disbarment.
If the lawyer actually took your money, the Client Security Fund is a separate route. It reimburses clients up to $100,000 per claim for dishonest conduct such as stealing settlement funds, keeping a retainer without doing the work, or borrowing from a client without the means to repay.11The State Bar of California. Apply for Reimbursement Through Client Security Fund12The State Bar of California. Client Security Fund Rules The Fund does not pay for malpractice, negligence, bad strategy, interest, consequential damages, or the cost of a replacement lawyer. Filing is free, no lawyer required, and the application is online in English and Spanish with PDFs in other languages. One caution: filing with the Fund does not pause any statute of limitations on a civil claim you may want to bring against the attorney separately.