Question 1

What is the California Attorney Registry?

Accepted Answer

California Attorney Registry is a public directory of every attorney licensed in California, built from The State Bar of California's own roll — 278,688 licensee records across 58 counties. It is free to search, and it lists rather than advises.

Question 2

How do I find an attorney here?

Accepted Answer

Search by name, city, county, practice area, law firm, or the languages an attorney speaks — the county layer covers 58 counties. Searching is free, no account is needed, and the results are the public record rather than a shortlist chosen for you.

Question 3

Why can't I find an attorney I know is licensed?

Accepted Answer

Usually the name is spelled differently on the roll than in life — many attorneys are on the record under a former or full legal name. A few records are also held out of publication. Searching the bar number instead of the name settles it either way.

Question 4

How are search results ordered — can attorneys pay for a higher position?

Accepted Answer

No. The directory order is neutral and nobody can pay to move within it. Paid placement appears only in a band that is clearly labelled as sponsored, above and separate from the neutral list. Markers on a record describe identity and membership, never quality.

Question 5

Can I talk to a person?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for the things that need one. 8 kinds of request go to a person rather than being handled here — they are listed below. Everything else about how the registry works is answered on these pages, deliberately: an answer you can read now beats waiting for a reply.

Question 6

How do I reach a person about one of those?

Accepted Answer

Write to the registry's contact address and say plainly which of the eight it is. Include enough to identify the record and a way to reach you, and it goes straight to somebody rather than into a queue nobody reads. Two of them — stop emailing or texting me and a privacy right — access, correction, or deletion — start a clock the moment they arrive.

Question 7

Why can't the site just handle this for me?

Accepted Answer

Because doing it wrong would be worse than doing it slowly. The 8 requests that wait for a person all change something with legal consequence — a record, a right, a payment, or what the registry says on the record — and each needs a judgement software should not make on its own.

Question 8

What are all these attorney and practice pages?

Accepted Answer

They are views of the same public record, cut different ways: by practice area (20 of them), by county (58), by city, by law firm, by law school, and by the languages an attorney speaks. Nobody is placed on them by hand.

Question 9

How do I browse to what I need?

Accepted Answer

Start from the kind of legal problem, then narrow by county — all 58 are covered — and by city if it helps. Every page links down to the narrower ones and up to the broader, so you can move without going back to a search box.

Question 10

Why isn't a particular firm, school or attorney on these pages?

Accepted Answer

These pages are assembled from what the official roll records, so a firm or a school appears once enough attorneys on the roll are associated with it. Nothing is added by request and nothing can be bought onto a page — which is also why nobody can be pushed off one.

Question 11

Is this the State Bar? Who runs this site?

Accepted Answer

No. California Attorney Registry is an independent publisher, not a government body and not part of The State Bar of California. It publishes the regulator's public licence roll and says so on every page. The regulator's own site is https://apps.calbar.ca.gov.

Question 12

How do I contact the registry itself?

Accepted Answer

Write to info@californiaattorneyregistry.com, or use the help assistant on any page and ask for a person — it will take your name, phone and email and pass them to support. Either way somebody will reach out as soon as possible during normal business hours.

Question 13

Why can't the registry do anything about an attorney?

Accepted Answer

Because it has no authority over anybody. Licensing and discipline belong to The State Bar of California, which is where a complaint about an attorney's conduct has to go — https://apps.calbar.ca.gov. The registry publishes the record and cannot alter what it says.

Question 14

Do you vet or review the attorneys listed here?

Accepted Answer

No, and deliberately not. Every attorney on The State Bar of California's roll is listed — 278,688 records, 202,146 of them active — because a licence is a public fact. The registry does not screen, score, review or endorse anyone, and it carries no reviews.

Question 15

How do I report or complain about an attorney?

Accepted Answer

Through The State Bar of California, at https://apps.calbar.ca.gov — it handles complaints about attorney conduct and is the only body that can act on one. The registry has no authority here and cannot forward a complaint on your behalf.

Question 16

Can I see whether an attorney has been disciplined?

Accepted Answer

Each record shows the licence status the roll holds — active or not — which is the fact the registry publishes. The full disciplinary history is kept by The State Bar of California and is public there: look the attorney up at https://apps.calbar.ca.gov before engaging anyone.

Question 17

Where does the data come from and how current is it?

Accepted Answer

From The State Bar of California's public licence roll — 278,688 records, California only. The registry re-walks the roll continuously rather than importing it once, so a change made with the regulator arrives here on its own.

Question 18

Can I use the registry's data — as press, or in a product?

Accepted Answer

The underlying licence records are The State Bar of California's public roll and are public wherever you get them. The registry publishes documentation for citation and for machine readers, and for anything beyond that — bulk use, a feed, a product — write to info@californiaattorneyregistry.com and ask.

Question 19

Do you sell data or share it with advertisers?

Accepted Answer

No. Nothing you give the registry is sold, and it is not handed to advertisers or data brokers. The attorney roll is a public record and always was; what a visitor supplies is a different thing entirely and is used to do what they asked for.

Question 20

Why is there so little on some attorneys' pages?

Accepted Answer

Because a record starts as whatever The State Bar of California's roll holds, and only grows when the attorney claims it and adds to it. A thin page means nobody has claimed it yet — not that the attorney is less established, and not that anything has been withheld.

Question 21

What can I attach to my case, and who sees it?

Accepted Answer

You can attach PDF or photo formats (including iPhone photos), up to 8 MB each, 10 files per case. Files are stored privately: only you and an attorney holding your matter can open them, through short-lived links. Nothing you attach is published, and nothing you attach influences where any attorney appears on the registry.

Question 22

How do I add documents to my case?

Accepted Answer

Open your case and choose to add a file. On a phone the camera is offered, so a photo of a letter or a form works as well as a scan. Up to 10 files, each up to 8 MB.

Question 23

Why wouldn't my file upload?

Accepted Answer

One of three things: the case already holds 10 files, the file is over 8 MB, or it is not a PDF or a photo. Each is fixable in a moment, and nothing already attached was affected.

Question 24

What happens when I contact an attorney through the registry?

Accepted Answer

Your message goes to that attorney and nobody else. The registry carries it and steps out of the way — it does not screen what you wrote, does not pass it to anyone else, and does not decide who hears from you. Whether and how quickly they reply is up to them.

Question 25

How do I contact an attorney I found?

Accepted Answer

Open their record and use the call button or the message box on it. Messages go through the registry's private relay, so you reach them without either of you handing over an address first. No account is needed and it costs nothing.

Question 26

Why can't I reach a particular attorney?

Accepted Answer

Usually the profile is unclaimed, so there is no relay to deliver a message to. The record still shows what the official roll holds, and an attorney who has not claimed their profile can still be looked up and contacted independently.

Question 27

Does any of this cost me anything?

Accepted Answer

Nothing. Searching the registry, reading a record, contacting an attorney and filing a case are all free, and there is no account to buy. The registry is paid by attorneys who choose a membership, and that never changes what you see or who you can reach.

Question 28

What happens when I file a case?

Accepted Answer

You describe the problem and it becomes a file only you control. Attorneys choose whether to read it — nothing is assigned to anyone, and the registry never picks somebody for you. If one wants to take it up, they respond and you decide whether to engage them.

Question 29

How do I file a case?

Accepted Answer

Describe what happened in your own words, say roughly where and when, and add anything you have — up to 10 files, and a phone photo of a letter counts. It costs nothing and takes a few minutes. You can come back and change it afterwards.

Question 30

Who can see my case?

Accepted Answer

You, and California attorneys who choose to read it. It is never published, never indexed by search engines, and never shown on the public site. Anything you attach — up to 10 files — opens only for you and an attorney holding your matter.

Question 31

Can I take my case down or delete it?

Accepted Answer

Yes, whenever you want, from your case page — and you do not have to give a reason. Case files are also cleared on their own schedule rather than kept indefinitely, so a file you forget about does not sit there for ever.

Question 32

Why can't I pick which attorney takes my case?

Accepted Answer

You can — you choose who you engage, and that decision is only ever yours. What the registry will not do is choose FOR you: it does not assign your case to anybody, does not order the responses you get, and does not take a view on who you should engage.

Question 33

Is my email address or phone number published anywhere?

Accepted Answer

No. Nothing you give the registry appears on the public site, and it is never sold or handed to anyone for their own use. Attorneys see your contact details only when you have chosen to share them, or when you engage one.

Question 34

What information does the registry hold about me?

Accepted Answer

Only what you have given it: a case file if you filed one, the messages you sent, and the contact details you supplied so somebody could reply. If you have only searched and read, there is nothing about you to hold.

Question 35

How do I have my information removed?

Accepted Answer

Delete your case file from your case page, which removes it immediately. For anything beyond that, write to info@californiaattorneyregistry.com and say what you want removed — a person handles rights requests, and you will be asked to confirm it is you before anything is disclosed or deleted.

Question 36

Why can't an attorney's record be removed on request?

Accepted Answer

Attorney records come from the State Bar's public roll, which the registry publishes rather than owns. A licence is a matter of public record, so a record is corrected at its source rather than deleted on request — and anything the registry itself got wrong is fixed here.

Question 37

Why is there a profile of me I never created?

Accepted Answer

Your profile exists because the registry publishes The State Bar of California's public roll — all 278,688 records — rather than waiting for people to sign up. Nobody created a page about you by hand, and you do not have an account until you claim it.

Question 38

Why isn't my profile showing up?

Accepted Answer

A record is published when it comes from The State Bar of California's roll and passes the publication checks. A record held back is usually one the roll marks in a way that keeps it out, or one still being verified after a recent change at the regulator.

Question 39

Something about my record is wrong — how do I fix it?

Accepted Answer

It depends where the detail came from. Anything you add or edit yourself is fixed by claiming your profile and editing it. Anything drawn from The State Bar of California's roll — your name, bar number, status, admission date — is corrected at the source, because the registry publishes that record rather than owning it.

Question 40

What do the memberships include?

Accepted Answer

There are four levels: Free Claim, Gold Membership, Platinum Membership and Diamond Membership. Free Claim costs nothing, forever, and includes claim and control your official-record profile; blue identity verification against your state bar record; clients reach you by call button and the registry's private message relay — your email is never published; and monthly engagement summary: how often you were viewed and contacted. Every fee is flat and published, never per case and never a percentage of anything.

Question 41

What does a membership cost?

Accepted Answer

Free Claim is free forever. Gold Membership is $99 a month, Platinum Membership is $999 a month, and Diamond Membership is priced per firm. Every fee is flat.

Question 42

How do I start a membership?

Accepted Answer

Claim your profile first — that part is free — then choose a level from the membership section of your dashboard and pay by card. It starts immediately, there is no call with anybody, and you can cancel from the same place at any time.

Question 43

How do I cancel my membership?

Accepted Answer

Cancel from the membership section of your dashboard. It takes effect immediately, there is no cancellation call, and your profile stays claimed on Free Claim — claiming is free forever and cancelling never un-claims it.

Question 44

What is the sponsored band, and how do I appear in it?

Accepted Answer

It is a clearly labelled area, separate from the neutral directory list, where members can appear on their own county and practice pages. Gold Membership includes it; Platinum Membership adds more of it. Inventory is limited per county and practice.

Question 45

How does billing work — trials, invoices, and my card?

Accepted Answer

Payment is handled by Stripe, so your card details are held by them and never by the registry. Invoices, payment methods and cancellation all live in the billing portal, which opens from your dashboard. A failed payment retries before anything lapses, and nothing is deleted if it does.

Question 46

Why can't I use this — it says it needs a membership?

Accepted Answer

That feature is part of a paid membership and the account is on the free tier, or a membership that included it has ended. Everything you had stays in place; the feature is dormant rather than removed, and resuming a membership restores it.

Question 47

What does claiming my profile actually do?

Accepted Answer

It puts you in control of the profile that already exists for you. You verify against your bar number, and then you can edit what is shown, add detail, choose how people reach you, and see how often you were viewed. It is free, forever, and it never requires paying for anything.

Question 48

How do I claim my profile?

Accepted Answer

Find your record, confirm your bar number, and the registry sends a one-press link to the contact address the State Bar holds for you. Clicking it proves it is you and signs you in — there is no password to choose. The link lasts 24 hours.

Question 49

How do I change my password, or sign in on a new device?

Accepted Answer

There is no password. Signing in sends a one-press link to the contact the State Bar holds for you, which is why there is nothing to forget, reset, or reuse on another device. Ask for a link on whatever you are holding; it lasts 24 hours.

Question 50

What happens to my profile if I retire or leave practice?

Accepted Answer

Your record follows The State Bar of California's roll, so a change of status there arrives here on its own. You can hide your listing from the public at any time, and cancel a membership separately — neither deletes anything, and both are reversible.

Question 51

Why didn't my claim link work?

Accepted Answer

Almost always one of two things. The link is older than 24 hours, in which case starting again sends a fresh one. Or too many attempts were made in an hour and the throttle tripped — that clears by itself, and nothing about your profile changed.

Question 52

What is team access?

Accepted Answer

Team access lets staff work in your practice under their own sign-in rather than sharing yours. You grant areas one at a time — there are 4: referral exchange, case requests, profile and notifications — and you can withdraw any of them at any time.

Question 53

How do I give someone on my team access?

Accepted Answer

Invite them from the team section of your dashboard, choose which areas they may work in — referral exchange, case requests, profile and notifications — and they receive their own sign-in link. You can change or withdraw any area later without removing the person.

Question 54

What is the Referral Exchange?

Accepted Answer

It is where California attorneys send matters to each other. You post or send a matter, the other attorney reviews it, and the two of you agree a fee division under CRPC 1.5.1 and sign it. It is free at every membership level, and the registry never takes any part of a fee.

Question 55

How do I send a matter to another attorney?

Accepted Answer

From the referral workspace, describe the matter as a blind summary and either send it to an attorney by name or post it for review. You state the division you are offering as a band — there are 7, up to 10% through up to 50% — and the actual split is the agreement you both sign.

Question 56

Why can't I accept or sign this myself?

Accepted Answer

Two steps are the attorney's own and cannot be delegated to anyone: attesting to the conflict check, and signing the fee-division agreement. Everything either side of them can be done by staff. When one comes up, the attorney is emailed a one-press link rather than the work stopping.

Question 57

What emails and texts does the registry send?

Accepted Answer

There are 14 kinds of message an attorney can receive, grouped as always sent, your work and about the registry. Anything unsolicited is off unless you turn it on — silence is never treated as consent — and every switch is on your notification settings page.

Question 58

How do I change or stop what I'm sent?

Accepted Answer

Every message carries an unsubscribe link that works immediately and needs nobody's help. For finer control, your notification settings page lists every kind separately, so you can keep what is useful and drop the rest rather than choosing all or nothing.

Question 59

Why can't I switch off some of these?

Accepted Answer

6 kinds cannot be switched off because they are part of your account working — a sign-in link, or confirmation of something you just did. They are shown on the settings page rather than hidden, so you can see exactly what they are.

Question 60

What can I put on my profile?

Accepted Answer

There are 39 fields, plus as many entries as you like in each record section: headline and biography, practice areas and what share of your work each one is, addresses, languages, education and court admissions, where you have practised before, credentials, publications, referral partners, links and photographs. All of it is optional. Some presentation is part of a paid membership; the record itself is always yours.

Question 61

How do I add a photo or edit my profile?

Accepted Answer

Everything is edited from your dashboard once you have claimed your profile. Open the profile section, change what you want, and it saves as you go — there is no separate publish step and no review queue.

Question 62

What is profile strength, and why did my percentage change?

Accepted Answer

It counts how many sections of your profile have something in them, out of thirty-two. In August 2026 it started counting the whole record — education, admissions, career, matters, languages and the rest — instead of six fields, so most percentages fell that day. Nothing was removed from your profile and nothing you wrote was lost.

Question 63

Do I have to fill in everything the dashboard suggests?

Accepted Answer

No. Claiming your profile takes a bar number and a verified email, and nothing beyond that is ever required. A claimed profile with nothing else filled in is listed, searchable and contactable. Every suggestion has a Not now beside it, and anything you decline twice is never offered again.

Question 64

Where do the things I am asked to confirm come from?

Accepted Answer

From public sources such as your firm's website, and each card links to where it was found. Nothing found this way appears on your public profile until you confirm it. Choosing No keeps it unpublished and stops it being suggested again, which is also how you correct something that was never yours.

How the Registry Works.

Using the registry

About the registry

Getting help

Browsing the directory

Who we are

Attorney conduct and discipline

Where the data comes from

If you need a lawyer

Case documents

Contacting an attorney

Your case

Your information

For attorneys

Your public record

Memberships and billing

Claiming your profile

Team access

The Referral Exchange

Emails and texts

Your profile

Your engagement figures

Errors and omissions cover

Imported matters

For firm staff

Team access