State Bar Associations

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

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, area of practice, or affiliation.