Report 2020-030 Recommendation 11 Responses

Report 2020-030: The State Bar of California: It Is Not Effectively Managing Its System for Investigating and Disciplining Attorneys Who Abuse the Public Trust (Release Date: April 2021)

Recommendation #11 To: Bar of California, State

To ensure that users of the discipline report can compare information from year to year, the State Bar should describe in each discipline report any changes it makes to its approach to calculating metrics and, for that year, provide information calculated under both its old and new methods.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

The State Bar has updated the Annual Discipline Report to ensure that all methodological changes are described in the report or its appendices. Where changes were made, those data were provided using calculations under both the new and old methods in the 2022 ADR.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented


1-Year Agency Response

The State Bar has updated its Annual Discipline Report's internal quality control procedures to ensure that all methodological changes are described in this report.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

We requested the State Bar provide documentation to support its assertion and to demonstrate that the change in procedures addresses all aspects of the recommendation. It has not yet provided this documentation. We look forward to reviewing the documentation when the State Bar provides its next response regarding this recommendation.


6-Month Agency Response

The Annual Discipline Report is produced only once a year. SB 211 changed the deadline for submission of the ADR - this will now take place in October, 2022. The State Bar has noted the need to include these changes in the next Annual Discipline Report.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: No Action Taken

In the absence of policies or procedures addressing this issue, we look forward to reviewing State Bar's implementation of this recommendation in its next annual discipline report.


60-Day Agency Response

The Annual Discipline Report is produced only once a year. The next opportunity to implement these changes will not be until April 30, 2022. The State Bar has noted the need to include these changes in the next Annual Discipline Report.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

We look forward to reviewing the State Bar's progress towards implementing this recommendation.


All Recommendations in 2020-030

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.