Cal. Rules of Court, rule 9.23 · Chapter 3. Attorney Disciplinary Proceedings

Enforcement as money judgment disciplinary orders directing the payment of costs and disciplinary orders requiring reimbursement of the Client Security Fund

Review required

Text — As posted by the Judicial Council of California (read October 22, 2026)

(a) Authority to obtain money judgment

Pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 6086.10(a), the State Bar is authorized to enforce as a money judgment any disciplinary order assessing costs. Pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 6086.13(c) and the State Bar Rules of Procedure, Rule 5.137, the State Bar is authorized to enforce as a money judgment any monetary sanctions order. Pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 6140.5(f), the State Bar is authorized to enforce as a money judgment any disciplinary order or final determination by the Client Security Fund requiring reimbursement to the State Bar Client Security Fund.

(b) Duty of clerk of the superior court

The State Bar may file with the clerk of the superior court of any county a certified copy of a final disciplinary order: (1) assessing costs along with a certified copy of the certificate of costs, (2) assessing monetary sanctions, or (3) requiring reimbursement to the Client Security Fund along with any record of interest accrued and processing costs, and a certified copy of the Notice of Payment of the Client Security Fund. The State Bar may also file with the clerk of the superior court of any county a certified copy of the Notice of Payment of the Client Security Fund requiring reimbursement to the Client Security Fund along with any record of interest accrued and processing costs. The clerk must immediately enter a money judgment in conformity with the order or the Notice of Payment.

The State Bar has 180 days from the date a money judgment is entered by the clerk under this rule to file a motion to amend, vacate, or stay the enforcement of the money judgment in the superior court with jurisdiction. Defendant has 180 days from the date of service of notice of entry of judgment to file a motion to amend, vacate, or stay the enforcement of the money judgment in the superior court with jurisdiction. The State Bar may also file a motion to amend, vacate, or stay the enforcement of a money judgment entered under this rule at any time in the superior court with jurisdiction for the benefit of the defendant.

(d) Power of the Supreme Court

Motions for the compromise of any money judgment entered under this rule for costs ordered pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 6086.10(a) and monetary sanctions ordered pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 6086.13(a) must, in the first instance, be filed and heard by the State Bar Court.

(e) Power of the Supreme Court

Nothing in this rule may be construed as affecting the power of the Supreme Court to alter the amounts owed.

Notes and commentary — not rule text

History

(Subd (b) amended effective April 1, 2022.)

(Subd (b) amended effective April 1, 2022; previously amended effective January 1, 2019.)

(Subd (c) adopted effective April 1, 2022.)

(Subd (d) relettered and amended effective April 1, 2022; adopted by the Supreme Court as subd (c) effective April 1. 2007.)

(Subd (e) relettered and amended effective April 1, 2022; adopted by the Supreme Court as subd (d) effective April 1. 2007.)

Rule 9.23 amended effective April 1, 2022; adopted by the Supreme Court effective April 1, 2007; previously amended effective January 1, 2019.

Source of truth

Edition: As posted by the Judicial Council of California (read October 22, 2026)
Official file: https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/nine/rule9_23
Text hash: sha256 95332f53d3f7cf7787ae2e05422e107f2c2640a90a049afa59509ecb96bbd26f
Composed by: compose_crc.py 2026-10-22: the Judicial Council's rule pages read paragraph by paragraph; verify_crc.py's second reading of the Council's per-title PDFs finds every paragraph

The Judicial Council's PDF of Title 9 (last modified June 1, 2026) prints this rule differently: the PDF also prints “Enforcement of disciplinary orders and final determinations by Client Security Fund as money judgments”; where this page prints “Compromise” the PDF prints “Amend, vacate or stay the enforcement”; the PDF also prints “a money”; and 2 more differences. The rule page's text is shown.

This rule cites

Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.

Business and Professions Code

Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.