Marin County Bar Association

What Marin County Bar Association does

Marin County Bar Association (MCBA) is a nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1938 and headquartered in San Rafael, California, serving attorneys, legal affiliates, and community members throughout Marin County. Its core functions are operating a state-certified MCLE (Minimum Continuing Legal Education) program across 12 practice-area sections, maintaining a searchable attorney member directory on the InTouchOnDemand platform, and acting as the formal liaison between the Marin County bar and the Marin Superior Court. MCBA also delivers community-facing services including Lawyers in the Library free consultations, the state-certified Marin SF Lawyer Referral Service ($35 per 30-minute consultation), the ADR and Modest Means Mediation directory, and public programs such as Mock Trial, Youth Transforming Justice, and Community Court.

MCBA generates revenue primarily through annual membership dues across eight membership tiers (Attorney, Affiliate Legal Personnel, Affiliate Retired/Inactive State Bar, Affiliate Non-Attorney Member, Affiliate Student, Government, Judge or Commissioner, and Non-Profit), CLE event registration fees ranging from $20-$75 depending on member status and section, program sponsorships including the Leadership Circle, and transactional fees from the Lawyer Referral Service. The association also operates The Marin Lawyer quarterly digital newsletter and runs scholarship and awards programs (Lawyer of the Year, Ann Diamond Young Lawyer Award).

The organization is led by an elected one-year president (Thomas McInerney as of 2026, succeeding the late Scott Buell) and a Board of Directors, with day-to-day operations run by a small staff of 1-10 including an Interim Executive Director. MCBA maintains strategic partnerships with the State Bar of California, Legal Aid of Marin, ALMA (Association of Latino Marin Attorneys), Marin County Women Lawyers, Marin County Law Library, Marin County Office of Education, and Marin Superior Court. Its operating scope is strictly regional (Marin County), and its technology stack is limited to a website and a third-party directory platform, with no disclosed AI or proprietary software capabilities.

Name

Marin County Bar Association

Legal name

Marin County Bar Association

Website

https://marinbar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Marin County Bar Association is a nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1938 in San Rafael, California, serving Marin County attorneys through MCLE programming, a certified Lawyer Referral Service, a member directory, and community legal programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory (BPAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Bar association services
• Continuing legal education
• Lawyer referral services
• Legal professional membership
• Community legal programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from attorney and affiliate members at various levels. Membership categories include Attorney, Affiliate Legal Personnel, Affiliate Retired/Inactive State Bar, Affiliate Non-Attorney Member, Affiliate Student, Government, Judge or Commissioner, and Non-Profit.
2. CLE Program Fees: Continuing Legal Education programs offered in-person and virtually with MCLE credit. Fees vary by membership status and section (e.g., Family Law Section members $30, non-members $50 for events).
3. Lawyer Referral Service: Referrals to pre-screened, experienced Marin County attorneys. Initial 30-minute consultations are $35. Certified by the California State Bar Association.
4. Sponsorships: Program sponsorships and Leadership Circle contributions from law firms and legal service providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Marin County Bar Association (MCBA) is a nonprofit professional membership association that delivers attorney membership services, state-accredited Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) programming across 12 practice-area sections, a California State Bar-certified Lawyer Referral Service, and community-facing legal programs such as Lawyers in the Library and the ADR/Modest Means Mediation Program. Its offerings are designed to support Marin County attorneys' professional development, connect community members with pre-screened legal counsel, and provide free legal education and outreach across Marin County.

Product overview

The Marin County Bar Association (MCBA) operates as a professional membership organization, not a technology product company. Its core offering is a membership platform with associated member services including: a searchable attorney member directory (hosted on InTouchOnDemand), the Marin SF Lawyer Referral Service, the Lawyers in the Library free consultation program, MCLE (Minimum Continuing Legal Education) programming across 12 legal practice sections, a quarterly digital newsletter (The Marin Lawyer), an ADR Directory with Modest Means Mediation Program, and public programs including Youth Transforming Justice, Community Court, Mock Trial, and Teens and the Law. MCBA also manages scholarship programs and awards including Lawyer of the Year and Ann Diamond Young Lawyer Award. The organization does not offer a unified software platform but rather provides services through its website (marinbar.org), event programming, and partnerships with legal aid organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MCBA Attorney and Affiliate Membership Annual membership for licensed attorneys, paralegals, law students, retired/inactive bar members, judges, government attorneys, and non-attorney professionals in Marin County, providing directory listing, networking events, MCLE access, and advocacy representation.
• Lawyer Referral Service California State Bar-certified referral service connecting community members in Marin County with pre-screened experienced attorneys for criminal, employment, family, landlord-tenant, and personal injury matters; initial 30-minute consultation is $35 with free consultations for injury, benefits, veterans, and elder abuse cases.
• MCLE Sections and Continuing Legal Education Programming State Bar-accredited Continuing Legal Education (MCLE Provider #411) across 12 practice-area sections including ADR, Business Law, Construction Law, Criminal Law, Diversity, Estate Planning/Trust/Probate, Family Law, IP, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Probate Litigation, Real Property, and Tax Law, delivered in-person and virtually with section-specific and general event pricing.
• Lawyers in the Library Free 20-minute legal consultations for self-represented litigants held at the Marin County Law Library every second and fourth Thursday, covering family law, probate, civil, small claims, and landlord-tenant matters; a collaboration between MCBA and the Marin County Law Library.
• ADR Directory and Modest Means Mediation Program Directory of Alternative Dispute Resolution providers (mediators and arbitrators) meeting minimum competency requirements, paired with a Modest Means Mediation Program offering reduced-fee mediation for civil cases where parties cannot afford market-rate mediation.
• Public Programs (Mock Trial, Youth Transforming Justice, Community Court, Teens and the Law) Community-facing legal education and restorative justice programs including the Marin County Mock Trial competition, Youth Transforming Justice restorative practices program, Community Court alternative sentencing, and Teens and the Law educational presentations for Marin County youth.
• The Marin Lawyer Newsletter Periodic digital newsletter delivering selected legal news, MCBA event information, member profiles, and association updates to members and subscribers in the Marin County legal community.

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• State Bar of CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Bar is a public corporation within the judicial branch serving as an arm of the California Supreme Court. All State Bar members are officers of the court. The integrated network of functions protects the public and assists attorneys in meeting professional obligations. MCBA maintains close working relationship for MCLE accreditation and attorney compliance.
• Legal Aid of MarincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal Aid of Marin provides access to the civil justice system to low-income, vulnerable and underserved residents of Marin County. They partner with MCBA on Community Court, Lawyers in the Library, and provide services for MCBA referrals.
• ALMA: Association of Latino Marin AttorneyscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 2013 as a non-profit unincorporated association of Marin attorneys dedicated to mentoring Latino students, facilitating pro bono services to needy Latino communities in Marin, and supporting cultural values and economic interests of the Latino community.
• Marin County Women LawyerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1976, MCWL is committed to supporting the advancement of women in the legal profession and the legal system. Members consist of women and men that support the mission.
• Marin County Law LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lawyers in the Library program is a collaboration between the Marin County Law Library and MCBA, providing free legal consultations at the library every second and fourth Thursday. The law library has provided free access to legal information for over 125 years.
• Marin County Superior CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCBA serves as liaison to Marin County courts and works closely with the Superior Court on ADR requirements, Community Court, Mock Trial, and ECourt implementation. Judges frequently participate in MCBA events and CLE programs.
• Book PassageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBook Passage in Corte Madera partnered with MCBA for a private book talk event in November 2025, providing a curated reading list and hosting MCBA members for a community literary event followed by dinner.
• Marin County Office of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mock Trial program is administered by the Marin County Office of Education with funding and volunteers from MCBA. Many MCBA members serve as Judges, Coaches, and Scorers for the competition.
• Youth Transforming JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlternative to traditional juvenile justice system using restorative practices to keep kids in school and out of the juvenile justice system. MCBA Public Outreach Committee organizes related programming.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Los Angeles County Bar Association: Largest county bar association in California, providing the same core mix of membership services, CLE, lawyer referrals, and pro bono programming as MCBA. LACBA represents a scaled-up model of the same organizational structure MCBA operates.
• Bar Association of San Francisco: Operates the Marin SF Lawyer Referral Service jointly with MCBA, evidencing tight operational partnership. BASF is a peer county-level bar association in the Bay Area with similar member services, CLE, referral, and advocacy functions for San Francisco attorneys.
• San Diego County Bar Association: California county bar offering membership, MCLE, lawyer referral, and community legal programs structurally identical to MCBA's offerings. Comparable as a same-state peer serving a defined local bar population.
• Santa Clara County Bar Association: California county bar association with analogous structure - membership dues, MCLE programming across practice sections, lawyer referral service, and community legal programs. Closely comparable in mission and revenue model to MCBA.

Broad incumbents

• State Bar of California: The statewide regulator that accredits MCBA as MCLE Provider #411 and certifies its Lawyer Referral Service. Operates at a much broader geographic scope but shares the mandate of serving California attorneys through regulatory and educational functions.
• American Bar Association: National umbrella professional association for U.S. attorneys, providing CLE, advocacy, and member services at scale. MCBA explicitly aligns with ABA through its 2025 joint statement supporting the rule of law, indicating active affiliation with this broader incumbent body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Marin County Bar Association