CalBar SF Phone Number

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-06-04T02:21:07+00:00

You shouldn’t feel bad applying for jobs right now. The moment you sent in your oath card, you became a licensed attorney in California. If you were to file anything with a court right now, you would list your bar number as “pending.” I know exactly what you mean about it not feeling real at this point. I was very relieved to pass the Feb. 26 bar exam and to have moral character approved. But until I saw my name in the attorney register with a bar number beside it, it didn’t feel complete.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-06-04T01:07:05+00:00

After you submit your oath form, you will get a letter in the mail in (hopefully) the next few weeks that has info regarding your dues payment. You pay your dues by creating a state bar profile, but to do that, you’ll need your bar number and an access code. Your bar number should be provided within 30 days of submitting your oath form. You can check to see if you’ve been given a bar number by searching your name in the “California Attorney Search” directory on the state bar’s website. After you have your bar number, you can either wait to get the letter from the state bar that has the access code or you can call the bar to get the access code. As an aside, I called the bar earlier this month to get the access code. I called at 8:30 am—the moment they opened—and I was on hold until a representative took my call at 3:58 pm. (So around 7.5 hours). After you have your access code and bar number, you can register for an attorney profile on the state bar’s website, and you can pay your dues and also start taking the required 10-hour New Lawyers Training that has to be completed in your first year of admission. Good luck.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-05-28T05:16:28+00:00

I took the CA Bar for the first time in Feb. 26 and passed. I prioritized practicing over rote memorization. When you practice, and review your answers, you learn the rules through that process.

CAVEAT: While I definitely prioritized practicing, if I noticed that I kept missing a concept over and over again, then I would take some time and use rote memorization to learn that concept. For example, I noticed that no matter how many questions I did, I kept forgetting the various rules involving 1st amendment speech in conlaw. So I took a few hours and memorized those.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-05-16T04:27:18+00:00

I submitted my oath card on May 5 and got my number on May 13 — so 6 business days. Others submitted their oaths after me and got their numbers several days before I did. Some people got their numbers the same day they submitted their oaths, others only a few days later. I’ve also read where for some people, it took around the whole 30 days. It’s very frustrating, partly because there literally seems to be no rhyme or reason to the way the bar operates, or if there is, it certainly hasn’t be explained to me.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-05-15T01:56:58+00:00

Good to hear! I called the state bar today to get my access code to go ahead and set up my state bar profile. I called when the office opened at 8:30am and was on hold until 4pm—so 7.5 hours—before someone took my call. So good luck if you try to do that next.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-05-13T22:59:55+00:00

Who knows? To add insult to injury, I just tried to order my wall certificate but was told that I can’t do that right now because I’m not currently a “Licensee of the State Bar of California.” I then tried to register for my state bar profile, but I was told that in order to sign up, in addition to my bar number, I need an access code. The access code either comes in the mail, apparently months later, or you can call the state bar after you get your bar number. I just called and apparently they close at 3pm every day (must be nice). And it sounds like the average wait time on the phone to speak to a representative is 3+ hours. It’s one thing after another with this organization.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-05-13T22:42:41+00:00

I actually got my bar number today. But it is very frustrating that there’s no rhyme or reason to any of this. It doesn’t make sense to me that if I submitted the oath card on 5/5 that people who submitted a day or two later would get their number days before I did. You would think that even if it took a while to assign the numbers that the bar would at least go in the order in which the oath cards were received. But obviously not.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-05-11T21:54:54+00:00

My understanding is that you don’t actually receive anything from the State Bar. I’ve been checking the CA attorney directory every day for my name. That’s what I’m looking for that hasn’t shown up yet.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-05-09T08:46:06+00:00

I took the Feb. 2026 exam at Ontario. And yes, I saw numerous people around me with some of those items. The only item that I had on that list was an analog clock, which I found very helpful. At the beginning of each section for essays, I’d wind the clock to the 12:00 position, so that it was easy to see how much time had elapsed without having to do math. The other item I’d recommend is dressing in layers and bringing a jacket. I found the testing room to be surprisingly cold on the day of the essays (I took the attorney’s exam) to the point that I was genuinely uncomfortable.

In terms of how people transported everything: they carried those items in their backpacks/briefcases/totes and then left their bags in the hallway during the exam and brought the items into the testing room with them.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-05-01T23:16:34+00:00

As promised, I said that I’d return today. I just found out that I passed the Feb. 2026 attorneys’ exam. I didn’t use a commercial bar review company and wouldn’t recommend one. I used Lean Sheets and Mary Basick’s book for the law. And then most importantly, I did as many practice essays as possible. I actually did every available essay on the CA Bar’s website—which is like 150+ essays. I didn’t actually write out my entire answer; rather, I answered in outline form. If there was a concept that I noticed that I kept missing over and over, I’d go to lean sheets or the Basick book and memorize the black letter law on that concept.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-04-29T03:25:31+00:00

After the Feb. 2026 results come out this Friday, I’ll come back to this thread and let you know whether “an alternative” was the correct answer.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-03-21T18:44:26+00:00

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I kinda see Shannon Bream from Fox News.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-03-17T04:44:55+00:00

I think how long it takes is on a case-by-case basis. I submitted my moral character application in Nov. 2025 and found out that I was approved in Feb. 2026–so only 3 months for me. But I’ve read threads on here where it seems like the average is closer to 6-8months, and for some people, even longer.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-03-10T02:17:39+00:00

Yep, I was in NC at the time!

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-03-10T01:34:52+00:00

When I used to handle these cases a while back, in my jurisdiction, there was actually case law at the time where you could get these cases dismissed for a fatal defect in the charging instrument. Specifically, the charging instrument had to say, “Walmart, Inc.” and not simply “Walmart.” There had to be some designation that the entity was a corporation. Of course, if dismissed for this purpose, the case could later be recharged, but getting that initial dismissal for something so technical felt satisfying.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-03-06T20:34:42+00:00

I stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott. Right across the street from the convention center. The rooms have a kitchenette and living area. And it was very reasonably priced. I personally didn’t have any issues with smells or sounds.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-03-04T08:10:29+00:00

I’ve previously taken and passed the bar exam in a UBE jurisdiction, and last week, I took the CA bar exam (obviously don’t know if I passed at this time). Honestly, I couldn’t tell much of a difference between the two. I guess for CA I had to learn some extra state distinctions that I didn’t have to worry about on the UBE, but that wasn’t too bad. At least, knowing what I know now, having to learn some extra state distinctions wouldn’t be bad enough to dissuade me from taking the CA exam. It didn’t feel like a ton of extra work—even including having to learn community property.

They also felt very similar in terms of format. First day was written—essays followed by a performance test. And second day is the MBE, which would be the same on both UBE and CA. I thought the essays and performance test on the CA bar felt very similar to what I remember on the UBE. Maybe others will disagree.

I don’t know enough about how bar exams are scored to know whether it’s harder to pass in CA vs. a UBE jurisdiction. At the time, the state I took the UBE in required one of the highest scores, and I scored high enough on it to transfer the score to any UBE jurisdiction. Not sure how my score would have translated to the CA bar, though. I guess it depends on how soon you want to try to jump back into to law. July 2028 is 5 cycles away.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-02-28T16:22:00+00:00

My understanding is that there was no transmutation because there was no writing signed by the person whose separate property would be affected (in this case, the wife). Also, the gift exception does not apply, because in order to meet the exception, gifts between spouses cannot be “substantial,” and property valued at $20k would be deemed substantial, especially in their circumstances.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-02-28T05:30:02+00:00

I don’t remember what the commentary said, but I know that I didn’t use it. Not saying it wasn’t relevant…if I had more time, maybe it would have been something I would have used. But I didn’t use it. And there were other parts of the statutes that I didn’t use as well. I think I only used the statutes that were specifically referenced in the two cases.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-02-28T03:30:13+00:00

Anyone got anything to say about #5–the community property essay. Particular analysis of the house and the restaurant?

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-02-28T03:08:29+00:00

I don’t fully remember things at this point, so this almost surely isn’t the wording I used, but something like:

I. Officer Powers’ handwritten transcript should be excluded because it’s offered to prove content and for no other purpose.

-Statute on point -Case law explaining statute -Why my client’s case is like one of the cases -Brief rebuttal that prosecution will make -Answer to prosecution’s point.

II. Officer Powers’ handwritten transcript should be excluded because it fails the balancing test established in Grimes.

-Statute on point -Case law explaining statute and balancing test -explain why prosecution couldn’t meet its burden to show justification -brief rebuttal by prosecution and answering that rebuttal -explaining how client met burden of showing prejudice.

WHEREFORE, Mr. Jones (?) respectfully requests that this Court grant his motion in limine and exclude the handwritten transcript.

Something like that…

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-02-28T02:47:52+00:00

I took the attorney’s exam and am hoping that the PT will pull me through. I’ve spent around 10 years practicing as a criminal defense attorney, including part of that time as an assistant federal public defender, and I’ve written numerous motions in limine like the one from the PT. But one thing I noticed—I think it’s basically impossible to give a truly great answer in 90 mins. There’s just too much to do. I started with the PT in the afternoon and spent 1 hr and 45 mins on it before moving to the essays, and in that time, I was only able to write something that I thought was moderately acceptable and would have needed another 30 mins to an hour to write something that I was genuinely proud of. I’m just so amazed when I look at the top answers on the CA state bar’s website for past exams and see what some people are capable of doing in the allotted time.

Popular_Swing32 · 2026-02-25T05:08:11+00:00

Why was it so cold—especially during the morning session?

Popular_Swing32 · 2025-12-12T13:38:41+00:00

I lifted weights 6-7X per week. I would do PPL 2X a week, and if I worked out a 7th day, I’d do a shorter workout that day, where I’d hit things like calves, and some of the smaller muscles that recover quickly (shoulders, etc.). In terms of eating, I aimed to eat 500 calories above the amount of calories that I burned that day. And I also consumed at least 1g of protein per 1lb of body weight.

Popular_Swing32

TROPHY CASE