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California State Bar trustees on Thursday revived efforts to create a "regulatory sandbox" that could allow non-lawyers to develop legal services without violating professional rules governing the practice of law.

On a 9-2 vote, trustees agreed to form a working group that will consider relaxing rules barring the unauthorized practice of law, fee-sharing and non-lawyer firm ownership, all with an eye toward expanding affordable legal help.

"This is a significant step, and I think it will lead to an exciting future," board chairman Alan Steinbrecher said.

Other states, led by Utah, are pursuing regulatory changes to encourage non-lawyers to develop apps and services that could help close the legal gap between those who can afford to hire a lawyer and those who cannot. A state bar committee earlier this year had proposed that California follow the same course. But trustees in March put the brakes on such a study in California, citing "political headwinds" from lawyers and trade groups.

Following weeks of talks among bar leaders, attorneys, state lawmakers and Supreme Court representatives, a majority of trustees on Thursday rejected a compromise proposal that would have allowed the working group to study possible solutions to the legal gap but not changes to rules governing non-lawyer ownership of law firms. A majority of trustees said it wanted a full vetting of possible regulatory changes.

"We don't know what we don't know until we try it," said trustee Juan De La Cruz. "We tend to be very cautious. I'm not like that."

Trustees did not say who would serve on the group or when they might issue final recommendations.

"I'm very happy the board of trustees voted to continue work on the regulatory sandbox," said Bridget Gramme, administrative director of the Center for Public Interest Law. Gramme was a member of the Task Force on Access Through Innovation of Legal Services and co-authored a report supporting the regulatory sandbox concept. "It really shows that they're continuing to take a leadership role in that area."

Any regulatory changes will likely need the blessing of the California Supreme Court and the Legislature, a difficult challenge given that numerous legal groups, including the Consumer Attorneys of California and Public Counsel remain opposed.

Micha Star Liberty, a former state bar board member and current president of the Consumer Attorneys, said the sandbox proposal raises "huge ethical problem[s] without really increasing access to justice."

"I don't think there is a solid enough appreciation for the political requirements to get the Business & Professions codes changed," Liberty said. "There's also a fundamental and profound misunderstanding about the process and the political will to do that."