Memphis Bar Association

What Memphis Bar Association does

The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) is a nonprofit professional membership organization serving licensed attorneys and judges in the Memphis and Shelby County area. Founded in 1874, the MBA marked its 150th anniversary and operates from headquarters in the BankTennessee Building in downtown Memphis with a small staff (1-10 employees). Its core mission is to support the professional development, networking, and continuing education needs of the local legal community, alongside quasi-regulatory functions such as the annual Judicial and Court Clerk Qualification Poll and attorney-client fee dispute resolution.

The MBA's product portfolio centers on three pillars. First, continuing legal education is delivered through two channels: an on-demand SeminarWeb catalog accessible to members and non-members, and live in-person CLE courses held at the MBA office or external venues, with per-course pricing ranging from $105 to $165 by membership tier. Second, the annual Bench Bar Conference in Destin, FL serves as the flagship multi-day networking and CLE event, drawing MBA Members at $500, YLD Members at $325, and guests at $625 per registration. Third, the association provides infrastructure for the legal community through a public Lawyer Directory, a Mediator Directory, a legal job board, the 901Legal Connect public legal-referral platform, Legal Clinics, the Memphis Lawyer Magazine, the MBA BarTalks Podcast, and member-only programs including the Leadership Forum, MBA 100 Club, Small Firm 100 Club, Young Lawyers Division (YLD), and the SLIP student loan interest program.

The MBA's revenue model is overwhelmingly membership- and event-driven. Annual membership dues from attorneys form the recurring base, supplemented by CLE registration fees, Bench Bar Conference registrations, and event sponsorships, with BankTennessee standing out as a recurring financial sponsor and physical host of the headquarters. The go-to-market is community-led — the MBA recruits attorneys through networking, CLE programming, YLD activities, and member referrals, then retains them through recurring benefits and an annual renewal cycle. Pricing is tiered by membership status (YLD Member, MBA Member, Non-MBA Member, Law Student) and published transparently on the website, with no proprietary technology platform disclosed beyond the SeminarWeb integration and standard Zoom-based virtual event delivery.

Name

Memphis Bar Association

Legal name

Memphis Bar Association

Website

https://memphisbar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Memphis Bar Association is a 150-year-old nonprofit professional membership organization serving lawyers and judges in the Memphis/Shelby County area. It provides continuing legal education, networking events, judicial qualification polling, lawyer directories, and the annual Bench Bar Conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Professional bar association
• Continuing legal education
• Attorney membership services
• Legal professional development
• Lawyer referral directory

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from attorneys and legal professionals in the Memphis area
2. CLE Program Fees: Continuing Legal Education courses offered both in-person and on-demand through SeminarWeb catalog, generating registration fees from members and non-members
3. Event Registration: Annual Bench Bar Conference and other events with registration fees, including different rates for members, YLD members, judges, and guests
4. Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities for Bench Bar Conference and other MBA events, with sponsorship packets available for purchase

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Memphis Bar Association is a nonprofit professional membership association that sells annual attorney memberships and delivers continuing legal education, networking events, and practice-support services to lawyers and judges in the Memphis/Shelby County area. Its core paid offerings are membership dues, CLE courses (live and on-demand via SeminarWeb), and the annual Bench Bar Conference, complemented by free public resources such as a Lawyer Directory, Mediator Directory, Job Board, and Legal Clinics.

Product overview

The Memphis Bar Association offers a unified suite of member services for legal professionals in the Memphis area. The core offerings include a Lawyer Directory for public attorney search, a Job Board for legal industry employment, and MBA Membership providing access to professional development, networking groups (Leadership Forum, MBA 100 Club, Young Lawyers Division), wellness resources, and member benefits. The organization delivers CLE (Continuing Legal Education) through two channels: SeminarWeb for on-demand self-paced courses, and Upcoming CLEs for live in-person and online events. The annual Bench Bar Conference serves as a flagship networking and CLE event. Additional services include Legal Clinics, a Mediator Directory, 901 Legal Connect, Memphis Lawyer Magazine, MBA Podcast, Fee Disputes resolution, and SLIP student loan assistance. All members can access the Member Center Portal for managing their account, CLE history, and payments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SeminarWeb: Online CLE catalog and on-demand continuing legal education platform operated by the Memphis Bar Association
• Memphis Lawyer Magazine
• MBA Podcast
• Judicial & Court Clerk Qualification Poll
• Memphis Bar Foundation

Products and services

• MBA Membership
• SeminarWeb CLE Catalog (On-Demand CLE)
• Upcoming CLEs (Live CLE Programming)
• Bench Bar Conference
• Lawyer Directory
• Job Board
• Mediator Directory
• Legal Clinics
• 901 Legal Connect
• Fee Disputes Service
• Memphis Lawyer Magazine
• MBA Podcast (Bar Talks)
• Young Lawyers Division (YLD)
• SLIP (Student Loan Interest Program)
• Judicial & Court Clerk Qualification Poll

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SeminarWebcoreTechnology or IntegrationSeminarWeb provides the online CLE catalog platform for the MBA, enabling on-demand continuing legal education courses accessible to members anytime.
• BankTennessee (Sponsorship)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBankTennessee provides financial sponsorship for MBA events and programs, appearing in sponsor listings on the MBA website and event materials.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Houston Bar Association: Large metropolitan bar association with analogous product mix — CLE catalog, lawyer directory, sections, and pro bono clinics — making it a structural comp on scale and service breadth.
• Atlanta Bar Association: Peer metropolitan bar association in the Southeast operating CLE, lawyer referral, and member programs with a comparable GTM centered on local attorney membership.
• New York City Bar Association: Major metropolitan bar association running CLE, lawyer referral, pro bono, and member services. Comparable professional association model with similar product breadth including lawyer directory and mediator directory.
• Chicago Bar Association: Historic metropolitan bar association (founded 1874) serving Chicago attorneys with CLE programming, lawyer referral services, and member benefits. Highly analogous institutional and product model to MBA.
• Bar Association of San Francisco: Metropolitan voluntary bar serving Bay Area attorneys with similar mix of CLE, sections, lawyer referral, and member programming. Direct structural peer to MBA.
• Nashville Bar Association: Metropolitan bar association serving Nashville attorneys with CLE, networking, member services, and a Lawyer Directory. Closest comparable operating model to Memphis Bar Association in a different Tennessee city.

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association: National voluntary bar association offering CLE, publications, sections, and member benefits at scale. Operates as the broad incumbent in legal professional services against which metropolitan bars like MBA position their localized value.
• Practising Law Institute (PLI): Major national CLE provider offering live and on-demand continuing legal education courses. Competes with the MBA's SeminarWeb catalog and live CLE programming for attorney education spend.
• West LegalEdcenter (Thomson Reuters): National on-demand CLE platform serving attorneys in multiple jurisdictions. Adjacent competitor that pressures the MBA's CLE revenue by offering credits outside the Memphis market.

Regional players

• Tennessee Bar Association: Statewide voluntary bar association for Tennessee attorneys. Operates as a peer professional membership organization offering CLE, member benefits, and section programming, serving a broader Tennessee geography rather than just the Memphis metro.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Memphis Bar Association