Discipline Statistics

Public protection is the State Bar's highest priority. In 2020, the State Bar:

  • • Opened nearly 17,500 cases against California attorneys and nonattorneys holding themselves out fraudulently as licensees.
  • • Filed notices of disciplinary charges in State Bar Court against 180 attorneys.
  • • Recommended disbarment for 97 attorneys and suspension for another 114.
  • • Opened more than 600 cases of unauthorized practice of law (UPL).
  • • Referred more than 300 UPL cases to law enforcement.

The agency also reimbursed approximately $11.75 million, a record amount, to more than 800 victims of attorney misconduct.

The interactive map below provides county-specific information on attorney discipline and nonattorney actions. Select the time period and scroll over the map to see attorney discipline data and nonattorney cease and desist notices issued by county. You can also select a table view of the data.

1st Quarter 2021

Alameda Alpine Amador Butte Calaveras Colusa Contra Costa DelNorte El Dorado Fresno Glenn Humboldt Imperial Inyo Kern Kings Lake Lassen LosAngeles Madera Marin Mariposa Mendocino Merced Modoc Mono Monterey Napa Nevada Orange Placer Plumas Riverside Sacramento SanBenito San Bernardino SanDiego San Francisco SanJoaquin San LuisObispo San Mateo Santa Barbara SantaClara Santa Cruz Shasta Sierra Siskiyou Solano Sonoma Stanislaus Sutter Tehama Trinity Tulare Tuolumne Ventura Yolo Yuba

Notes:
  • • Discipline counts are by attorney; statistics reported elsewhere may be by cases
  • • Disbarments: attorney loses license to practice
  • • Actual suspension/probation: attorney barred temporarily from practice until probation terms completed
  • • Stayed suspension/probation: attorney may continue to practice but must comply with probation terms
  • • Cease and desist notices: Counted by letter rather than by individual or business entity