The American Bar Association: What It Is and What It Does
The largest voluntary association of lawyers in the country — what it is, who can join and what it costs, and the influential work it does that reaches every US lawyer, member or not.
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What Is the American Bar Association?
The American Bar Association (ABA), founded in 1878, is the largest voluntary association of lawyers and law students in the United States. Membership is optional — the ABA does not license attorneys, which is done state by state — but the organization is influential: it accredits US law schools, publishes model ethics rules that most states draw on, runs continuing legal education and practice-area sections, and advocates on legal-profession and rule-of-law issues.
A crucial point of confusion worth clearing up: the ABA does not license lawyers. Admission to practice is handled state by state, through each state’s bar association and highest court. What the ABA does is set standards and provide services — it accredits ABA-accredited law schools, publishes the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct that most states draw on, approves ABA-approved paralegal programs, and advocates on legal-profession and rule-of-law issues.
ABA Membership: Who Can Join and What It Costs
ABA membership is open to lawyers, judges, law students, paralegals, and legal-affiliated professionals, with tiered dues that vary by years in practice and status (law students typically join free). Membership provides access to CLE programming, practice-area sections and divisions, publications, and networking, but it is separate from — and not a substitute for — admission to a state bar.
CLE, Sections, and Conferences
Much of the ABA’s day-to-day value to members comes through three channels. Its continuing legal education (CLE) programming helps lawyers meet the ongoing education their states require. Its sections, divisions, and forums organize members by practice area — from litigation to taxation to intellectual property — each publishing resources and hosting events. And its conferences and meetings, including a large annual meeting, bring members together for programming and governance. Membership is what unlocks these, but it remains separate from, and no substitute for, admission to a state bar.
The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship
Among the ABA’s programs is the Legal Opportunity Scholarship, which supports law students from groups that have historically been underrepresented in the legal profession, helping to fund their legal education. It is one example of the association’s broader pipeline and diversity work. Because eligibility criteria, award amounts, and deadlines change year to year, anyone interested should confirm the current terms on the ABA’s official site rather than relying on a secondhand summary.
The Rule of Law Initiative (ROLI)
The ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ROLI) is the association's international development program, working in dozens of countries on legal reform, human rights, and access to justice; it now operates within the ABA's Center for Global Programs.
ABA Model Rules and Standards
Perhaps the ABA’s most far-reaching work is the model standards it drafts. The best known are the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, the template most states use as the basis for their binding legal-ethics rules. The ABA has no power to enforce them — each state’s highest court decides whether and how to adopt them — but their influence on how American lawyers must behave is hard to overstate.
We are not affiliated with the American Bar Association. Program details, scholarships, and dues change; confirm current information on the ABA’s official site. Nothing here is legal advice, and ABA membership is not a license to practice law — that comes from your state. Back to the Legal Journal homepage.