What Philadelphia Bar Association does

The Philadelphia Bar Association is a nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1802 and headquartered at 1101 Market Street, 10th Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It serves approximately 12,000 legal professionals in the Philadelphia metropolitan area through a portfolio of member programs and public-facing services. Two internal divisions anchor the offering: the Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS), which has matched consumers with screened attorneys across 13+ languages since 1948, and the Member Center, which delivers continuing legal education (CLE), publications, career services, and advocacy programming.

The Association's core products include the Decisis legal research tool (powered by LexisNexis and provided free to members at a stated $1,788 value), an on-demand CLE catalog exceeding 334 self-paced programs plus live webcasts, the PBA Career Center connecting employers with 11,300+ legal professionals, the Bench-Bar & Annual Conference (up to 9.5 CLE credits over two days), and the "Meeting the Moment" civic advocacy initiative covering voting rights, immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, education, and disability rights. Supporting offerings include publications (Philadelphia Lawyer, Philadelphia Bar Reporter, The Legal Directory), ethics opinions, podcasts, and a Professional Guidance Hotline.

Revenue derives primarily from membership dues (recurring), CLE program fees (member price $45–$110 versus non-member $80–$130; law-student tiers $35–$45), LRIS referral fees, event/conference registrations, and affiliate referral income from Annual Partners including LexisNexis (Decisis), Alevistar Legal Search, Bit X Bit, and USI Affinity (insurance). Distribution is conducted through the philadelphiabar.org website, the LRIS website and phone intake, social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky), YouTube, podcasts, and direct email. Governance is overseen by a Board of Governors and an elected Chancellor, with 2025 leadership under Chancellor Katayun I. Jaffari and 2026 leadership under Chancellor Ezra Wohlgelernter; the organization operates regionally with no disclosed plans for geographic expansion beyond the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Name

Philadelphia Bar Association

Legal name

Philadelphia Bar Association

Website

https://philadelphiabar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1802

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Philadelphia Bar Association is a 1802-founded nonprofit professional membership organization serving approximately 12,000 legal professionals in the Philadelphia metropolitan area through CLE programs, a LexisNexis-powered legal research tool, a 70+-year-old lawyer referral service, career services, advocacy programming, and publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Bar Association Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Legal professional association
• Continuing legal education
• Lawyer referral services
• Legal research tools
• Bar membership services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to member benefits, CLE programs, networking, and professional development resources.
2. CLE Program Fees: Continuing Legal Education programs offered as live webcasts and on-demand courses. Members pay reduced rates while non-members pay higher fees. Course prices range from $35-$190 depending on program and membership status.
3. Lawyer Referral Service: The LRIS connects clients with lawyers for a referral fee. The service covers areas including business law, consumer law, personal injury, criminal law, employment law, real estate, estate planning, family law, civil rights, immigration, and intellectual property.
4. Events and Conferences: Revenue from Bench-Bar Annual Conference, special events, section events, and annual meetings. The 2026 Bench-Bar conference offers up to 9.5 CLE credits over two days.
5. Member Benefits and Discounts: Member rates on various products and services including insurance, car rentals, office supplies, and professional services through partner programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Philadelphia Bar Association is a nonprofit professional membership association serving approximately 12,000 attorneys in the Philadelphia region. Its core offerings are (1) membership benefits and professional community, (2) the Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) matching the public with screened lawyers since 1948, and (3) Continuing Legal Education programming through 334+ on-demand courses and live/webcast programs including the annual Bench-Bar Conference.

Product overview

The Philadelphia Bar Association offers a membership-based platform providing legal professional services. The core offerings include the Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) for matching clients with qualified attorneys, and Decisis, a LexisNexis-powered legal research tool provided free to members. The Association delivers CLE programming through both on-demand (334+ courses) and live/webcast formats, including the annual Bench-Bar Conference. Additional services include the PBA Career Center connecting legal professionals with employers, the Meeting the Moment program focused on democracy and rule of law advocacy, and various publications including the Philadelphia Lawyer, Philadelphia Bar Reporter, and Legal Directory. The organization serves approximately 12,000 members with resources spanning professional development, advocacy, and public legal education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) A referral service that matches members of the public with carefully screened and qualified lawyers across practice areas including business law, consumer law, personal injury, criminal law, employment law, real estate, estate planning, family law, civil rights, immigration, and intellectual property. Available 24/7 through online referral requests and by phone at (215) 238-6333 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm ET) with multilingual support including ASL.
• Decisis Legal Research Tool A fast legal research tool powered by LexisNexis, provided free to Philadelphia Bar Association members (valued at $1,788). Features a Google-like search interface, split-screen functionality, three search methods (terms, operators, citation), a world-class citator, and tailored search filters.
• On-Demand CLE Self-paced online continuing legal education (CLE/CJE) catalog with 334+ courses covering civil rights, criminal law, employment law, ethics, family law, real property, technology/cybersecurity, wellness, and more. Members pay $45-$110 and non-members pay $80-$130; law student pricing $35 (members) and $45 (non-members).
• Live / Live-Webcast CLE Live and live-webcast continuing legal education programming, including the Bench-Bar & Annual Conference offering up to 9.5 CLE/CJE credits. Delivered both in-person at Association events and via live webcast.
• PBA Career Center An online career platform connecting legal employers in the Philadelphia region with 11,300+ legal professionals via job postings and resume submission at careercenter.philadelphiabar.org.
• Philadelphia Lawyer Publication An official publication of the Philadelphia Bar Association delivering legal news, analysis, and Association updates to members and the legal community.
• Philadelphia Bar Reporter An official publication of the Philadelphia Bar Association providing news, notices, and information for members and the bar.
• The Legal Directory A directory publication of the Philadelphia Bar Association providing legal resources, attorney information, and referral references.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully matching clients with carefully screened and qualified lawyers for more than 70 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LexisNexiscoreTechnology or IntegrationLexisNexis powers the Decisis legal research tool provided free to Philadelphia Bar Association members - a $1,788 value. Decisis offers Google-like search interface, split-screen functionality, three search methods, and a world-class citator.
• Alevistar Legal SearchminorOthersAnnual Partner of the Philadelphia Bar Association, providing legal search services to members.
• Bit X BitminorOthersAnnual Partner providing technology services to Philadelphia Bar Association members.
• USI AffinityminorOthersAnnual Partner and insurance provider for the Philadelphia Bar Association, offering member insurance programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania Bar Association: The statewide counterpart serving Pennsylvania attorneys. Operates the same bar-association model (CLE, member services, sections, advocacy) at the state level, and directly overlaps with PBA's Philadelphia-area membership base.
• New Jersey State Bar Association: Regional bar association serving New Jersey attorneys with the same bundle of CLE programs, sections, events, member benefits, and lawyer referral services that PBA provides in Philadelphia.
• Chicago Bar Association: Major city-level bar association serving Chicago-area attorneys. Comparable scale and product mix — CLE catalog, member benefits, referral service, committees, and events — making it one of the closest operational peers to PBA.
• New York State Bar Association: Large voluntary state bar association offering CLE, publications, lawyer referral, sections, and advocacy. Directly comparable operating model and revenue mix to PBA, scaled to New York State attorneys.
• Maryland State Bar Association: Statewide bar association providing CLE, publications, lawyer referral, and advocacy to Maryland attorneys. Operates the same member-services + CLE + referral revenue structure as PBA.
• Boston Bar Association: City-level professional bar association serving Greater Boston attorneys with CLE programs, sections, public-service initiatives, and member events. Closely mirrors PBA's regional, member-driven operating model.
• Los Angeles County Bar Association: One of the largest county bar associations in the U.S., serving LA-area attorneys with CLE, lawyer referral, sections, and member benefits. Comparable scale of operations and product breadth to PBA.

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association: The national professional association for lawyers in the United States. ABA is the broad incumbent in the same category — serving legal professionals with CLE, publications, ethics opinions, advocacy, and member benefits — but at a national rather than city-wide scale.

Emerging players

• Practising Law Institute: National CLE provider offering subscription-based continuing legal education across practice areas. Competes directly with PBA's CLE catalog on price and convenience for attorneys who can fulfill credits outside their local bar association.

Regional players

• Delaware State Bar Association: Regional bar association serving Delaware attorneys. Smaller scale than PBA but operates the same bar-association product set (CLE, sections, member benefits), useful as a regional comparison.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2TO7wZgoTeI8y0Od0KW9lg
• Facebookfacebook.com/philadelphiabar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/philadelphia-bar-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/philabarassociation
• Xx.com/PhilaBar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Philadelphia Bar Association