The State Bar Is Making It Official
The State Bar of California has made Client Trust Account Compliance Reviews (CTAPP) mandatory.
During the pilot, more than eighty percent of firms failed basic trust-accounting checks - not because they were dishonest, but because they were disorganized. Ledgers were incomplete. Reconciliations were skipped. Oversight slipped through the cracks.
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Get the Legal Help You Need
This isn’t theory. Reviews are happening now, and every attorney who handles client funds is on the radar. The State Bar of California has made Client Trust Account Compliance Reviews (CTAPP) mandatory, and they are actively enforcing that requirement.
What you need to know
When the auditors came calling, most firms realized too late that their systems couldn’t stand up to scrutiny.
The fix for these issues cost time, stress, and thousands of dollars.
The message is simple: if your trust account isn’t airtight, it’s a liability.
The State Bar is not targeting bad actors; rather, it is forcing law firms to prove they can (and should) be trusted to manage other people’s money.
Rule 1.15 and Business & Professions Code § 6091.4 are not abstract – they are checklists you have to live by, and failing to do so can have dire consequences.
What the Pilot Program Exposed
Get Ahead of the Review Before It Starts
You can get ahead of this. You should get ahead of this.
Start by reviewing your ledgers, reconciling every client account, and documenting the details -
then bring in someone who knows what the State Bar will look for.
Our Firm helps California attorneys audit their trust accounts, build compliance systems, and prepare for CTAPP reviews before a notice lands in their inbox.
The paperwork might be boring, but the consequences are anything but. Take this seriously, because the State Bar definitely does.
