Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers

What Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers does

The Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (APRL) is a nonprofit bar association founded in 1990 and headquartered (mailing address) in Sacramento, California. It serves approximately 485 U.S. lawyers who practice in the niche of professional responsibility, legal ethics, and lawyer disciplinary law, including bar counsel, law firm professional responsibility partners, in-house ethics counsel, and academic ethicists. The association operates as a member-supported trade body rather than a commercial enterprise.

APRL's core deliverables are two annual conferences (the Annual Meeting in August and the Mid-Year Meeting in January/February), amicus briefs filed in matters affecting lawyer regulation (e.g., Perkins Coie v. DOJ, April 2026), public statements on regulatory and policy issues (e.g., on Executive Orders, March 2025), submissions to the American Bar Association such as the Model Rule 5.4 Report (December 2024), and the Ethics Video publication priced at $150 institutional and $30 individual. Operational technology is conventional association SaaS: GrowthZone for member management, L-Soft LISTSERV for the ~406-subscriber listserv, and Cloudinary for media hosting. Governance is provided by an 11-member volunteer Board of Directors.

The business model rests on individual membership dues ($225 standard / $475 sustaining), conference registration fees (~$425/registrant), law firm and legal-service sponsorships from a small set of repeat sponsors, merchandise sales, and ancillary publication revenue. APRL pursues strategic partnerships with the American Bar Association (flagship), the Law Society of England & Wales, NOBC, and NCPO to extend its reach. The association sustains itself with minimal paid staff, relying on volunteer leadership and contractor support, which keeps the operating cost base low but caps scaling velocity.

Name

Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers

Legal name

Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers

Website

https://aprl.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

APRL is a 35-year-old nonprofit bar association of approximately 485 U.S. lawyers specializing in legal ethics, professional responsibility, and disciplinary law, delivering conferences, amicus advocacy, and ABA policy submissions to its specialist membership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Ethics Professional Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDABADAA

Anti-Bribery & Anti-Corruption (ABAC)

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Compliance, Ethics & Regulatory Training

Keywords

• Legal ethics association
• Professional responsibility lawyers
• Attorney disciplinary defense
• Legal ethics continuing education
• Bar association membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: Recurring annual individual membership dues priced at $225 per year for Regular Members and $475 per year for Sustaining Members (annual dues + $250 sustainability contribution). Renewed each year.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Registration fees for the Annual Meeting (Members $425, Non-members $545) and Mid-Year Meeting. Differentiated pricing between members and non-members.
3. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship packages for the Annual Meeting and Mid-Year Meeting, sold to law firms and legal-industry vendors for visibility and recognition.
4. Ethics Video Sales: One-time downloads of the APRL Ethics Video at $150 for non-members and $30 for APRL members (discounted member pricing).
5. Member Store / Merchandise: APRL-branded merchandise sold through a third-party storefront (merchlink.com) at https://merchlink.com/collections/association-of-professional-responsibility-lawyers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

APRL is a nonprofit bar association that sells annual memberships (US$225 Regular / US$475 Sustaining) to lawyers, law professors, judges, and others focused on legal ethics and professional responsibility. Its membership bundles a searchable Active Member Directory, a private 406-subscriber LISTSERV for daily ethics exchange, member-discounted CLE-eligible conferences (Annual Meeting and Mid-Year Meeting), a downloadable 13-scenario Ethics Video teaching product, access to Board-approved public statements and amicus briefs, and eligibility for biennial Kettlewell and Ostermiller lifetime-achievement awards.

Product overview

APRL (Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, pronounced "April") is a 501(c)-style nonprofit bar association formed in 1990 and composed of more than 400 members, rather than a software vendor. Its overall offering is a single unified membership association that bundles several named programs and resources around its core "APRL Membership" (Annual Membership US$225 / Sustaining Membership US$475): the "Active Member Directory" (searchable roster of members), the "APRL Listserv" (private email list with ~406 subscribers for daily ethics discussion), the "APRL Ethics Video" (downloadable 13-scenario teaching product), the recurring "APRL Annual Meeting" and "APRL Mid-Year Meeting" conferences, the "APRL Public Statements & Amicus Briefs" program, the "Legal Ethics Resources Hub", the "APRL News & Announcements" feed, the "APRL Store" (merchandise), and the lifetime-achievement "Kettlewell Award Program" (est. 2010) and "Ostermiller Award Program" (est. 2024). The membership is the core product; the events, publications, listserv, directory, teaching video, awards, and statement/amicus work are interlocking member benefits and policy outputs of the association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• APRL Annual Membership Annual membership (US$225) granting lawyers, law professors, judges, and others interested in legal ethics access to the member directory, private listserv, member-only resources, member pricing on events and products, CLE eligibility, and eligibility for APRL leadership and awards.
• APRL Sustaining Membership Premium upgrade tier (US$475 total = US$225 annual dues + US$250 sustainability contribution) that supports APRL's long-term planning in exchange for special directory listing, badge recognition at meetings, special recognition at events, and an APRL swag item.
• Active Member Directory Searchable online directory of 485 APRL members, filterable by alphabet, geography (state/province with radius search), and practice categories; publicly accessible to help prospective clients locate legal-ethics counsel.
• APRL Listserv Members-only L-Soft LISTSERV-based email discussion list (listserv.aprl.net) with 406 subscribers providing daily candid exchange of information on legal ethics and professional responsibility topics.
• APRL Ethics Video Downloadable teaching aid of 13 ethics scenarios with introductory statements scripted and acted by APRL members; covers situations requiring assessment under specified ABA Model Rules; approximately one hour; targeted at law professors, legal educators, and risk-management/insurance professionals.
• APRL Annual Meeting Recurring in-person flagship CLE conference hosted each August with member ($425) and non-member ($545) registration tiers; covers MSO/ABS regulation, succession planning, AI use policies, Rule of Law issues, and the NextGen Bar Exam.
• APRL Mid-Year Meeting Recurring in-person CLE conference hosted each February; 2026 edition scheduled February 5-7, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
• APRL Public Statements & Amicus Briefs Board-approved public statements, position papers, and amicus curiae briefs addressing matters of legal ethics, professional responsibility, judicial conduct, and rule-of-law issues (e.g., Perkins Coie v. DOJ, Bahlul v. United States, ABA Model Rule 5.4 report).
• Legal Ethics Resources Hub Curated webpage linking APRL members to external professional-responsibility resources including Freivogel on Conflicts, the ABA Ethics 2000 Commission, the National Organization of Bar Counsel, and the National Client Protection Organization.
• APRL News & Announcements Member-hub news feed that publishes APRL announcements, position statements, and updates to members.
• APRL Store Online merchandise storefront operated via Merchlink offering APRL-branded items to members and the public.
• Kettlewell Award Program Lifetime-achievement award established in 2010 by APRL's Board of Directors to recognize APRL members who have achieved a distinguished legal career in legal ethics and professional responsibility, made significant contributions to APRL, and exemplify professionalism.
• Ostermiller Award Program Lifetime-achievement award established in 2024 by APRL's Board of Directors to recognize APRL members for distinguished legal careers in legal ethics and professional responsibility combined with sustained volunteer service to APRL.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members and the public can search a directory of 485 APRL attorneys for legal ethics advice.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• American Bar Association (ABA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPRL maintains formal liaisons to eight ABA committees: Center for Professional Responsibility Coordinating Council (David Majchrzak), Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility (Tyler Maulsby), Standing Committee on Public Protection on the Provision of Legal Services (Gabriel Miller), Standing Committee on Lawyer's Professional Liability (Charles Jones), Standing Committee on Professional Regulation (Andrew Ricke), Commission on IOLTA (Kaylin Whittingham), Standing Committee on Lawyer Assistance Programs / CoLAP (Tracy Kepler), and New Lawyers Steering Committee (Randall Tesser). APRL submitted the Future of Lawyering Subcommittee's Report on Model Rule 5.4 to ABA President William Bay and endorses ABA Model Rule revisions.
• Law Society of England and WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPRL co-hosted the 2023 Law Society of England and Wales Joint Meeting (APRL Photo Gallery references "2023 Law Society of England and Wales Joint Meeting"). APRL mission includes offering "on a regular basis legal ethics and professional responsibility conferences outside the United States that focus on transnational legal ethics practice."
• National Organization of Bar Counsel (NOBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOBC is listed under APRL's Quick Legal Ethics Links as a partner organization to APRL members dealing with lawyer regulation and disciplinary matters.
• National Client Protection Organization Inc. (NCPO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCPO is listed under APRL's Quick Legal Ethics Links as a resource partner for client-protection matters.
• ABA Center for Professional Responsibility / Ethics 2000 CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed under APRL's Quick Legal Ethics Links and ABA Ethics Resources as a primary reference partner for ethics rules and Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
• Buchanan Research (BR)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 2026 Annual Meeting sponsor of APRL (logo file BR_Primary_Lockup_RGB displayed on APRL homepage).
• Hinshaw (HK)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 2026 Annual Meeting sponsor of APRL (logo file HKLogo_Blue-CMYK).
• Isaacson CompassminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 2026 Annual Meeting sponsor of APRL.
• Robinson, Stewart, Montgomery & Doppke LLC (RSMD)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 2026 Annual Meeting sponsor; the firm employs APRL President-Elect Sari Montgomery and Board member James A. Doppke.
• Pansky Markle Attorneys at LawcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 2026 Mid-Year Meeting sponsor (PanskyMarkle-Logo-Box-OL). The firm employs APRL past president Ellen Pansky, a Sustaining Member.
• Manifest LawminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 2026 Mid-Year Meeting sponsor of APRL.
• Mindfulness in LawminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 2026 Mid-Year Meeting sponsor of APRL, aligned with the Task Force on Mental Health & Attorney Wellness.
• GrowthZone (member management software vendor)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationAPRL's website and Member Information Hub are powered by GrowthZone; member directory, event registration, sponsorship management, and member billing all run on GrowthZone infrastructure (members.aprl.net / associationofprofessionalresponsibilitylawyers.growthzoneapp.com / GrowthZone CMS). APRL footer credits "Site by GrowthZone."
• L-Soft (LISTSERV technology vendor)coreTechnology or IntegrationAPRL's member email list runs on L-Soft LISTSERV 17.5 hosted at listserv.aprl.net; the page is "Powered by LISTSERV" with admin tools provided by lsoft.com.
• Merchlink (merchandise storefront)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAPRL-branded merchandise is hosted and fulfilled by Merchlink at merchlink.com/collections/association-of-professional-responsibility-lawyers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Association of Bar Executives (NABE): U.S. association of bar association executives focused on the management and operations of bar associations. Adjacent to APRL in the bar-association ecosystem, serving the operational side rather than the ethics-practitioner side.
• Association of Legal Administrators (ALA): U.S. association for legal management professionals with adjacent CLE, publications, and credentialing offerings. Sits in the same broader legal-professional-association ecosystem that APRL occupies, but serves law firm operations rather than ethics specialists.

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association (ABA): The largest U.S. legal professional association with broad coverage of legal ethics through its Center for Professional Responsibility and Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Overlaps significantly with APRL's ethics-policy, CLE, and rule-making missions, but at vastly greater scale and scope.
• The Florida Bar: One of the largest U.S. state bar associations with an active ethics and professional responsibility arm. Provides ethics opinions, CLE, and disciplinary support that overlap with APRL's member services, but as part of a broad regulatory mandate.
• International Bar Association (IBA): Global federation of bar associations and law societies with a substantive Bar Issues Commission addressing legal ethics and professional responsibility. Comparable in mission (lawyer regulation and ethics) but global in scope and far larger.

Direct peers

• National Client Protection Organization (NCPO): U.S. organization dedicated to client protection and lawyer discipline, also linked by APRL as a resource partner. Targets the same disciplinary/consumer-protection side of legal ethics that many APRL members practice.
• National Organization of Bar Counsel (NOBC): U.S. association of bar counsel and lawyer regulators focused on disciplinary proceedings and professional regulation. Listed as a direct partner on APRL's Quick Legal Ethics Links and serves the same regulatory/lawyer-discipline domain that APRL's ethics and disciplinary defense members practice in.
• Center for Professional Responsibility (ABA): The ABA's dedicated center for legal ethics, professional discipline, and law-practice regulation, with which APRL maintains formal liaison relationships. The closest mission-aligned peer for APRL's policy, Model Rule, and CLE work, but housed within the much larger ABA.

Regional players

• Law Society of England and Wales: The professional body for solicitors of England and Wales, with which APRL co-hosted a 2023 joint meeting on transnational legal ethics. Operates in the same legal-ethics/practitioner-regulation space but from a UK base.
• Canadian Bar Association (CBA): Canada's national legal professional association with active ethics and professional responsibility sections. Comparable in mission to APRL (professional responsibility and ethics) but operating as the general national bar rather than a niche ethics specialty bar.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ethicslawyers
• Facebookfacebook.com/ethicslawyers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers