State bar association

Sign outside the Massachusetts Bar Association in Boston

A state bar association is a bar association that represents or seeks to represent the attorneys practicing law in a particular U.S. state. Their functions differ from state to state, but often include administration of the state bar examination, regulation of Continuing Legal Education and other requirements, and discipline of attorneys for ethical or other violations. State bars typically provide services for members such as maintaining a directory of attorneys in the state, facilitating social events for attorneys, publishing a bar journal and providing classes to fulfill these CLE credits requirements.

Voluntary and mandatory bars

Headquarters of the District of Columbia Bar

A mandatory or integrated bar association is one to which a state delegates the authority to regulate the admission of attorneys to practice in that state; typically these require membership in that bar association to practice in that state. Mandatory bars derive their power from legislative statute and/or from the power of the state court system to regulate practice before it.

In the other states, membership in the bar associations is voluntary. In some states, a mandatory organization exists primarily for the purpose of regulating admission to practice, while a voluntary organization exists for other purposes. For example, in Virginia, the Virginia State Bar is the mandatory organization and the Virginia Bar Association is voluntary.

There are many bar associations other than state bar associations. Usually these are organized by geography (e.g. county bar associations), area of practice, or affiliation (e.g. ethnic bar associations).

Continuing Legal Education requirements

The rules of most state bar associations require members to complete Continuing Legal Education ("CLE") requirements.,^[1] and also offer courses for lawyers in their area, with discounts to members of the particular bar association. A great many organizations offer CLE programs, including most or all state bar associations. Uniquely, the Kentucky Bar Association offers a two-day program known as Kentucky Law Update, conducted in at least seven locations throughout the state, that allows its members to satisfy their annual CLE requirement without a registration fee.^[2]

References

↑ "MCLE Credit Requirements by State". Practising Law Institute. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
↑ "About KLU (Kentucky Law Update)". Kentucky Bar Association. Retrieved 2008-11-01.

External links

List of State Bar Associations, courtesy Hieros Gamos

State bar associations

Unified State Bars	Alabama State Bar Alaska Bar Association State Bar of Arizona State Bar of California District of Columbia Bar The Florida Bar State Bar of Georgia Hawaii State Bar Association Idaho State Bar Kentucky Bar Association Louisiana State Bar Association State Bar of Michigan The Mississippi Bar The Missouri Bar State Bar of Montana Nebraska State Bar Association State Bar of Nevada New Hampshire Bar Association State Bar of New Mexico North Carolina State Bar State Bar Association of North Dakota Oklahoma Bar Association Oregon State Bar Rhode Island Bar Association South Carolina Bar State Bar of South Dakota State Bar of Texas Utah State Bar Virginia State Bar Washington State Bar Association State Bar of Wisconsin Wyoming State Bar

Voluntary State Bars	Arkansas Bar Association Colorado Bar Association Connecticut Bar Association Delaware State Bar Association Illinois State Bar Association Indiana State Bar Association Iowa State Bar Association Kansas Bar Association Maine State Bar Association Maryland State Bar Association Massachusetts Bar Association Minnesota State Bar Association New Jersey State Bar Association New York State Bar Association North Carolina Bar Association Ohio State Bar Association Pennsylvania Bar Association Tennessee Bar Association Vermont Bar Association Virginia Bar Association

U.S. Commonwealth Bar Associations	American Samoa Bar Association Guam Bar Association Northern Mariana Islands Bar Association Bar Association of Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Bar Association

National Minority Bar Associations	National Native American Bar Association Hispanic National Bar Association National Asian Pacific American Bar Association National Bar Association Puerto Rican Bar Association

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