Michigan State Bar

What Michigan State Bar does

The State Bar of Michigan is the mandatory professional bar association for all attorneys licensed to practice law in the state of Michigan, established under Michigan Supreme Court rules and headquartered at 306 Townsend Street in Lansing. Founded in 1935 and operating as a non-profit with 51-100 staff, it functions as a quasi-governmental regulatory body exercising exclusive authority over attorney licensing, ethics, and discipline, while also serving as a member services and professional development organization. Its core constituents are Michigan-licensed attorneys, law students, and members of the public seeking legal assistance.

The organization operates a multi-platform digital infrastructure including the main michbar.org website, the e.michbar.org member portal, SBM Connect community platform (connect.michbar.org), events.michbar.org event registration, store.michbar.org e-commerce, and the lrs.michbar.org Lawyer Referral Service. Member services span the Attorney Search Directory, Ethics Helpline, Lawyers & Judges Assistance Program (LJAP), Practice Management Resource Center (PMRC), Career Center, and the 2024-launched MiLawyer Podcast. Approximately 30 practice sections provide specialized communities, and 40+ Access to Justice programs extend service reach into civil legal aid. Core technology partnerships include vLex Fastcase for legal research and ICLE for continuing legal education delivery.

Revenue is generated primarily through mandatory annual license fees of $415 for active attorneys and $277.50 for inactive members (with prorated schedules for mid-year admissions), supplemented by section memberships (e.g., $55 for the Real Property Law Section), CLE event registrations ($250-$590 tiered pricing for the RPLS Summer Conference), and publications sold through the SBM store. Additional revenue derives from law student section dues ($15/year) and the Preferred Partner Program offering car rental discounts (Enterprise, Alamo, National, Avis, Budget) and other member benefits. The general public is served at no direct cost via the Lawyer Referral Service and the Michigan Legal Help self-help portal, while the Attorney Discipline Board and Attorney Grievance Commission provide regulatory enforcement.

Name

Michigan State Bar

Legal name

State Bar of Michigan

Website

https://michbar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The State Bar of Michigan is the mandatory professional bar association for all Michigan-licensed attorneys, providing regulatory oversight, licensing, ethics enforcement, professional development, and public-facing legal referral services from its Lansing headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Bar Association Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Courts & Judicial Administration (BPAIABAE)

Keywords

• Professional bar association
• Attorney licensing
• Legal ethics oversight
• Continuing legal education
• Legal member services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Attorney License Fees: Annual license fees paid by Michigan attorneys to maintain bar membership. Fees vary by status (active/inactive) and timing of admission. Members joining October 1 - March 31 pay $415 (active) or $277.50 (inactive). Members joining April 1 - September 30 pay $207.50 (active) or $138.75 (inactive). The fiscal year runs October 1 through September 30.
2. Section Memberships: Attorneys can join specialized sections (e.g., Real Property Law Section at $55 annually) for practice-specific resources, networking, and professional development.
3. Event Registrations: Revenue from educational conferences and events including the RPLS Summer Conference (registration fees of $460-$590 depending on membership status and early bird deadlines), and other CLE programs.
4. Publications and Store Sales: Sale of publications including Michigan Bar Journal (subscription included with membership), Michigan Land Title Standards, and other legal resources through the SBM store.
5. Law Student Section Dues: Law students pay $15 annually for section membership, with membership continuing through graduation until bar exam results are released.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The State Bar of Michigan is the mandatory professional bar association for all attorneys licensed to practice law in Michigan, established under Michigan Supreme Court rules. It administers attorney licensing and license renewal, enforces ethics standards, delivers professional development and continuing legal education, and operates member-facing services such as the Member Area Portal, SBM Connect community, Lawyer Referral Service, Michigan Bar Journal, MiLawyer Podcast, and section-based communities for specialized practice areas.

Product overview

The State Bar of Michigan operates as a unified membership services platform rather than a software product company. It provides attorneys with core membership management through the Member Area Portal and SBM Connect community platform, supplemented by professional development resources including the MiLawyer Podcast, Michigan Bar Journal, and ICLE partnership. Member services include the Attorney Search Directory, Lawyer Referral Service, Ethics Helpline, Career Center, and Practice Management Resource Center. Wellness support is provided through the Lawyers & Judges Assistance Program. The organization also offers member benefits including car rental discounts and the Certificate of Good Standing service. Specialized sections like the Real Property Law Section provide practice-specific resources including the annual Summer Conference and Michigan Land Title Standards. Pro bono initiatives are supported through the Pro Bono Manual and volunteer matching programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Attorney License Membership
• Lawyer Referral Service (LRS)
• MiLawyer Podcast
• Michigan Bar Journal
• Career Center
• Certificate of Good Standing
• Real Property Law Section (RPLS) Membership
• RPLS Summer Conference & SBM Educational Events
• Lawyers & Judges Assistance Program (LJAP)
• Member Discounts & Preferred Partner Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 70% of Michigan attorneys surveyed in 2007 reported doing some pro bono work
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Enterprise, Alamo, and National Car RentalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 June 2026Exclusive partnership providing State Bar of Michigan members with car rental discounts: up to 15% off at Enterprise and National, up to 20% off at Alamo. Discounts are available for both business and personal travel including court appearances, conferences, vacations, and everyday commutes.
• First American Title - National Commercial ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor of the RPLS Summer Conference 2026 at the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island. First American Title provides title insurance and settlement services for commercial real estate transactions.
• Giffels WebsterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Sponsor of the RPLS Summer Conference 2026. Giffels Webster is a Michigan-based civil engineering and planning firm.
• PEA GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of the RPLS Summer Conference 2026. PEA Group is a Michigan-based professional engineering firm.
• FNF - Family of Companies, Midwest Title, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Rocket Close, Stout, TransnationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Sponsors of the RPLS Summer Conference 2026. These are title insurance, financial, and government housing development organizations.
• Avis and Budget Car RentalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExisting partnerships providing car rental discounts to State Bar of Michigan members, in addition to the new Enterprise, Alamo, and National partnership.
• vLex FastcasecoreTechnology or IntegrationLegal research database partnership providing State Bar members with access to vLex Fastcase for case law, statutes, and legal research. Available through the member portal.
• ICLE (Institute for Continuing Legal Education)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMichigan's primary provider of continuing legal education, offering live seminars, webinars, and self-study courses. SBM integrates ICLE resources for member CLE requirements.
• Michigan State Bar FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Michigan State Bar Foundation provides funding and support for access to justice initiatives, legal aid programs, and the Justice Gap report documenting unmet civil legal needs in Michigan.
• Legal Services Corporation (LSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal nonprofit corporation established by Congress to provide funding and support for civil legal aid to Americans. LSC-funded legal aid programs in Michigan work with the State Bar on pro bono initiatives.
• 40+ Access to Justice ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan's network of legal aid programs providing civil legal services to low-income residents. These programs coordinate with SBM on pro bono referrals, malpractice coverage through MI-LAPP, and access to justice initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Florida Bar: Florida's mandatory unified bar, established by the Florida Supreme Court. Most directly comparable to the State Bar of Michigan in structure, regulatory authority, member services portfolio (sections, CLE, ethics helpline, journal), and mandatory dues model.
• State Bar of California: California's mandatory integrated bar, run as an arm of the California Supreme Court. Highly comparable in mandatory licensing, discipline, member services, and revenue model, though substantially larger in scope and member base.
• State Bar of Texas: Texas's mandatory integrated bar under the Texas Supreme Court. Closely matches SBM's regulatory duties, mandatory membership structure, and member services stack (sections, CLE, lawyer referral).
• Illinois State Bar Association: A unified state bar (mandatory in Illinois via court rule) that operates a parallel portfolio of sections, CLE programs, ethics resources, publications, and access-to-justice initiatives comparable to SBM.
• New York State Bar Association: A prominent (voluntary) state bar association offering sections, CLE, lawyer referral, ethics opinions, and publications — closely overlapping with SBM's product set, though structured as voluntary rather than mandatory membership.
• State Bar of Wisconsin: Wisconsin's integrated (mandatory) bar, similarly governed under state Supreme Court rules. Comparable in licensing, member benefits (sections, CLE, ethics), and Wisconsin Bar publications.
• Pennsylvania Bar Association: Voluntary statewide bar that nonetheless delivers member services (sections, CLE, public legal education, Lawyer Referral Service) directly comparable to those of the State Bar of Michigan.
• Ohio State Bar Association: Ohio's voluntary integrated bar organization with parallel functions to SBM — licensing support, sections, CLE, ethics helpline, public legal education, and member benefits.

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association: National voluntary professional association for the U.S. legal profession. Provides overlapping products (CLE, journals, ethics opinions, model rules, sections) and competes for member mind-share — broader scope but no state-level regulatory authority.

Others

• ICLE (Institute of Continuing Legal Education): Michigan's primary CLE provider and an SBM core partner. Adjacent ecosystem participant delivering seminars, webinars, and self-study CLE courses that complement — and partially compete with — SBM's member education offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mistatebar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Michigan State Bar