State Bar of Montana

What State Bar of Montana does

The State Bar of Montana is a unified, mandatory bar association established in 1974 under the regulatory authority of the Montana Supreme Court, headquartered in Helena, Montana. It administers bar admissions (Uniform Bar Exam, UBE score transfers, and Admission on Motion), enforces mandatory continuing legal education (15 credit hours annually, including 2 ethics credits), oversees attorney discipline through the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, and operates consumer-protection programs including the Client Protection Fund and a fee arbitration program. The organization also delivers member services such as legal research access (vlex Fastcase), on-demand CLE (InReach), a career center (Web Scribble), and the publicly facing LicensedLawyer referral service, all accessed through an integrated member dashboard on montanabar.org.

The Bar's technology footprint is a portfolio of integrated third-party platforms rather than proprietary infrastructure: a web-based member management system, an MCLE reporting and tracking dashboard, a bar admission application processing system, and the LicensedLawyer public referral platform. It maintains Montana-specific content assets—including ethics opinions, the quarterly Montana Lawyer magazine (~5,000 circulation), and the Montana Law Seminar—that are not replicable by commercial providers. Public programs extend to Citizens' Law School, Montana High School Mock Trial, and Law Day civic-education initiatives.

The Bar is funded primarily through mandatory annual membership dues paid by approximately 5,000 active Montana attorneys, supplemented by one-time bar admission and Pro Hac Vice fees ($515 per appearance; $2,475 for Admission on Motion), MCLE late fees ($50) and reinstatement fees ($200), publication advertising in the Montana Lawyer, and store product sales. As a quasi-governmental professional membership organization, it does not raise private capital, has no parent company, and is not subject to commercial M&A. Its growth is structurally tied to the size of the Montana bar rather than market expansion.

Name

State Bar of Montana

Legal name

State Bar of Montana Association

Website

https://montanabar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The State Bar of Montana is a unified, court-supervised bar association founded in 1974 that regulates attorney licensing, administers the bar exam and MCLE, enforces lawyer discipline, and delivers member and public legal services to approximately 5,000 Montana-licensed attorneys.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Professional Regulation (Bar Association Services)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

National/State Examination Boards & Testing Agencies (EDADAFAA)

Keywords

• Legal professional regulation
• Bar admissions administration
• Continuing legal education
• Attorney discipline oversight
• Lawyer referral services

Headquarters

HQ city

Helena

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 dues paid by active Montana attorneys constitute the primary ongoing revenue stream for the State Bar of Montana.
2. Bar Admission Fees: Fees for bar exam applications, UBE transfers, and admission on motion. Pro hac vice applications are $515 per attorney per appearance. Admission on Motion fee is $2,475 including admissions dues and first year bar dues.
3. Publication Advertising: The Montana Lawyer magazine, published 4 times per year with approximately 5,000 circulation, accepts advertising from legal service providers. Classified ads are $60 for up to 75 words.
4. Store Products: The organization operates a web store selling publications, deskbook, directories, and various admission-related documents and services including exam deferrals ($20) and certified application copies ($15).
5. MCLE Late Fees: Late filing fees assessed for attorneys who fail to report CLE credits by the May 15th deadline ($50) and reinstatement fees for those transferred to inactive status ($200).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The State Bar of Montana administers bar admissions (Uniform Bar Exam, UBE score transfers, admission on motion, and Pro Hac Vice), enforces mandatory continuing legal education (15 credits annually including 2 ethics credits), investigates attorney misconduct through the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, manages the Client Protection Fund, and operates the LicensedLawyer public referral service. It also publishes the quarterly Montana Lawyer magazine, runs a Career Center for legal professionals, and offers member benefits including vlex Fastcase legal research and on-demand CLE through InReach.

Product overview

The State Bar of Montana operates a unified bar system offering a comprehensive suite of regulatory, educational, and public service programs. The core offerings center on bar admissions (exam administration, UBE score transfers, admission on motion) and mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) compliance. Member services include a unified Attorney Dashboard integrating legal research tools (Fastcase), on-demand CLE (InReach), career center (Web Scribble), and attorney directory. The Bar also operates public-facing programs including the LicensedLawyer referral service, lawyer discipline oversight, client protection fund, and civic education initiatives (Citizens' Law School, High School Mock Trial, Law Day). The organization publishes the quarterly Montana Lawyer magazine and administers awards recognizing professionalism and pro bono service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bar Admissions Administration Comprehensive bar admission processing service handling Uniform Bar Exam applications, UBE score transfers, Admission on Motion applications, and coordination of the Montana Law Seminar. Includes character and fitness certification and MPRE score verification for prospective Montana attorneys.
• Pro Hac Vice Services Application and oversight services for out-of-state attorneys seeking temporary admission to practice in Montana courts. Fee is $515 per attorney per appearance with a 3% card processing surcharge.
• Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Program Regulatory compliance program requiring Montana attorneys to complete 15 CLE credit hours annually, including 2 PFI ethics credits. Includes both live interactive and on-demand course options, with late fees of $50 after the May 15 deadline and $200 reinstatement fees.
• On-Demand CLE (Powered by InReach) Online continuing legal education course delivery platform allowing attorneys to earn CLE credits asynchronously through pre-recorded courses, hosted at montana.inreachce.com.
• vlex Fastcase Legal Research Free member benefit providing access to legal research databases including case law, statutes, and other legal materials, integrated into the State Bar member portal.
• LicensedLawyer Lawyer Referral Service Free public lawyer referral service connecting Montana residents with attorneys who maintain malpractice insurance and have opted into the program. Operated at licensedlawyer.org/mt.
• Lawyer Discipline System Oversight and disciplinary processing through the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, handling grievances against attorneys and coordinating with the Commission on Practice. Conducted via montanaodc.org.
• Client Protection Fund Court-created program providing reimbursement to clients who suffer financial loss due to attorney dishonesty or misconduct in Montana.
• Fee Arbitration Program Dispute resolution service providing an alternative to litigation for clients disputing attorney fees, administered by the State Bar of Montana.
• Lawyer Assistance Program Support services for attorneys dealing with substance abuse, mental health, or other personal issues affecting their practice of law.
• Career Center (Powered by Web Scribble) Online job board for attorneys and legal professionals hosted at careers.montanabar.org, including job posting services for employers and resume database access for candidates.
• Montana Lawyer Magazine
• State Bar Awards Program
• Citizens' Law School Public education program empowering community members with legal knowledge through classes and resources on legal topics relevant to Montana residents.
• Montana High School Mock Trial Civic education program for high school students providing hands-on experience with the legal system through mock trial competitions across Montana.
• Law Day Annual celebration promoting public understanding of the legal system, with resources for educators and local bar associations across Montana.
• State Bar Store Web store selling publications, deskbooks, directories, and various admission-related documents and services including exam deferrals ($20), certified application copies ($15), and other admission materials.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Licensed Lawyer (Powered by LicensedLawyer)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLicensed Lawyer is the official lawyer referral service of the State Bar of Montana, providing a free directory where Montana residents can find attorneys. Only attorneys who opt to include their information in Licensed Lawyer and maintain malpractice insurance are part of the program.
• vlex FastcasecoreTechnology or IntegrationFastcase provides free member legal research access to State Bar of Montana members through integration on the bar website. Members can access legal databases and research tools as a member benefit.
• InReachcoreTechnology or IntegrationInReach powers the On-Demand CLE platform (montana.inreachce.com) for the State Bar of Montana, providing online continuing legal education programming for attorneys.
• Montana Justice FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Montana Justice Foundation supports access to justice initiatives in Montana. Cy pres funds from settlements support justice foundation programs benefiting underserved communities.
• National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)coreTechnology or IntegrationNCBE develops and administers the Uniform Bar Examination components (MEE, MPT, MBE), the MPRE, and handles character and fitness applications for bar admissions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• vlex (Fastcase): Legal research technology vendor that provides free legal-research access to Montana bar members. Adjacent technology provider embedded in the bar's member benefits stack, not a competitor to the bar itself.
• National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE): Develops and administers the UBE, MPRE, and character-and-fitness components that State Bar of Montana uses for admissions. Enabling/ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor — relevant for tracking NextGen Bar Exam rollout.

Direct peers

• Washington State Bar Association: Mandatory bar for Washington attorneys that administers admissions, MCLE, and discipline. Comparable regulatory scope and member-services model; recently underwent significant governance reform relevant to Montana's trajectory.
• State Bar of Texas: Mandatory integrated bar serving the largest attorney population in the U.S. Provides identical regulatory functions; relevant for technology platform, MCLE program design, and member-services benchmarking.
• Illinois State Bar Association: Voluntary (not unified) state bar association, but operates parallel member services, CLE, ethics, and discipline-related support. Useful as a contrast to Montana's mandatory structure.
• The Florida Bar: Mandatory unified state bar with full regulatory authority over Florida attorneys. Same admissions, discipline, MCLE, and member services mandate; comparable structure to State Bar of Montana but with substantially larger member base and budget.
• Oregon State Bar: Unified bar in a similarly sized Western state. Operates admissions, MCLE, discipline, and public programs under state supreme court authority — the closest structural peer to the State Bar of Montana in scale and governance model.
• State Bar of California: Largest unified state bar in the U.S. Direct comparable — performs identical bar admissions, MCLE enforcement, discipline, and member services functions, but at much greater scale. Useful benchmark for operational and technology investment patterns.
• State Bar of Wyoming: Mandatory unified bar serving Wyoming's similarly small attorney population. Most direct demographic and geographic comparable to State Bar of Montana, with parallel admissions, MCLE, and public-protection programs.

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association: National voluntary bar association setting accreditation and model-rule standards that Montana's MCLE and admissions rules reference. Broader scope but overlapping CLE, ethics, and member-benefit offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/StateBarMT
• Facebookfacebook.com/StateBarOfMontana
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/state-bar-of-montana
• Instagraminstagram.com/statebarmt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 State Bar of Montana