Monroe County Bar Association

What Monroe County Bar Association does

The Monroe County Bar Association (MCBA) is a nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1892 and headquartered in Rochester, NY, serving attorneys and legal professionals in the 7th Judicial District. Its core operations revolve around three interconnected activities: member services (annual membership dues on a July 1–June 30 cycle, Lawyer Referral Service, attorney directory, Casemaker legal research access, insurance offerings, confidential assistance programs, and member discounts), continuing legal education through the wholly-owned Monroe County Bar Center for Education (MCBCFE) delivered via live in-person, webcast, and on-demand self-paced formats on the SeminarWeb platform, and community/charitable work through the Foundation of the Monroe County Bar Association, which funds the DEAFund, Rochester Legal Diversity Clerkship Program, ACT For the Children, and Rochester Teen Court. The organization runs 25+ committees and sections spanning practice areas from bankruptcy to environmental law, plus access-to-justice programs serving veterans, low-income individuals through JustCause, and K-12 students through Lawyers for Learning and the Sydney R. Rubin Mock Trial Competition.

Revenue is generated through four streams: annual membership dues (subscription), CLE program fees with tiered member/non-member pricing, tax-deductible donations and grants to the Foundation, and small-scale fundraising such as restaurant raffle tickets. Distribution is primarily regional and direct-to-member, with on-demand CLE available globally through SeminarWeb. The organization does not operate proprietary technology; its technology stack consists of a website, member portal, third-party Casemaker legal research integration, and the SeminarWeb CLE delivery platform. Recent strategic emphasis has been on modernization (Value Discovery Committee, 2024), leadership development (Leadership Academy launched 2023), DEI programming (Diverse Lawyer Empowerment Initiative, 2024), and AI literacy (2023 ChatGPT CLE, 2026 AI Best Practices CLE), alongside active advocacy in rule-of-law and IOLA funding matters at the state and federal level.

Name

Monroe County Bar Association

Legal name

Monroe County Bar Association

Website

https://mcba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Monroe County Bar Association is a nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1892 in Rochester, NY, serving attorneys in the 7th Judicial District through membership services, continuing legal education, and access-to-justice and community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Legal professional membership
• Continuing legal education
• Attorney professional development
• Bar association services
• Legal community resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

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. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from attorneys and legal professionals in Monroe County. Membership year runs from July 1 through June 30.
2. CLE Program Fees: Continuing legal education programs offered to members and non-members with tiered pricing. Programs include live in-person/webcast events and self-paced online offerings through SeminarWeb catalog.
3. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible contributions to the Foundation supporting legal programs, public education, and access to justice initiatives including DEAFund, Rochester Legal Diversity Clerkship Program, ACT For the Children, and Rochester Teen Court.
4. Raffle Tickets: Restaurant raffle tickets sold for Foundation fundraising efforts - $20 each or 3 for $50.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Monroe County Bar Association is a professional membership organization for attorneys and legal professionals in Monroe County, NY (7th Judicial District). It delivers annual membership services including Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs (live, webcast, and on-demand via SeminarWeb), a weekly-updated attorney directory, lawyer referral services, Casemaker legal research access, insurance offerings, confidential assistance programs, practice forms and resources, and a career center. The organization also runs community-facing programs including the Leadership Academy, Lawyers for Learning, mock trial competitions, veterans' legal assistance, and pro bono civil legal services through its Foundation and Center for Education subsidiaries.

Product overview

The Monroe County Bar Association is a professional membership organization offering a comprehensive suite of services to legal professionals in Monroe County, NY. The organization operates as a unified bar association with multiple interconnected programs and services including: the Lawyer Referral Service, Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs via the Center for Education and Academy of Law, an online Attorney Directory, Casemaker legal research, insurance offerings, confidential assistance programs, forms and resources, career center, and the Telesca Center for Justice facility. The MCBA also runs community programs including Leadership Academy, Lawyers for Learning, and the Sydney R. Rubin Mock Trial Competition. On-Demand CLE is delivered through an integrated SeminarWeb platform. The organization is structured around committees and sections covering various legal practice areas including Bankruptcy, Elder Law, Environmental Law, Ethics, Family Law, Real Estate, and Technology & Law Practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Telesca Center for Justice: Justice center housing legal service providers and various bar programs
• MCBA Leadership Academy
• Academy of Law

Products and services

• Lawyer Referral Service
• Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
• Attorney Directory
• Casemaker Legal Research
• Insurance Offerings
• Confidential Assistance Programs
• On-Demand CLE
• Leadership Academy
• Foundation Grants
• Membership Benefits & Discounts
• Lawyers for Learning
• Sydney R. Rubin Mock Trial Competition
• Forms & Resources
• Career Center

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves attorneys in the 7th Judicial District covering Monroe County
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• JustCause (formerly Volunteer Legal Services Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJustCause works in close partnership with agencies in the Telesca Center for Justice to identify community needs and help fill gaps in available civil legal services. Provides all volunteers with training, mentorship, CLE credit for pro bono hours, and primary malpractice insurance coverage. All clients are pre-screened for income qualification and program eligibility.
• Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides volunteer placement and remote opportunities in LawNY's 13 rural counties for attorneys outside Monroe County. Looking to develop team of volunteer attorneys to help respond to community questions about CARES Act and other COVID-related legal issues.
• NYServes (National Veterans Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentrally located delivery system that seamlessly integrates all local service agencies in supporting each individual veteran entered into its database. Part of national effort to recruit volunteers to help veterans obtain VA benefits.
• American Bar Association (Veterans Task Force)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerABA has formed a veteran task force and undertaken a national effort to recruit volunteers to help veterans obtain VA benefits in selected jurisdictions. MCBA Veterans Committee aligns local efforts with ABA's national initiatives.
• New York State Bar Association (NYSBA Veterans Committee)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYSBA has formed a permanent veterans committee within the Association and issued a report documenting statewide need for specialized legal services tailored to veterans' special needs and mindful of military culture.
• GRAWA (Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lawyers' Coalition for Racial and Social Justice is a committee comprised of members of MCBA, GRAWA, and RBBA (Rochester Black Bar Association). Goal is to promote racial and social justice among local legal professionals and the community.
• RBBA (Rochester Black Bar Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTogether with GRAWA and RBBA, MCBA forms the Lawyers' Coalition for Racial and Social Justice to promote racial and social justice among local legal professionals and the community through CLEs and public programming.
• Kammholz Rossi PLLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnderwriting CLE programs for MCBA. Pre-COVID provided lunches and breakfasts for live in-person CLE programs and continued support despite lack of in-person events.
• Modica Law FirmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnderwriting CLE programs for MCBA (celebrating 25 years). Continued support despite shift from in-person to virtual programming.
• School 29minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawyers for Learning partnership with public elementary school (K-6). MCBA lawyers provide extra attention to help students improve reading and writing skills, raise funds for book bags and supplies, and provide grants for field trips and learning materials.
• Telesca Center for JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-agency legal services facility where JustCause and other legal service providers operate. MCBA Veterans Committee coordinates efforts with Telesca Center providers to address veterans' legal needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Lawline: Commercial online CLE platform offering unlimited-subscription CLE content to attorneys nationally. Competes with MCBA's on-demand SeminarWeb catalog on price, breadth, and convenience, representing the structural threat to MCBA's CLE revenue.

Direct peers

• Chicago Bar Association: Major metropolitan bar association operating CLE, lawyer referral, and member services in Cook County. Closest national analog to MCBA's full service mix at city/county scale.
• Bar Association of Erie County: Alternate reference for the Erie County, NY bar association - direct geographic and operational peer with similar CLE catalog and member-service architecture.
• Onondaga County Bar Association: Syracuse-area county bar association offering CLE, member services, and public lawyer referral. Comparable geographic scale, member services portfolio, and upstate New York legal-community focus.
• Massachusetts Bar Association: Statewide voluntary bar with CLE, sections, public education, and access-to-justice programs. Operates at a different geographic scale but mirrors MCBA's combination of professional services and public-mission programs.
• Erie County Bar Association: County bar association serving attorneys in Buffalo and Erie County, NY. Operates the same membership-CLE-referral-service-recreational-program model for a different upstate New York jurisdiction and is structurally near-identical to MCBA.
• Westchester County Bar Association: Mid-size county bar association in Westchester County, NY providing CLE, referrals, and member services. Closely analogous in structure, revenue model, and program mix to MCBA.
• New York State Bar Association (NYSBA): Statewide bar association for New York attorneys with which MCBA partners on Veterans Committee work and joint rule-of-law advocacy. Both serve attorney members with CLE, sections, and committees, but NYSBA operates at the state level rather than county level.

Broad incumbents

• New York City Bar Association: Much larger city-wide bar association frequently co-signing amicus briefs and joint statements with MCBA. Operates the same mission of professional excellence and rule-of-law advocacy but at vastly larger scale and with a national influence footprint.
• American Bar Association (ABA): National umbrella bar association with which MCBA's Veterans Committee aligns. ABA operates comparable CLE, sections, advocacy, and member-benefit functions at a national scale, including the Veterans Task Force referenced in MCBA's data.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Monroe County Bar Association