Supervising Accountant

Regulation Division - Client Trust Account Protection Program (CTAPP)

2025 Annual Salary Range: $112,497 - $149,972 

Exempt / Union Represented

This position allows for up to four days of remote work per week.

About the Office 

The Division of Regulation ensures State Bar licensees comply with obligations imposed by the State Bar Act, the Rules of Court, and the Rules of the State Bar, including annual reporting and registration, licensing fee, Client Trust Account Protection Program (CTAPP), and Minimum Continuing Legal Education requirements. The CTAPP was established to help protect client funds held in trust by California attorneys through detection and deterrence of client trust accounting misconduct. The Division also registers law corporations and, limited liability partnerships, certifies minimum continuing legal education providers and lawyer referral services, and maintains the official roll of attorneys on behalf of the California Supreme Court—the records of all attorneys licensed to practice in California. The Division focuses on proactive regulation by recommending laws and promulgating rules to support the ethical practice of law and conducts preventative education and provides resources and programs on licensee’s professional responsibility obligations through e-learning, live presentations, publications, and other content, as well as through the Ethics Hotline, which offers ethics research assistance to licensees. Finally, the Division includes the Lawyer Assistance Program-Support Services, which provides education on competence and attorney wellness, as well as short-term counseling and support groups for legal professionals. The division also supports key committees and working groups that provide ethics guidance, and address policy and rule changes.

About the Position

The CTAPP Supervising Accountant plays an important role in developing and refining a new public protection program established to protect client funds held in trust by California attorneys through detection and deterrence of client trust accounting misconduct. This position involves supervising compliance review and investigative audit work performed by both internal and external accountants. The CTAPP Supervising Accountant will design investigative audit procedures, make determinations about the outcomes of compliance reviews and investigative audits, which may include corrective action plans or referrals to the Office of Chief Trial Counsel. Effective communication, exercising sound judgment in addressing sensitive compliance issues, and a strong knowledge of accounting principles and auditing standards are essential for this position.

Definition  

With minimum direction, the Client Trust Account Protection Program (CTAPP) Supervising Accountant supervises complex investigative audits of attorney trust accounts to confirm licensee compliance with applicable laws, including the Rules of Professional Conduct. Responsibilities include designing enhanced investigative audit procedures to be performed by the CTAPP Accountants; approving recommended mandatory corrective action plans; making referrals to the Office of Chief Trial Counsel; coordinating with MAAD to facilitate research, data collection, and complex data analysis; conducting internal performance and monitoring oversight of external and internal accountants; developing management systems, functions, policies, and procedures, including evaluating the impact of agreed-upon procedures; planning and supporting the implementation of unique projects and initiatives; and other functions as assigned. The CTAPP Supervising Accountant may act as an individual contributor or serve in a lead capacity over project teams or individual professional, technical, and support staff. 

Distinguishing Characteristics 

This classification is distinguished from the lower-level CTAPP Senior Accountant in that the CTAPP Supervising Accountant assumes greater and more complex responsibility for assuring the activities of the assigned major programs or functions are completed in accordance with the procedures and policies of the Bar and for development and implementation of refining and advancing procedures to detect and deter violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The CTAPP Supervising Accountant duties involve highly complex and sensitive issues and are expected to work with minimal direction.

Examples of Essential Duties 

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:                

• Oversees and supervises difficult, sensitive, and complex compliance and financial review procedures of licensees’ trust accounting records.
• Ensures accuracy of information and effectively communicates findings both verbally and in writing; prepares reports of findings.