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Primary Address

Secondary Address

All mailings default to the Primary Address unless checked below.

Use for Bar Journal & section mailings
Use for licensing mailings (i.e. bar cards)

Pledge to Achieve Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession in Michigan

    We believe that diversity and inclusion are core values of the legal profession, and that these values require a sustained commitment to strategies of inclusion.

    Diversity is inclusive. It encompasses, among other things, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, nationality, language, age, disability, marital and parental status, geographic origin, and socioeconomic background.

    Diversity creates greater trust and confidence in the administration of justice and the rule of law, and enables us to better serve our clients and society. It makes us more effective and creative by bringing different perspectives, experiences, backgrounds, talents, and interests to the practice of law.

    We believe that law schools, law firms, corporate counsel, solo and small firm lawyers, judges, government agencies, and bar associations must cooperatively work together to achieve diversity and inclusion, and that strategies designed to achieve diversity and inclusion will benefit from appropriate assessment and recognition.

    Therefore, we pledge to continue working with others to achieve diversity and inclusion in the education, hiring, retention, and promotion of Michigan's attorneys and in the elevation of attorneys to leadership positions within our organizations, the judiciary, and the profession.

Commentary to the Pledge

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Instructions

If you intend to engage in the practice of law in Michigan, to hold yourself out as eligible to practice in state court, or to be employed in Michigan in a position that requires you to be authorized to practice law, you MUST elect active status and pay the required State Bar license fees.

If you do not intend to practice law in Michigan, you may elect inactive status and pay inactive fees of $277.50. Inactive members are not eligible to practice law in Michigan but may join State Bar of Michigan sections. You may also elect inactive status if you are employed as an instructor in law and engage in no other law practice or if you are a judicial law clerk who is a member or is seeking to become a member of the bar of another jurisdiction and who does not intend to practice in Michigan after the clerkship ends. An inactive member may become an active member by paying the required fees and completing the Petition to Return to Active Status. If a member seeking active status has been inactive for three years or more, the member must first be recertified by the Board of Law Examiners. This may include having to retake the bar exam. See Rule 3, Supreme Court Rules Concerning the State Bar of Michigan.

Members joining the State Bar of Michigan between October 1 and March 31 are required to submit $415 for active status or $277.50 for inactive status for the current fiscal year ending September 30. The $415 includes fees for the Attorney Discipline System ($140), the State Bar of Michigan ($260), and Client Protection Fund ($15).

Members joining the State Bar of Michigan between April 1 and September 30 are required to submit $207.50 for active status or $138.75 for inactive status for the remainder of the current fiscal year ending September 30.

The fiscal year for the State Bar of Michigan is October 1 through September 30. Every State Bar member is billed each year before September 20 for the next Bar year beginning on October 1.

Name

Only your correct name may be used on the official register. Your business address and related information are required on the application.

Published Directory Address

The address you supply is considered your published directory address and will be used for State Bar purposes, including all mailing lists and directory listings unless otherwise requested. When you provide an email address, it will be published in the member directory (unless otherwise noted) and used periodically to communicate with you.

If you are currently seeking employment as an attorney and do not have a business address, your residence address may be used for your published directory address. When employment is obtained, you may submit an address change through the State Bar website or by sending a request in writing.

Secondary Address

If your published directory address is a post office box, you must provide a street address of your business or residence. Any member can provide a secondary address to be used for Bar Journal, section mailings, and general correspondence (such as refunds and suspension letters).

Supreme Court Rules Concerning the State Bar of Michigan

Rule 2—Membership

. . . Each member . . . must provide the State Bar with the member’s correct name and address, and such additional information as may be required. If the address provided is a mailing address only, the member must also provide a street or building address for the member’s business or residence. No member shall practice law in the state until such information has been provided. . . .