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HomeBusiness and Professions CodeDiv. 3Ch. 4Art. 2§ 6012 State Bar General Counsel

§ 6012 State Bar General Counsel

Business and Professions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 6012 State Bar General Counsel

Key Takeaways

  • •The State Bar has a main lawyer called the 'general counsel' who gives legal advice to the board, but not about punishing lawyers.
  • •This lawyer must be a California-licensed attorney and works full-time for the State Bar—they can't have their own private law practice.
  • •The general counsel is picked for 4 years and can be re-hired, but the board can fire them anytime. If they’re hired or fired, the State Bar must tell certain lawmakers within 7 days.
  • •The Senate has to approve who gets this job, and there’s a time limit for them to decide.

Example

Imagine the State Bar needs a new top lawyer to help them with legal questions, like whether a new rule about lawyers is fair.

The board picks a lawyer who’s been approved by California to be their general counsel. This lawyer can’t work on other cases outside the State Bar. If the board fires this lawyer, they have to tell the Senate and other lawmakers within a week. The Senate also has to say 'yes' to the hire first.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 6012 State Bar General Counsel

(a) The board shall appoint a general counsel of the State Bar to serve as the chief legal advisor to the board on issues not related to attorney discipline. (b) The board shall appoint a lawyer admitted to practice in California to serve as general counsel of the State Bar. The general counsel shall be appointed for a term of four years and may be reappointed for additional four-year terms. The general counsel shall serve at the pleasure of the board. The general counsel shall not engage in private practice. The State Bar shall notify the Senate Committee on Rules and the Senate and Assembly Committees on Judiciary within seven days of the dismissal or hiring of a general counsel. (c) The appointment of the general counsel is subject to confirmation by the Senate, and the time limits prescribed in Section 1774 of the Government Code for Senate confirmation and for service in office are applicable to the appointment. (d) This section applies to persons appointed general counsel on or after January 1, 2024. (Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 697, Sec. 7. (SB 40) Effective January 1, 2024.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

firelicensethe state barappointmentconfirmationsenate committeeassembly committees

Related Statutes

  • § 6011 State Bar Executive Director
  • § 6016.2 Board Member Removal Authority
  • § 1627 Dentist License Continuation
  • § 19422 Board Member Residency Requirement
  • § 6006 Retired Lawyer Inactive Status

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Business and Professions Code. Section 6012.
View Official Source