Orange County Bar Association

What Orange County Bar Association does

The Orange County Bar Association (OCBA) is a voluntary nonprofit professional bar association founded in 1901, headquartered in Newport Beach, California, serving attorneys, judges, and law students across Orange County. With approximately 7,440 members as of early 2026 — including 253 judges and 1,749 law students — it is the third-largest metropolitan bar association in California (behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County) and ranks among the top ten voluntary metro bar associations in the United States. The organization's core offerings include a continuing legal education (CLE) program delivering 9,005 certified hours annually, 26 specialty sections covering all major practice areas, 33 committees and task forces, 688 annual events (128 offsite, 214 at headquarters, 346 virtual), and the bimonthly OC Lawyer Magazine in publication since 1958. Supporting services include the Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS), a Mandatory Fee Arbitration program, and the OCBA Charitable Fund — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm established in 1995 that raised a record $240,000 in 2025.

OCBA's revenue model is membership-dues-driven (subscription/recurring), supplemented by CLE and event registration fees (professional services), LRIS referral fees (transaction-based), and charitable fundraising through the annual Golf Tournament ($117,694 in 2025) and Raise Your Glass benefit ($268,712 in 2025). Financial figures are not publicly disclosed. The organization operates with 11-50 staff, governed by an elected president serving one-year terms and a Board of Directors, with day-to-day leadership under Executive Director and CEO Dennis Slaughter. Distribution is exclusively direct and regional: through the ocbar.org member portal, physical presence across all 9 Orange County superior court locations, and flagship gatherings such as the annual Judges' Night (700+ attendees) and the Presiding Judge Reception. The OCBA has no proprietary technology products; its website functions as a membership portal and event management system rather than a commercial platform.

The OCBA's strategic positioning centers on being the connective infrastructure of Orange County's legal community. It coordinates 16 affiliate bar associations (Celtic, Federal, Filipino-American, Hispanic, Iranian, Italian, Jewish, Korean, Lavender, Thurgood Marshall, Women Lawyers, South Asian, Asian American, Trial Lawyers, J. Reuben Clark, and more), maintains formal partnerships with the Orange County Superior Court (142 judges and commissioners), the Court of Appeal Fourth District Division Three, UC Irvine School of Law, and historically the California Supreme Court. Recent strategic actions (2024-2026) include establishing the first-ever AI & Law in Technology Committee, expanding Young Lawyers Division eligibility from 5 to 10 years via bylaw amendment, implementing a formal Standards of Conduct Policy, and beginning groundwork for a new Strategic Plan. Under 2026 President Shirin Forootan, the organization is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Name

Orange County Bar Association

Legal name

Orange County Bar Association

Website

https://ocbar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Orange County Bar Association is a 125-year-old voluntary nonprofit professional association serving 7,440 attorneys, judges, and law students in Orange County, California, through CLE education, 26 specialty sections, networking events, and legal community advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

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, judges, and law students providing access to CLE programs, sections, committees, networking events, and member benefits
2. Event Registrations and CLE Fees: Revenue from seminar registrations, section meetings, and continuing legal education programs
3. Charitable Fundraising: OCBA Charitable Fund conducts annual fundraising through Golf Tournament and Raise Your Glass events, with proceeds supporting law-related charities in Orange County. Record $240,000 raised in 2025.
4. Lawyer Referral and Information Service: LRIS program connecting community members with attorneys, generating referral fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Orange County Bar Association (OCBA) is a voluntary nonprofit professional membership association that delivers continuing legal education (CLE/MCLE) programming, specialty practice sections, committees, networking events, mentorship, and a Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) to attorneys, judges, and law students in Orange County, California. It publishes OC Lawyer magazine, hosts 688 events annually, and operates the OCBA Charitable Fund (501(c)(3)) supporting access-to-justice causes.

Product overview

The Orange County Bar Association operates a membership-based organization serving over 7,440 members including attorneys, judges, and law students. The core offering is the OCBA website portal providing access to member services, CLE education programs (9,005 hours certified annually), the OC Lawyer Magazine publication, and various practice sections. Supporting services include the Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS), Career Center, Mentoring Program, and Community Outreach. The organization is structured into divisions (Young Lawyers Division with expanded 10-year eligibility, Masters Division for senior attorneys) and 26 specialty sections covering all major practice areas. The OCBA Charitable Fund operates as a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting justice-focused causes. The association hosts 688 events annually and recently established an AI & Law in Technology Committee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OCBA Membership
• CLE/MCLE Education Programs
• Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS)
• OC Lawyer Magazine
• OCBA Charitable Fund
• Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program
• OCBA AI & Law in Technology Committee

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,005 hours of certified CLE delivered annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Celtic Bar AssociationcoreOthersAffiliate bar association partner enriching OCBA with Scottish heritage legal professionals. Hosts monthly meetings and cultural events.
• Federal Bar Association / Orange CountycoreOthersAffiliate partner representing federal law practitioners in Orange County. Co-hosts events including YLD Brown Bag Lunches and Bench and Bar Luncheons.
• Filipino-American Lawyers of Orange County (FLOC)coreOthersAffiliate bar supporting Filipino-American legal professionals. Honors OCBA leaders at annual galas.
• Hispanic Bar Association of Orange CountycoreOthersAffiliate bar representing Hispanic attorneys and advancing diversity in the legal profession.
• Iranian American Bar Association - Orange County ChaptercoreOthersAffiliate bar serving Iranian-American legal professionals in Orange County.
• Italian American Lawyers of Orange County - Lex RomanacoreOthersAffiliate bar celebrating Italian heritage in the legal profession with cultural programming.
• J. Reuben Clark Law Society - Orange County ChaptercoreOthersAffiliate bar with religious affiliation serving legal professionals in Orange County.
• Orange County Asian American Bar AssociationcoreOthersAffiliate bar serving Asian American attorneys and advancing diversity in the profession.
• Orange County Jewish Bar AssociationcoreOthersAffiliate bar representing Jewish attorneys and legal professionals.
• Orange County Korean American Bar AssociationcoreOthersAffiliate bar celebrating 20 years. Serves Korean-American legal professionals and hosts cultural events.
• Orange County Lavender Bar AssociationcoreOthersAffiliate bar serving LGBTQ+ legal professionals and allies in Orange County.
• Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (OCTLA)coreOthersAffiliate bar representing trial lawyers. Hosts Angels Game Night events and honors judges.
• Orange County Women Lawyers AssociationcoreOthersAffiliate bar celebrating 50 years. Supports women attorneys and hosts Book Club and Women Judges Reception events.
• South Asian Bar Association of Orange County (SABA-OC)coreOthersAffiliate bar in inaugural year serving South Asian legal professionals. Hosts naturalization clinics.
• Thurgood Marshall Bar AssociationcoreOthersAffiliate bar serving attorneys of color and advancing civil rights in the legal profession.
• Orange County Superior CourtflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong ongoing partnership with 142 judges and commissioners. OCBA hosts annual Judges' Night (700+ attendees), Presiding Judge Reception, and collaborates on court administration and access to justice initiatives.
• UC Irvine School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw school partnership engaging 1,749 law students with OCBA through mentorship, programs, and events. UC Irvine receives Charitable Fund grants.
• OCBA Charitable FundflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCBA's philanthropic arm (501(c)(3)) raising $240,000+ annually for law-related charities through Golf Tournament and Raise Your Glass events. OCBA President, Secretary, and Treasurer serve on its Board.
• California Supreme CourtflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric partnership during OCBA Centennial: California Supreme Court held oral arguments in Orange County for the first time ever, hearing four cases at the old Courthouse where 10 attorneys formed the OCBA in 1901.
• Orange County Superior Court - Court of Appeal Fourth District Division ThreecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Court of Appeal justices including 6 associate justices. OCBA hosts Annual Court of Appeal Staff Appreciation Lunch.
• Monarch Beach Golf LinksminorOthersVenue partner for OCBA Charitable Fund Annual Golf Tournament (April 29, 2025). Sold-out event raising $117,694 for charities.
• Judicate WestminorOthersPrivate dispute resolution services provider. Several OCBA members and former judges joined Judicate West including Judge Lon F. Hurwitz and Justice William W. Bedsworth.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association: National voluntary bar association with 400,000+ members. Comparable to OCBA as a broad incumbent that overlaps in CLE, sections, and member services but operates nationally rather than at the metro level.
• State Bar of California: Mandatory state bar association governing all California attorneys. Comparable to OCBA in legal-professional focus and CLE authority but operates as a regulatory body rather than a voluntary membership organization.

Direct peers

• Los Angeles County Bar Association: Largest metropolitan voluntary bar association in California, serving Los Angeles County. Most directly comparable to OCBA given similar California geography, voluntary membership model, CLE delivery, and section-based programming.
• Bar Association of San Francisco: Major voluntary metropolitan bar association in San Francisco. Directly comparable to OCBA as a California voluntary bar providing CLE, sections, and member services to attorneys in a major California legal market.
• Chicago Bar Association: Major voluntary metropolitan bar association serving Chicago attorneys. Directly comparable to OCBA as a top-10 U.S. voluntary metro bar with similar CLE, section, and member-services structure.
• San Diego County Bar Association: Second-largest metropolitan voluntary bar association in California, serving San Diego County. Directly comparable to OCBA as another large California voluntary metro bar with similar CLE, section, and event programming.
• Boston Bar Association: Long-established voluntary metropolitan bar association serving Greater Boston attorneys. Comparable to OCBA given similar voluntary model, CLE programming, and member-driven section structure.
• Houston Bar Association: Major voluntary metropolitan bar association serving Houston attorneys. Comparable to OCBA as a large U.S. voluntary metro bar with CLE, sections, and member programming.
• New York City Bar Association: One of the largest voluntary metropolitan bar associations in the country, serving NYC attorneys. Comparable to OCBA in voluntary membership model, CLE programming, sections, and bench-bar integration.

Regional players

• King County Bar Association: Voluntary metropolitan bar association serving Seattle/King County, Washington. Comparable to OCBA as a regional voluntary bar with CLE and member programming, but serves a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OCBarAssociation
• Xx.com/ocbarca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Orange County Bar Association