North Carolina State Bar

What North Carolina State Bar does

The North Carolina State Bar, established July 1, 1933, is a state governmental regulatory agency headquartered at 217 East Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC. It operates under statutory authority granted by N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 84 and is the sole body with jurisdiction to license and regulate attorneys in North Carolina, currently overseeing a membership of more than 35,000 licensed lawyers. The organization is governed by a State Bar Council under oversight of the North Carolina Supreme Court and General Assembly, and it operates through a network of 44 judicial district bars across the state, supported by approximately 108 employees.

The State Bar administers a unified suite of regulatory and member services. Core programs include lawyer licensing and discipline (via an 18-lawyer / 8-nonlawyer Disciplinary Hearing Commission), the Lawyer Search and Directory, Paralegal Certification, Continuing Legal Education course search and sponsor management, Legal Specialization board certification (bankruptcy, elder law, business law, and other practice areas), Fee Dispute Resolution, the Attorney-Client Assistance Program (ACAP), the Client Security Fund, free trust accounting and billing software for members, ethics opinions and Rules of Professional Conduct, Unauthorized Practice of Law enforcement, the IOLTA program funding civil legal aid, the Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) for substance abuse and mental health, and the Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP) program. Distribution is primarily through the ncbar.gov website, a self-service member portal at portal.ncbar.gov, and publications including The Journal. The organization is ADA-compliant under Title II of the ADA and holds an affiliated nonprofit, the North Carolina State Bar Foundation, that supports capital and programmatic initiatives.

The revenue model is recurring subscription in nature, funded almost entirely by mandatory annual membership dues from licensed North Carolina lawyers, supplemented by program-related fees (CLE sponsor administration, paralegal certification, specialization certification, trust account services). The State Bar is a governmental entity with no parent company, no private equity ownership, and no venture funding; revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

North Carolina State Bar

Legal name

North Carolina State Bar

Website

https://ncbar.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The North Carolina State Bar is the state governmental regulatory agency that licenses and disciplines the more than 35,000 lawyers practicing in North Carolina, administering ethics oversight, CLE, legal specialization, fee dispute resolution, and public protection programs from its Raleigh headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Regulatory Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector) (BPAIABAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

State/Provincial Courts & Judicial Administration (BPAIABAE)

Keywords

• Legal professional regulation
• Attorney licensing services
• Legal ethics oversight
• Continuing legal education
• Lawyer discipline administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh, NC

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Lawyer Membership Dues: Annual membership dues collected from over 35,000 licensed lawyers to fund State Bar operations, regulatory activities, and member programs.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The North Carolina State Bar is a state governmental regulatory agency that licenses and regulates more than 35,000 lawyers in North Carolina under statutory authority (N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 84). It enforces the Rules of Professional Conduct, administers the disciplinary system, provides continuing legal education oversight, certifies paralegals and legal specialists, and operates public protection programs such as fee dispute resolution, the Client Security Fund, and the Lawyer Assistance Program.

Product overview

The North Carolina State Bar is a regulatory body that administers a comprehensive suite of services for regulating over 35,000 licensed lawyers and protecting the public. The organization operates a unified platform of member services including Lawyer Search and Directory, Paralegal Certification Program, Continuing Legal Education (CLE), Legal Specialization Program, Lawyer Discipline Services, Fee Dispute Resolution Program, Attorney-Client Assistance Program (ACAP), Client Security Fund, Free Trust Accounting and Billing Software, Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP), Ethics Opinions and Rules, Unauthorized Practice of Law Enforcement, IOLTA, and Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP). These programs work together to ensure lawyer compliance, provide public protection, support professional development, and resolve disputes within the legal profession.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NC State Bar: Common abbreviation for North Carolina State Bar used in communications and branding

Products and services

• Lawyer Search and Directory Online directory enabling the public to search for licensed lawyers and board-certified legal specialists in North Carolina.
• Paralegal Certification Program Certification program for paralegals including certification, renewal, retired status, and CPE sponsor oversight administered by the Board of Paralegal Certification.
• Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Professional development courses for lawyers including course search, reporting compliance, professionalism for new admittees, and CLE sponsor management.
• Legal Specialization Program Board certification program recognizing lawyer proficiency in specialty practice areas such as bankruptcy law, elder law, and business law.
• Lawyer Discipline Services Disciplinary process including grievance filing, hearings, orders of discipline, and the Disciplinary Hearing Commission composed of 18 lawyers and 8 nonlawyers.
• Fee Dispute Resolution Program Mediation service helping clients and lawyers settle disputes over legal fees and expenses at no cost.
• Attorney-Client Assistance Program (ACAP) Program helping clients and lawyers resolve difficulties or disputes using means other than formal grievance or civil litigation processes.
• Client Security Fund Fund providing reimbursement to clients who have suffered financial loss due to lawyer misconduct.
• Free Trust Accounting and Billing Software Complimentary software provided to lawyers for managing trust account accounting and billing compliance.
• Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP) Program providing legal assistance to military personnel and their families, including military law articles and legal contacts.
• Ethics Opinions and Rules Governing Rules of Professional Conduct, adopted ethics opinions, proposed opinions, and ethics advice services for lawyers.
• Unauthorized Practice of Law Enforcement Investigation and action on allegations of unauthorized practice of law by non-attorneys, including website document provider registration.
• IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts) Program generating funds from interest on client trust accounts to support legal aid organizations, governed by an IOLTA Board of Trustees under the State Bar Council.
• Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) Support program for lawyers dealing with substance abuse, mental health, or other issues affecting their ability to practice law, administered at nclap.org.

Quantifiable outcome

• Protects public and justice system for over 35,000 licensed lawyers

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Bar Association (ABA) - Division of Bar ServicesminorOthersThe ABA Division of Bar Services provides resources and support for state and local bar associations. The NC State Bar references this organization as a resource for bar leaders.
• National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP)minorOthersNCBP provides resources and programs for bar association leaders. The NC State Bar references this organization as a resource for judicial district bar leadership.
• North Carolina Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts (IOLTA) ProgramcoreOthersThe IOLTA program is administered by the State Bar to generate funds for civil legal aid. The program is governed by an IOLTA Board of Trustees under the State Bar Council.
• Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP)coreOthersThe LAP provides support for lawyers dealing with substance abuse and mental health issues. The program is administered separately at nclap.org under the supervision of the State Bar's Lawyer Assistance Program Board.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New York State Bar Association: Voluntary bar association in New York that provides member services, CLE, and ethics guidance; comparable peer because, although voluntary in NY, it parallels the NC State Bar's professional-development and public-protection roles.
• Illinois State Bar Association: Statewide bar association serving Illinois lawyers with CLE, member services, and practice resources; comparable in scope of services targeting licensed attorneys in a single state.
• State Bar of Georgia: Georgia's integrated state bar that regulates attorneys and provides member and public services; directly comparable to the NC State Bar in its dual regulatory and member-service mandate.
• Pennsylvania Bar Association: Statewide voluntary bar association providing CLE, ethics, and member services to Pennsylvania lawyers; comparable in the breadth of programs offered to attorneys and the public.
• State Bar of Michigan: Michigan's integrated state bar with licensing, discipline, and member-program functions; comparable to the NC State Bar in scope and structure of statewide attorney regulation.
• State Bar of California: California's integrated (mandatory) state bar that licenses, regulates, and disciplines attorneys; directly comparable as a unified state bar association with the same licensing, discipline, and public-protection functions as the NC State Bar.
• State Bar of Texas: Texas's integrated state bar that administers licensing, CLE, and disciplinary functions for Texas lawyers; comparable to the NC State Bar in mission, structure, and statewide regulatory scope.
• The Florida Bar: Florida's integrated (mandatory) state bar responsible for licensing, regulation, and discipline of lawyers in Florida; operates under similar statutory authority and delivers an analogous suite of lawyer-regulation, CLE, and discipline services.
• Maryland State Bar Association: Statewide integrated bar serving Maryland lawyers with regulatory, CLE, and member-service programs; directly comparable in mission and service breadth to the NC State Bar.

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association: National umbrella professional association for lawyers; broader than state bars but serves as a national counterpart for CLE, ethics, and policy resources that complement state-level bar functions like those of the NC State Bar.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCStateBar
• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=nc+state+bar
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCStateBar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncstatebar
• Instagraminstagram.com/ncstatebar

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 North Carolina State Bar