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Bar association


 
 

United States

Membership in the bar is a privilege burdened with conditions.

-Benjamin N. CardozoBenjamin N. Cardozo

Benjamin Nathan Cardozo was a distinguished American jurist who is remembered not only for his landmark decisions on neglige...
, In re Rouss, 221 N.Y. 81, 84 (1917)

In the United States, admission to the barAdmission to the bar in the United States

In the United States, admission to the bar is permission granted by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in...
 is permission granted by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. This is to be distinguished from membership in a bar association.
In the United StatesUnited States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is...
, some states require bar association membership for all attorneys, while others do not.
Mandatory, integrated or unified bar associations
Some states require membership in the state's bar association to practice law there. Such an organization is called a mandatory, integrated, or unified bar. They exist at present in a slight majority of U.S. stateU.S. state Summary

A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to as a state which, along with the Dist...
s, including AlabamaAlabama

Alabama is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. ...
, AlaskaAlaska

Alaska is a U.S. state, located on the northwest tier of North America....
, ArizonaArizona

Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States....
, CaliforniaCalifornia

California is a state spanning the southern half of the west coast of the contiguous United States....
, FloridaFlorida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the southeastern United States....
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state) Summary

For the country, see Georgia . For other uses, see Georgia ....
, IdahoIdaho

Idaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States....
, KentuckyKentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a U.S....
, LouisianaLouisiana

cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"> Louisiana is a Southern state of the United States of America. ...
, MichiganMichigan

Michigan is a Midwestern state of the United States, located in the east north central portion of the country....
, MississippiFacts About Mississippi

Mississippi is a southern state of the United States....
, MissouriMissouri

Missouri named after the Missouri Siouan Indian tribe meaning "town of the large canoes", is a central state in the United ...
, MontanaMontana

Montana is a state in the Pacific Northwest and Great Plains regions of the United States....
, NebraskaNebraska

Nebraska is a Great Plains state of the United States....
, NevadaNevada

Nevada is a state located in the western United States, best known for its widespread legalization of gambling and gaming in...
, New HampshireNew Hampshire Overview

The State of New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States....
, New MexicoNew Mexico Overview

New Mexico is a southwestern state in the United States of America....
, North DakotaNorth Dakota

North Dakota is a Midwestern state in the United States....
, OregonOregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States....
, Rhode IslandRhode Island

The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is the smallest state by land area in the United States, and the state...
, South DakotaSouth Dakota

South Dakota is a Midwestern state in the United States....
, TexasTexas

Texas is a state in both the Southern and Western region of the United States of America....
, UtahUtah

Utah is a U.S. state located in the western United States....
, VirginiaVirginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is one of the original thirteen colonies of the United States that revolted against British ru...
, WashingtonWashington

Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States....
, West VirginiaWest Virginia

West Virginia is a state of the United States in the region of Appalachia, also known as The Mountain State....
, WisconsinWisconsin

Wisconsin is a state in the United States, located in the Midwest....
, and WyomingWyoming

Wyoming is a state of the western United States....
. The District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto RicoPuerto Rico

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , also Porto Rico and more commonly Puerto Rico, is a United States territory w...
, GuamGuam Overview

Guam , officially the U.S. Territory of Guam, is an island in the Western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorpor...
 and the Northern Mariana IslandsNorthern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in polit...
 also have unified bars.

In some states, like Wisconsin, the mandatory membership requirement is implemented through an order of the state supreme courtState supreme court

In the United States, the state supreme court is the highest state court in the state court system....
, which can be revoked or cancelled at any time at the court's discretion. In others, like Oregon, the state legislature passed a law and created a new government agencyGovernment agency

A government agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organisation in the machinery of government that is responsible for the...
. California went farther than any other state and wrote the State Bar of CaliforniaState Bar of California Summary

The State Bar of California is California's official bar association....
 into its constitutionCalifornia Constitution Overview

The California Constitution is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the...
.

The first state to have an integrated bar association was North DakotaNorth Dakota

North Dakota is a Midwestern state in the United States....
 in 1921.
Voluntary bar associations
A voluntaryVoluntary association

A voluntary association is a group of individuals who voluntarily enter into an agreement to form a body to accomplish a pur...
 bar association is a private organization of lawyers. Each chooses its own purposes (e.g. social, educational, and lobbying functions), but does not regulate the practice of law or admit lawyers to practice.

There is a statewide voluntary bar association in every state that has no mandatory or integrated bar association. There are also many voluntary bar associations organized by city, county, or other community. Such associations are often focused on common professional interests (such as bankruptcyBankruptcy Overview

Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their creditors....
 lawyers or in-house counsel) or common ethnicEthnic group

An ethnic group is a human population whose members identify with each other, usually on the basis of a presumed common gene...
 interests (such as genderGender

The word gender describes the state of being male, female, or neither....
, race, religionReligion

Religion is a system of social coherence based on a common group of beliefs or attitudes concerning an object, person, unsee...
, or nationNation

One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations....
al heritage), such as the . The American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association

The American Bar Association is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisd...
 is the voluntary bar association with the largest membership. Such associations often advocate for law reform and provide information, pro bonoPro bono

Pro bono is a phrase derived from Latin meaning "for the good"....
 services or a lawyer referral serviceLawyer referral service

A lawyer referral service is typically offered by state and local bar associations as a public service....
 to the general public.

There is no mandatory federal bar association; the Federal Bar AssociationFederal Bar Association Summary

The Federal Bar Association is the primary voluntary professional organization for private and government lawyers and judges...
 is a private, voluntary group.

Most American law schools have a Student Bar AssociationStudent Bar Association Overview

Student Bar Association is the common name for the student governing body at many law schools....
 that fulfills various functions including serving as the student government

Judges

JudgeJudge

A judge or justice is an official who presides over a court....
s may or may not be members of the bar. Etymologically, they sit "on the bench", and the casesLegal case

A legal case is a dispute between opposing parties resolved by a court, or by some equivalent legal process....
 which come before them are "at bar" or "at bench". Many states in the United States require that some or all judges be members of the bar; typically these limit or completely prohibit the judges from practicing law while serving as a judge.

The U.S. Constitution contains no requirement that Federal judges or Supreme Court justices be members of the bar. However, there are no modern instances of the President nominating or the Congress approving any candidate who is not a member of any bar. There are various professional associations of judges, such as the , that perform some of the educational and other service functions of bar associations.

Commonwealth

See Bar councilBar council

A bar council in a Commonwealth country and in the Republic of Ireland is a professional body that regulates the profession ...



In CanadaCanada

Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, occupying most of northern North America....
, one is called to the barCall to the bar

The Call to the Bar is a term of art in most common law jurisdictions....
after undertaking a post law schoolLaw school

A law school is an institution specializing in legal education....
 training in a provincialProvince Overview

Province is a name for a subnational entity. ...
 law society program, and undergoing an apprenticeshipApprenticeship

Apprenticeship is a traditional method, still popular in some countries, of training a new generation of skilled crafts prac...
 or taking articles. Legal communities are called provincial law societiesLaw society

A Law Society in Commonwealth jurisdictions is an association of lawyers which has a regulatory role which includes the righ...
, except for Nova ScotiaNova Scotia

Nova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast....
, where it is called the "", and QuebecQuebec

Quebec, or Qubec in French, In 1898, the Canadian Parliament passed the first Quebec Boundary Extension Act that expan...
, where it is called the Barreau du QuebecBarreau du Quebec

The Barreau du Qubec is a provincial bar association for lawyers in Quebec, Canada....
.

In IndiaIndia

India , officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia....
 under the legal framework set established under the , a law graduate is required to be enrolled with the Bar Council of IndiaBar Council of India

The Bar Council of India is an autonomous body in India which governs the legal/law institutions in India....
. The process of enrollment is delegated by the Bar Council of India to the state Bar Councils wherein almost each state has a Bar Council of its own. Once enrolled with a State Bar Council, the law graduate is recognized as an AdvocateFacts About Advocate

An advocate is one who speaks on behalf of another, especially in a legal context, and particularly in reference to the syst...
 and thereupon is entitled to appear and practice before any court in India. There is no formal requirement for further membership of any Bar Association. However Advocates do become members of various local or national bar associations for reasons of recognition and facilities which these associations offer. Besides the Bar Council of India, other known Bar Associations in India are "All India Bar Association" and "Supreme Court Bar Association". Each State and local court generally also has a Bar Association of its own, like the "Delhi High Court Bar Association" "Bombay High Court Bar Association" etc.

In PakistanPakistan Overview

Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan , is a country located in South Asia that overlaps with the Gre...
, one becomes a member of the bar after fulfilling certain requirements. He or she must have a valid law degreeLaw degree

A Law degree is the degree conferred on someone who successfully completes studies in law....
 from a recognized university, and must offer certain undertakings and pay the Bar Association fees. If a person does not hold an LL.M Degree he or she must first complete six months pupillagePupillage

The pupillage, in England and Wales, is the barrister's equivalent of the 'training contract' that a solicitor undertakes....
 with a practising Advocate, whom he or she must have assisted on at least ten cases during a six-month pupillage period.

Etymological history

The use of the term bar to mean "the whole body of lawyers, the legal profession" comes ultimately from EnglishEngland

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
 custom. In the early 16th century, a railing divided the hall in the Inns of CourtInns of Court

The Inns of Court, in London, are the professional associations to one of which every English barrister must belong....
, with students occupying the body of the hall and readers or bencherBencher

A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court....
s on the other side. Students who officially became lawyers crossed the symbolic physical barrier and were "admitted to the bar". Later, this was popularly assumed to mean the wooden railing marking off the area around the judge's seat in a courtroom, where prisoners stood for arraignment and where a barristerBarrister

A barrister is a lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions who principally, but not exclusively, represents litigants as...
 stood to plead. In modern courtrooms, a railing may still be in place to enclose the space which is occupied by legal counselCounsel

A counsel or a counsellor gives advice, more particularly in legal matters....
 as well as the criminalCriminal law

Criminal law is the body of statutory and common law that deals with crime and the legal punishment of criminal offenses....
 defendantDefendant

A defendant or defender is any party who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff or pursuer in a civil laws...
s and civilCivil law (common law)

In the common law, civil law refers to the area of law involving relations between private individuals....
 litigants who have business pending before the court.

See also

Generally

  • DisbarmentDisbarment

    Disbarment is a penalty for lawyers....
  • Student Bar AssociationStudent Bar Association Summary

    Student Bar Association is the common name for the student governing body at many law schools....
  • Barristers in England and WalesBarristers in England and Wales

    Barristers in England and Wales are one of the two categories of lawyer in England and Wales, the other being solicitors....


Selected voluntary bar associations

  • American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association

    The American Bar Association is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisd...
  • Boston Bar AssociationBoston Bar Association

    The ' is a volunteer non-governmental organization that traces its origins to meetings convened by John Adams, the lawyer wh...
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Commonwealth Lawyers AssociationCommonwealth Lawyers Association

    The Commonwealth Lawyers Association was founded in 1983 to group professional and academic lawyers from Commonwealth countr...
  • Minnesota State Bar AssociationMinnesota State Bar Association

    The Minnesota State Bar Association is a professional association of lawyers, judges, and other legal practitioners, such as...
  • New Zealand Bar AssociationNew Zealand Bar Association

    The New Zealand Bar Association is a voluntary association of lawyers in New Zealand who practise at the independent bar as ...


Selected mandatory bar associations

  • Honorable Society of King's Inns
  • State Bar of CaliforniaState Bar of California Summary

    The State Bar of California is California's official bar association....
  • State Bar of TexasState Bar of Texas

    The State Bar of Texas is an agency of the judiciary under the administrative control of the Texas Supreme Court....
  • Florida Bar
  • Washington State Bar AssociationWashington State Bar Association

    The Washington State Bar Association is the statewide bar association of Washington State....


Bar association equivalents

  • Bar councilBar council Overview

    A bar council in a Commonwealth country and in the Republic of Ireland is a professional body that regulates the profession ...
  • Law societyLaw society

    A Law Society in Commonwealth jurisdictions is an association of lawyers which has a regulatory role which includes the righ...


External links

  • , courtesy Hieros Gamos


United States



Commonwealth of Nations



Civil law and similar jurisdictions