(a) It is the goal and policy of the State Bar to ensure that matters are handled competently, accurately, and timely. Until processing goals are established pursuant to subdivision (b) and codified in statute, the goal and policy of the State Bar is to dismiss a complaint, admonish the attorney, or have the Office of Chief Trial Counsel file formal charges within six months after it receives a complaint alleging attorney misconduct. As to complaints designated as complicated matters by the Chief Trial Counsel, it shall be the goal and policy of the State Bar to dismiss a complaint, admonish the attorney or have the Office of Chief Trial Counsel file formal charges within 12 months after it receives a complaint alleging attorney misconduct.

(b) No later than October 31, 2022, the State Bar shall propose case processing standards for competently, accurately, and timely resolving cases within the Office of Chief Trial Counsel.

(1) The case processing standards shall take into account all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the mechanics of the discipline process, the risk to public protection, including multiple complaints against the same attorney, reasonable expectations of the public for resolution of complaints, and the complexity of cases. The case processing standards shall be based on and reflect all of the following:

(A) A review of case processing standards in attorney discipline systems in at least five other states, including large and small jurisdictions, with the goal of reviewing jurisdictions that have strong and effective discipline systems that protect the public.

(B) Consultation with state and national experts on attorney discipline.

(C) Reports from the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

(D) Reports from the California State Auditor.

(2) The State Bar shall conduct an analysis of the data collected in subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of paragraph (1) and develop proposed case processing standards that reflect the goal of resolving attorney discipline cases in a timely, effective, and efficient manner while having small backlogs of attorney discipline cases and best protecting the public.

(3) Goals for case processing and disposition that are intended to encourage the prompt disposition of matters and apply to the overall inventory of matters of the type specified in subdivision (b) are not meant to create deadlines for individual cases, are not jurisdictional, and shall not serve as a bar or defense to any disciplinary investigation or proceeding.

(4) The analysis shall include staffing requirements for the Office of Chief Trial Counsel to achieve the case processing goals described in this paragraph.

(5) The State Bar shall provide its analysis and recommendations to the Legislative Analyst’s Office for review. The Legislative Analyst’s Office shall report to the Senate and Assembly Judiciary Committees on its review of the State Bar’s proposal. The State Bar shall provide the Legislative Analyst’s Office with any available information to assist the Legislative Analyst’s Office in its review.

(6) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would codify in statute case processing goals for the State Bar’s discipline system based on the State Bar’s proposal and the Legislative Analyst’s Office review of that proposal to improve the effectiveness of the State Bar’s attorney discipline system, best protect the public, and remain in place for an extended period of time to allow for adequate oversight of the State Bar and its performance over time.

(c) The case processing goals described in subdivision (a) shall not apply to the following matters: Nonattorney Unauthorized Practice of Law (NA-UPL), Section 6007 matters, moral character matters, resignations with charges pending, mini-reinstatements, and criminal conviction matters.

(d) To ensure that criminal conviction matters are handled competently, accurately, and timely, the State Bar shall report on its compliance with the requirement of Section 6101 to transmit, within 30 days of receipt, the record of any conviction which involves or may involve moral turpitude to the Supreme Court with such other records and information as may be appropriate to establish the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction.

(e) Consistent with Section 6026.11, a notice of disciplinary charges is a public record when filed.

(f) The State Bar, subject to its record retention policy, shall respond within a reasonable time to inquiries as to the status of pending disciplinary cases in which a notice to show cause has been filed, or as to public discipline that has been imposed upon an attorney in California, or to the extent known by the agency, elsewhere, and, to the extent such information is known to the agency, all criminal cases in which an indictment or information has been brought charging a felony against an attorney or an attorney has been convicted of a felony, or convicted of any misdemeanor committed in the course of the practice of law or in any manner such that a client of the attorney was the victim, or any felony or misdemeanor, a necessary element of which, as determined by the statutory or common law definition of the crime, involves improper conduct of an attorney, including interference with the administration of justice, running and capping, false swearing, misrepresentation, fraud, deceit, bribery, extortion, misappropriation, theft, dishonesty or other moral turpitude, or an attempt of a conspiracy or solicitation of another to commit such a crime. Such information acquired from the State Bar under this section shall not be used by an attorney to solicit business. The State Bar shall adopt regulations to carry out the purposes of this subdivision.

(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 723, Sec. 5. (SB 211) Effective January 1, 2022.)