You are excited to graduate, to pass the bar, and to be sworn in as a licensed attorney in North Carolina, but did you know there are requirements other than passing the bar and getting sworn in?

Although this information is readily available on a variety of websites, finding the answers to questions may be overwhelming for a newly licensed attorney.

Below is a quick preview of organizations you will be required or recommended to join and information on dues that must be paid.

NC State Bar

Membership in the NC State Bar is mandatory. You are an active member of the North Carolina State Bar as soon as you complete all the requirements for admission set forth by the Board of Law Examiners, even before you are sworn in. As an active member of the North Carolina State Bar, you are required to pay the annual mandatory membership fees and complete the annual mandatory CLE requirements. For more information on these requirements and to learn how to petition to become an inactive member of the State Bar, see the Membership FAQ’s and Continuing Legal Education FAQ’s.

For 2020, the annual fees are $325. This includes the membership dues ($300) and the Client Security Fund assessment ($25). The amount of the dues is established each October by the State Bar Council pursuant to the authority granted to the council by the General Assembly in NCGS §84-34.

There is no grace period for new attorney dues.

When attending a CLE, pay close attention to who is sponsoring the CLE and whether that sponsor covers the North Carolina State Bar’s $3.50/hour credit hour fee. If they do not, you will be responsible for paying that fee.

Local District Bar

Membership is mandatory. Every active member of the State Bar who resides in North Carolina must be a member of the judicial district bar where they reside or practice. The State Bar automatically assigns you to a local district bar based on your address on record with the State Bar unless you request a different district in a letter or email to the membership department.

Contact your judicial district for the annual fee.

Local City, Regional, County or Specialty Bar Associations

Membership is voluntary. These bars are for lawyers and judges who practice within a particular region, particular field or have common demographic interests.

One exception is the Mecklenburg County Bar, a county bar that is a mandatory judicial district bar.

North Carolina Bar Association

Membership in the North Carolina Bar Association is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended. The NCBA is the state’s largest voluntary membership organization of lawyers, judges, paralegals and law students dedicated to serving the public and the legal profession. Attorneys newly admitted as members of the N.C. State Bar receive two years of free NCBA membership.

NCBA Membership Rates

Attorneys: 1-2 years licensed: $0 | 3-5 years: $180

April 21, 2021/by NCBA YLD