San Francisco, California — On September 19, 2026 the California State Bar Board of Trustees voted to advance a strengthened version of proposed Rule 9.45.1 to the California Supreme Court. If adopted, the rule would establish California’s first Community Justice Worker (CJW) Program. The vote capped a two-day meeting in which overwhelming public support from the legal aid community persuaded Trustees to act immediately rather than defer to November, directing State Bar staff to return the following day with a revised rule reflecting what the community had said. The result was a thoughtful redline naming improvements that reflect the depth and quality of the public comments submitted this summer.
In July 2024, OneJustice joined Legal Link and the Legal Aid Association of California in convening a statewide working group of legal aid leaders to design a framework for a California CJW program — one that would allow trained, supervised community members to provide limited legal services in areas of deep unmet need, including housing stability, consumer debt defense, and worker rights. That framework was submitted to the California Supreme Court as a formal petition in December 2025. After the Court issued an administrative order in June 2026 directing the State Bar to open a 45-day public comment period, OneJustice submitted detailed written comment in support of the proposed rule and encouraged legal aid organizations across the state to do the same.
“This vote is the product of years of work by an extraordinary coalition of legal aid leaders who refused to accept the status quo. The Board of Trustees heard from our community — and they acted. The revised rule is stronger for it, with clear accountability structures, meaningful training requirements, and robust protections for clients. We are grateful to State Bar staff, and particularly to Erika Doherty and Doan Nguyen, for their responsiveness and care in translating public comment into a workable rule on an incredibly tight timeline.”
— Dana Richardson, Program Director, OneJustice
With the rule now advancing to the California Supreme Court, OneJustice looks forward to a final order that could enable legal aid organizations to begin training and certifying Community Justice Workers. As an organization with deep expertise in training, capacity building, and sector-wide convening, OneJustice is committed to helping build the infrastructure this program will need — including peer learning networks, and organizational readiness support — to reach every community in California that needs it most.
About OneJustice
OneJustice is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the capacity and expertise of the pro bono and nonprofit legal services sector to close the justice gap in California. Our work spans immigration legal services, leadership development, and sector-wide training and convening, supporting more than one million people in need each year. Learn more at onejustice.org.
Media Contact
Dana Richardson
dmarquez@one-justice.org (415) 834-0100 | onejustice.org
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