Report 2017-030 Recommendation 16 Responses

Report 2017-030: The State Bar of California: It Needs Additional Revisions to Its Expense Policies to Ensure That It Uses Funds Prudently (Release Date: June 2017)

Recommendation #16 To: Bar of California, State

To increase transparency, the State Bar should disclose annually to the board a list of all contracts with outside law firms—including a description of the services provided, the need for such contracts, and the value and length of the contracts.

1-Year Agency Response

Policies governing requirements for legal services contracts have been incorporated as Section 11.10 in the State Bar's Procurement Manual as of 2/5/18. The Office of General Counsel will report to the Board of Trustees annually at its regular January meeting on the use of outside counsel for the prior calendar year. See the January 2018 report for 2017.

Completion Date: January 2018
Response Date: June 2018

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

6-Month Agency Response

Staff will bring the a report containing a list of all contracts with outside law firms, including a description of the services provided, the need for such contracts, and the value and length of the contracts, to the Board of Trustees annually at its January planning meetings.

Estimated Completion Date: January 2018
Response Date: December 2017

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

We look forward to the State Bar providing a more complete description of its actions to implement our recommendations, as well as evidence of those actions, at its one-year response in June 2018.