California Bar Moral Character Application Forum

[legallybrunette94]

Hi friends,

I submitted my moral character app on May 14th. There's nothing that should hold up my application except for a low credit score.

Do you think I'll be cleared before bar results come out on November 15th?

If anyone wants to post their timeline of when they applied/got cleared, that would be super helpful!

[ReasonablePersonSSC]

Hi friends,

I submitted my moral character app on May 14th. There's nothing that should hold up my application except for a low credit score.

Do you think I'll be cleared before bar results come out on November 15th?

If anyone wants to post their timeline of when they applied/got cleared, that would be super helpful!

Mine took 175 days from the date of the I took the paper copies to the US Post Office until the day I received a positive determination email.

[yespasscbx]

Hi friends,

I submitted my moral character app on May 14th. There's nothing that should hold up my application except for a low credit score.

Do you think I'll be cleared before bar results come out on November 15th?

If anyone wants to post their timeline of when they applied/got cleared, that would be super helpful!

Have you received the notice of application completion? If not yet, you probably need more patience ...

[legallybrunette94]

Hi friends,

I submitted my moral character app on May 14th. There's nothing that should hold up my application except for a low credit score.

Do you think I'll be cleared before bar results come out on November 15th?

If anyone wants to post their timeline of when they applied/got cleared, that would be super helpful!

Have you received the notice of application completion? If not yet, you probably need more patience ...

I haven't gotten an email yet regarding completion. I'm not upset that I haven't heard back yet because I know it's only been 4 months since I applied. But I'm just nervous it won't come back before bar results and was wondering how likely it is that it will come through before then.

[yespasscbx]

Hi friends,

I submitted my moral character app on May 14th. There's nothing that should hold up my application except for a low credit score.

Do you think I'll be cleared before bar results come out on November 15th?

If anyone wants to post their timeline of when they applied/got cleared, that would be super helpful!

Have you received the notice of application completion? If not yet, you probably need more patience ...

I haven't gotten an email yet regarding completion. I'm not upset that I haven't heard back yet because I know it's only been 4 months since I applied. But I'm just nervous it won't come back before bar results and was wondering how likely it is that it will come through before then.

If you take a look at the timelines posted in this thread, you'll find that the notice of app completion is usually received within 3 months since app is submitted (especially for those who get approved around 180 days). And if your app is not officially recognized as 'completed', your case does not move forward; so ...

[RoddyAA]

Hi friends,

I submitted my moral character app on May 14th. There's nothing that should hold up my application except for a low credit score.

Do you think I'll be cleared before bar results come out on November 15th?

If anyone wants to post their timeline of when they applied/got cleared, that would be super helpful!

Have you received the notice of application completion? If not yet, you probably need more patience ...

I haven't gotten an email yet regarding completion. I'm not upset that I haven't heard back yet because I know it's only been 4 months since I applied. But I'm just nervous it won't come back before bar results and was wondering how likely it is that it will come through before then.

If you take a look at the timelines posted in this thread, you'll find that the notice of app completion is usually received within 3 months since app is submitted (especially for those who get approved around 180 days). And if your app is not officially recognized as 'completed', your case does not move forward; so ...

I would call and ask what's going on. I submitted in March, and hadn't got the email regarding completion for several months. I called, they told me it was still processing, but then the next day I got an email saying my application was missing something. I fixed that the next day, submitted it, and within a couple hours I got the FILED email.

[WhatsUP?]

Hi friends,

I submitted my moral character app on May 14th. There's nothing that should hold up my application except for a low credit score.

Do you think I'll be cleared before bar results come out on November 15th?

If anyone wants to post their timeline of when they applied/got cleared, that would be super helpful!

I am in the same boat. I submitted mine towards the end of May. I called three weeks ago and they said that it is still in "the initial stages of review but that it can take up to six months." So fingers crossed. Other than the acknowledgement email I haven't received anything else.

[WhatsUP?]

Hi friends,

I submitted my moral character app on May 14th. There's nothing that should hold up my application except for a low credit score.

Do you think I'll be cleared before bar results come out on November 15th?

If anyone wants to post their timeline of when they applied/got cleared, that would be super helpful!

Have you received the notice of application completion? If not yet, you probably need more patience ...

I haven't gotten an email yet regarding completion. I'm not upset that I haven't heard back yet because I know it's only been 4 months since I applied. But I'm just nervous it won't come back before bar results and was wondering how likely it is that it will come through before then.

If you take a look at the timelines posted in this thread, you'll find that the notice of app completion is usually received within 3 months since app is submitted (especially for those who get approved around 180 days). And if your app is not officially recognized as 'completed', your case does not move forward; so ...

I sure hope I get notified of something soon! I am waiting to get sworn in. I feel like it can't get here soon enough! But, I know that it is a process. Fingers crossed!

[Moabit]

I sure hope I get notified of something soon! I am waiting to get sworn in. I feel like it can't get here soon enough! But, I know that it is a process. Fingers crossed!

Don't just wait, even if you have a perfect fingering technique. Call and ask (and then call again and ask -- there will be a different person on the phone next time, eventually you will get someone who knows what they are doing) if your application is missing anything. They always tell you to check back after 180 days. And when you call as instructed, they might finally tell you, oh by the way, here is this crap that is missing, you need to provide it before your application can be considered filed. And guess what? The actual 180-day waiting period starts when it is filed. So be vigilant with the great state of California.

[WhatsUP?]

I sure hope I get notified of something soon! I am waiting to get sworn in. I feel like it can't get here soon enough! But, I know that it is a process. Fingers crossed!

Don't just wait, even if you have a perfect fingering technique. Call and ask (and then call again and ask -- there will be a different person on the phone next time, eventually you will get someone who knows what they are doing) if your application is missing anything. They always tell you to check back after 180 days. And when you call as instructed, they might finally tell you, oh by the way, here is this crap that is missing, you need to provide it before your application can be considered filed. And guess what? The actual 180-day waiting period starts when it is filed. So be vigilant with the great state of California.

Good tip. I will call again. Thanks.

[yespasscbx]

Hi, can friends who submitted your apps before May 31th kindly let me know if you've all received the notice of application completion? I submitted mine in June, and I'm curious to know where I am in the waiting line ... I wish all those before me are moving forward so that I can move forward, too Thanks!

[Moabit]

Hi, can friends who submitted your apps before May 31th kindly let me know if you've all received the notice of application completion? I submitted mine in June, and I'm curious to know where I am in the waiting line ... I wish all those before me are moving forward so that I can move forward, too Thanks!

What does the status of your application say on the website?

[yespasscbx]

Hi, can friends who submitted your apps before May 31th kindly let me know if you've all received the notice of application completion? I submitted mine in June, and I'm curious to know where I am in the waiting line ... I wish all those before me are moving forward so that I can move forward, too Thanks!

What does the status of your application say on the website?

It is still 'Submitted'. I called last week and was basically told to sit tight and wait, so I wanted to know my position in the waiting line.

[Moabit]

May be they are just taking their time to send you an email that your application is filed and to change its status to "under internal review." But call them again and ask specifically if there is anything missing. (Most likely you will get a different person on the phone next time, so there should be no embarrassment.) 5 months seems to be too long for that "filed" notice, given what other people reported. I filed my own application at the end of March and only when I called at 6+ mo mark did I get an email (shortly thereafter) that there was something missing. I sent my docs the next day and in a few days received the "filed" email. Nothing after that, however.

[jackstraw92]

I submitted in early June, so right around the 5 month mark now - still no change in status from "submitted." I called and asked but nothing appears to be missing. Are we sure they're still sending notice of application completes/changing statuses to "filed" since the system changed sometime in the spring? If so, maybe the processing is just taking even longer now

[WhatsUP?]

May be they are just taking their time to send you an email that your application is filed and to change its status to "under internal review." But call them again and ask specifically if there is anything missing. (Most likely you will get a different person on the phone next time, so there should be no embarrassment.) 5 months seems to be too long for that "filed" notice, given what other people reported. I filed my own application at the end of March and only when I called at 6+ mo mark did I get an email (shortly thereafter) that there was something missing. I sent my docs the next day and in a few days received the "filed" email. Nothing after that, however.

So, I filed my Moral Character on May 27th. On November 1st, I received an email from the State Bar informing me that I had to submit and Addendum to provide some additional information. But, it wasn't until I logged onto my AIMS account that I noticed that the status had changed to "under internal review." I wonder how long it will be now?

[Moabit]

May be they are just taking their time to send you an email that your application is filed and to change its status to "under internal review." But call them again and ask specifically if there is anything missing. (Most likely you will get a different person on the phone next time, so there should be no embarrassment.) 5 months seems to be too long for that "filed" notice, given what other people reported. I filed my own application at the end of March and only when I called at 6+ mo mark did I get an email (shortly thereafter) that there was something missing. I sent my docs the next day and in a few days received the "filed" email. Nothing after that, however.

So, I filed my Moral Character on May 27th. On November 1st, I received an email from the State Bar informing me that I had to submit and Addendum to provide some additional information. But, it wasn't until I logged onto my AIMS account that I noticed that the status had changed to "under internal review." I wonder how long it will be now?

I believe you should soon receive an email that your application is now considered filed/completed and that they won't be able to provide a status of the investigation until more than 90 days has elapsed. Over the phone they say it should not take that long, so go figure.

[yespasscbx]

May be they are just taking their time to send you an email that your application is filed and to change its status to "under internal review." But call them again and ask specifically if there is anything missing. (Most likely you will get a different person on the phone next time, so there should be no embarrassment.) 5 months seems to be too long for that "filed" notice, given what other people reported. I filed my own application at the end of March and only when I called at 6+ mo mark did I get an email (shortly thereafter) that there was something missing. I sent my docs the next day and in a few days received the "filed" email. Nothing after that, however.

I'll call again this week, hoping a different person on the phone to give me some insights. Have your employers and references been contacted? If so, I believe you're moving forward substantively in the line.

[Moabit]

I'll call again this week, hoping a different person on the phone to give me some insights. Have your employers and references been contacted? If so, I believe you're moving forward substantively in the line.

I know at least some of them were contacted shortly after I submitted my application, but some people on this board think that not all employees/references are contacted at the same time.

[Anonymous User]

I submitted prior to March and received my notice of completion in Aug. I called them recently and they told me to just wait that they were still reviewing apps prior to mine, but that my app was not incomplete. Other people who submitted after March just this past week received the notice of completion. So it seems like they’re taking longer now? Doesn’t look good.

[lordmac69]

Here's my timeline:

4/8/19: Application Submitted
10/1/19: Notice received via email that application is complete/filed
10/23/19: Introduction to investigator - I called right when I got the email and was told I needed to submit additional documentation, which I did immediately.
11/4/19: Received call from Investigator asking for more info and documentation, which I submitted right away.

Hoping I get that clearance soon!

[WhatsUP?]

Here's my timeline:

4/8/19: Application Submitted
10/1/19: Notice received via email that application is complete/filed
10/23/19: Introduction to investigator - I called right when I got the email and was told I needed to submit additional documentation, which I did immediately.
11/4/19: Received call from Investigator asking for more info and documentation, which I submitted right away.

Hoping I get that clearance soon!

So, I am confused. Is receiving an email stating that your application is incomplete and not considered filed until a deficiency is resolved (i.e. by submitting specifically requested information) different than an investigator contacting you to inform you that you need to submit further information?

So, the next email I should receive is one stating that my application is complete? And then after that I will receive another email from an investigator?

[yespasscbx]

Thanks friends for sharing your timelines. It's surprising (and frustrating) to know that they're still reviewing 'not incomplete' applications submitted before March ...

[yespasscbx]

Here's my timeline:

4/8/19: Application Submitted
10/1/19: Notice received via email that application is complete/filed
10/23/19: Introduction to investigator - I called right when I got the email and was told I needed to submit additional documentation, which I did immediately.
11/4/19: Received call from Investigator asking for more info and documentation, which I submitted right away.

Hoping I get that clearance soon!

So, I am confused. Is receiving an email stating that your application is incomplete and not considered filed until a deficiency is resolved (i.e. by submitting specifically requested information) different than an investigator contacting you to inform you that you need to submit further information?

So, the next email I should receive is one stating that my application is complete? And then after that I will receive another email from an investigator?

My understanding is that there're two stages.

Initial review concludes that you've sent in all documents listed, and you receive a notice of completion (i.e. your app is formally filed). In this stage they don't really review the contents of your documents.

Then second stage is investigator's reading your documents word by word and requesting additional information and explanations if necessary.

[Hopeful29clerk]

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