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See frequently asked questions about moral character determinations. Moral Character Determination Guidelines. For questions related to a moral character application, contact the Office of Admissions at moral.character@calbar.ca.gov or 800-843-9053.
These guidelines reflect the methodology typically utilized by the State Bar in completing an analysis of issues relevant to the determination of whether an applicant possesses the requisite moral character for licensure to practice law.
Moral Character Guidelines to assist applicants for law school and the State Bar in understanding whether their past conduct might impact getting a positive moral character determination, which is a prerequisite for admission to the practice of law.
The State Bar of California sets specific moral character requirements that applicants must satisfy. These requirements include disclosing any criminal convictions, disciplinary actions, financial irresponsibility, and other relevant information.
The moral character application is a necessary step if you want to practice law in California. It ensures that candidates to the California State Bar possess certain qualities. These include qualities such as honesty, fairness, candor, trustworthiness, and so on.
A positive moral character determination is a prerequisite to being admitted to the bar and practicing law in California. The filing of the moral character application begins the process of character investigation which generally takes four to six months to complete, but could possibly take longer.
All applicants for admission to the State Bar of California need to affirmatively demonstrate good moral character. The moral character determination process conducted by the State Bar’s Office of Admissions takes from six to nine months.
