The State Bar just hit a member with a $400 fine for failing to update their address on the State Bar’s portal. According to them, this is a non-negotiable, non-appealable penalty. No hearing, no second chance, just a message saying the member owes them money.

Here’s the kicker. The member is quite sure they updated their address. But now they’re stuck with this fine and absolutely no way to prove that they submitted the update. There’s no email confirmation. No audit trail to access. Nothing they can point to that shows they took the right step.

This experience has us thinking. How many other attorneys could end up in the same situation, especially those of us juggling busy practices and multiple roles? How many of us trust the system to remember our data without ever double-checking?

So here’s our unsolicited advice: set a calendar reminder. Log in to the State Bar portal once every few months. Screenshot your contact information. Save it somewhere. Maybe even email it to yourself with a timestamp.

Because if something mysteriously disappears from your profile, the burden is entirely on you. 

It’s annoying. But it’s preventable. Check your address. Save proof. And share this with someone else who might need the reminder!

Interested in more updates like these? Check out the ACBA Blog.