State Bar of California Ethics & CTAPP School information
What Is the State Bar’s Ethics School?
Ethics School is an online program designed by the State Bar of California to teach practical applications of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
What You’ll Learn
- The most common causes of disciplinary actions and how to avoid them.
- Guidance on communication, diligence, conflicts of interest, and confidentiality.
- Real examples of how small mistakes can escalate into formal investigations.
Key Details
- Available online, self-paced, and open to all California attorneys.
- Fee: approximately $103 or $154 depending on the course.
- Voluntary enrollees may qualify for MCLE credit.
Why It Matters:
Ethics School gives attorneys a window into how the State Bar evaluates professional responsibility. Taking the course voluntarily can help you identify risk areas and strengthen your ethical framework before issues arise.
What Is the Client Trust Account Protection Program (CTAPP)?
CTAPP (previously referred to as the Client Trust Account School) focuses on the technical and ethical standards required when managing client funds. It’s a practical deep dive into trust accounting: specifically, how to handle, record, and safeguard client money in full compliance with Rule 1.15 of the California Rules of Professional Conduct.
What You’ll Learn
- Proper setup and reconciliation of trust accounts.
- How to avoid commingling and misappropriation of client funds.
- Recordkeeping and audit readiness best practices.
Key Details
- Available to all California attorneys; required for those disciplined for trust-account violations.
- Cost: typically, $100–$125.
- Also offered in a non-MCLE version for law students, bookkeepers and law firm administrators.
Why It Matters:
Trust account management is one of the most frequent sources of discipline. CTAPP provides the framework to prevent problems and demonstrates to clients and regulators that you take your fiduciary duties seriously.
Why Take These Courses Voluntarily?
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Literally. Proactive education not only reflects professionalism, but it may save you significant time and money by avoiding future problems. Attorneys who complete Ethics School or CTAPP voluntarily gain:
- Insight into how the State Bar evaluates misconduct.
- Tools for building ethical systems within their firms.
- Knowledge of best practices to avoid issues.
- Documentation of their commitment to compliance.
- MCLE credit in some cases.
Whether you are building a new firm, managing client funds, or mentoring younger lawyers, these courses can make sure you have the most up to date information on best practices, help you implement those processes in your firm, and help provide you with an early-warning system to see what can go wrong - before it does.
Enrollment Information
Both courses are offered directly through the State Bar of California’s e-learning portal.
Out-of-state attorneys and non-attorney professionals (such as firm administrators or bookkeepers) may contact the State Bar directly to confirm eligibility for voluntary participation.
Our Perspective
Our firm believes in education as prevention. Knowing that these resources exist and understanding the purpose behind the State Bar’s disciplinary programs helps attorneys protect their practice and maintain the public’s trust.
By making this information accessible, we aim to build awareness, not fear. These resources remind us that ethical practice is not just about compliance; it’s about professionalism, accountability, and foresight.