Assembly Bill 2505 (AB 2505) is intended to inspire every lawyer in California to annually provide pro bono legal services or contribute financially to California’s legal aid organizations. To do so, AB 2505 now requires all active licensed attorneys in California, unless exempt, to annually report the amount, if any hours they provided that year in: (1) pro bono legal services; or (2) reduced fee legal services performed for a low-income individual, nonprofit organization, or a public law library. The pro bono reporting requirement will be a part of the annual report submitted when attorneys submit their annual fees. Failure to comply will not be grounds for disciplinary or administrative recourse.
This pro bono reporting requirement is not applicable to active licensed attorneys who are employed by an organization primarily engaged in the provision of pro bono legal services. The reporting requirement also does not apply to a full-time employee, an officer, or an elected official of the State of California, a political subdivision of the state, or the federal government. Finally the reporting requirement does not apply to any licensee who is prohibited by their current employer from performing pro bono legal services.
AB 2505 requires the State Bar to retain and maintain the pro bono reported information for purposes of historical record for at least 5 years. The pro bono reported information will be confidential and exempt from disclosure as a public record. The State Bar is authorized to publish aggregated and anonymized reports based on that information.
(AB 2505 adds sections 6073.1 and 6073.2 to the Business and Professions Code)