Somerset County Bar Association

What Somerset County Bar Association does

The Somerset County Bar Association (SCBA) is a private, non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1899 and headquartered in Somerville, New Jersey, serving attorneys and law clerks practicing in Somerset County. It operates as the central coordinating body for the local legal community, delivering core member services including continuing legal education (CLE) seminars that provide CLE credit on topics of local interest, a lawyer referral service that connects the public with member attorneys, a Substitution of Counsel program that handles court-assigned Madden matters in exchange for transaction-based referral fees, and an active calendar of networking and social events such as the annual Installation Dinner, Golf & Pickleball Outing, Holiday Party, and 'Meet the Clerks' reception. The organization publishes The Clarion newsletter as its primary member communications channel and maintains a virtual operating footprint with no disclosed physical office (P.O. Box 1095 only).

The SCBA generates revenue through three principal streams: recurring annual membership dues (with free membership for Law Clerks and paid tiers for practicing attorneys that include reduced-rate CLE and event access), transaction-based fees from the Substitution of Counsel referral program, and sponsorship revenue from legal-services sponsors underwritten via downloadable sponsorship packets. It is governed by a Board of Officers and Trustees — currently led by President Arthur G. Margeotes, Esq., President-Elect Kristyl M. Berckes, Esq., and Executive Director Kelly A. Bender — and has no parent company, no external investors, and no public listing.

The affiliated Somerset County Bar Foundation (SCBF), established in 1969 as a separate nonprofit entity, extends the Bar's mission into charitable giving, civic education, and community outreach. The Foundation awards scholarships to New Jersey law students, distributes grants to local nonprofits (past recipients include Legal Services of Northwest Jersey, CASA, Literacy Volunteers of America, and others), and runs two signature programs: the Legal Runaround 5K (USATF-sanctioned, held annually since 2005 on the Thursday before Memorial Day) and the Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition, hosted at the Somerset County Courthouse in partnership with the New Jersey State Bar Foundation.

Name

Somerset County Bar Association

Legal name

Somerset County Bar Association

Website

https://somersetbar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Somerset County Bar Association is a non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1899 that serves attorneys and law clerks in Somerset County, New Jersey through continuing legal education, lawyer referral services, networking events, and the affiliated Somerset County Bar Foundation's community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bar Association Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Law School Continuing Legal Education (CLE) & Executive Programs (EDAHAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Bar association services
• Legal professional membership
• Continuing legal education
• Lawyer referral services
• Professional networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Somerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from legal professionals in Somerset County. Membership is free for Law Clerks, with paid membership providing access to reduced-rate seminars, CLE credit programs, networking events, and various Bar Association benefits.
2. Substitution of Counsel Referral Fees: The SCBA charges referral fees for its Substitution of Counsel program, which assists with court-assigned Madden matters. Attorneys in the network can accept assigned cases, with referral fees submitted online or by check.
3. Sponsorship Revenue: The organization generates revenue through sponsorships, with sponsorship packets available for download and annual sponsor recognition displayed on the website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Somerset County Bar Association is a nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1899 for attorneys and law clerks practicing in Somerset County, New Jersey. Its core offerings include annual membership with reduced-rate continuing legal education (CLE) seminars, networking and social functions, a lawyer referral service, and a Substitution of Counsel program assisting with court-assigned Madden matters. The affiliated Somerset County Bar Foundation (established 1969) runs the annual Legal Runaround 5K fundraiser, the Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition, scholarship programs for New Jersey law students, and charitable grant disbursements to local nonprofits.

Product overview

Somerset County Bar Association is a professional bar association founded in 1899 offering a unified suite of member services including lawyer referral programs, continuing legal education seminars, substitution of counsel services for court matters, and the Clarion newsletter. The association organizes networking events such as Installation Dinners, Golf & Tennis Outings, and Holiday Parties. Its affiliated Somerset County Bar Foundation (established 1969) runs signature programs including the Legal Runaround 5K and the Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition, supporting access to justice, legal education, and community outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Programs Seminars and educational programs for legal professionals covering topics of local interest, generally eligible for CLE credit, offered at reduced rates to SCBA members.
• Membership Services Annual paid membership for attorneys (free for Law Clerks) providing reduced rates for seminars and CLE programs, networking and social functions, outings, committee participation, and access to the lawyer referral service.
• Lawyer Referral Service Service connecting individuals in Somerset County seeking legal representation with qualified member attorneys, operated via the somersetbar.com contact flow.
• Substitution of Counsel Program Program assisting with court-assigned Madden matters by connecting attorneys needing substitute counsel with members of the SCBA network, with referral fees submitted online or by check.
• SCBA Events and Networking Networking and social functions including the Installation Dinner, Golf and Pickleball Outing, Holiday Party, 'Meet the Clerks' reception, and Somerset Patriots outings for SCBA members.
• Legal Runaround 5K Annual USATF-sanctioned 5K run, family-friendly 3K walk, and children's dashes hosted by the Somerset County Bar Foundation, raising thousands of dollars for local nonprofits since 2005.
• Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition Annual mock trial competition for local high school students held at the Somerset County Courthouse, with winners advancing to regional and state finals and potentially the National Mock Trial Championship.
• Law Student Scholarships and Nonprofit Grants Scholarships awarded by the Somerset County Bar Foundation to New Jersey law students and charitable grants distributed to local nonprofit organizations whose missions align with law, justice, and administration of justice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Since its inception in 2005, the Legal Runaround has raised thousands of dollars to support local nonprofit organizations
• +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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New Jersey State Bar FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1969The Somerset County Bar Foundation partners with the New Jersey State Bar Foundation to sponsor the annual Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition. The county competition takes place at the Somerset County Courthouse, with winners advancing to regional and state finals. This partnership enables the SCBF to bring civic education and legal awareness to local high school students.
• USATF (United States Track and Field)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Legal Runaround 5K is a USATF-sanctioned event held in conjunction with the Annual Tour of Somerville, US Bicycling's oldest competition. This partnership enables the Bar Foundation to host a premier fundraising event that attracts participants from throughout the community.
• Somerset County CourthousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition is held annually at the Somerset County Courthouse, providing an authentic legal setting for student competitors. This partnership gives students firsthand experience with court procedures in their own community.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Morris County Bar Association: Neighboring New Jersey county bar association with similar membership, CLE, and referral services. The closest geographic comparable to SCBA, serving a similarly sized legal community in adjacent Morris County.
• Middlesex County Bar Association: Another large New Jersey county bar association offering CLE programs, networking events, and lawyer referral services. Directly comparable peer in mission, scale, and revenue model.
• Monmouth County Bar Association: New Jersey county bar association serving Monmouth County with similar CLE, lawyer referral, and networking programs. A direct peer in geographic and operational scope.
• Passaic County Bar Association: New Jersey county bar association providing CLE, lawyer referral, and social events. Directly comparable peer in function and member services to the Somerset County Bar Association.
• Hunterdon County Bar Association: A smaller New Jersey county bar association serving Hunterdon County. Closely analogous to SCBA in operating model, with a similarly sized local attorney community.
• Bergen County Bar Association: New Jersey county bar serving one of the state's largest attorney populations. Comparable in offering CLE, social events, and referral services to SCBA members.
• Union County Bar Association: New Jersey county bar association providing CLE, networking, and member services. Direct peer in category and operational model to the Somerset County Bar Association.
• Essex County Bar Association: New Jersey county bar association serving Essex County attorneys with CLE, referral services, and events. Comparable peer in structure and offerings, located in the Newark metropolitan area.

Broad incumbents

• New Jersey State Bar Association: State-level bar association serving all New Jersey attorneys with CLE, networking, and advocacy. Comparable in mission to SCBA but operates at state scale with broader resources and overlapping membership.
• American Bar Association: National professional association for the legal profession offering CLE, publications, and member benefits. Analogous organizational model and revenue structure to SCBA but at vastly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/somerset-county-bar-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 Somerset County Bar Association