Tuesday, August 9, 2005
Page 3
Lawyers Face Bans for Not Paying Fees, Completing MCLE
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Over 5,000 attorneys face the possibility of losing their license to practice law for not complying with continuing education requirements or not paying their bar dues, the State Bar of California said yesterday in a news release.
The State Bar reported that 3,265 attorneys had yet to pay their dues, and 1,919 were short of the necessary MCLE requirements.
The State Bar Board of Governors approved a suspension list at its July meeting. Attorneys have until Sept. 15 to avoid losing the right to practice, the State Bar said.
Those who are overdue in MCLE requirements and whose last names begin with the letters N-Z must pay a $75 late fee. Both the fee and the compliance card, which can be found online, must be submitted to avoid suspension, the release said.
In the past, the State Bar has generally suspended 800-1,000 attorneys each year for failure to pay dues and several hundred for failure to meet the MCLE requirements.
Copyright 2005, Metropolitan News Company