Category: Membership

• Now that I have passed the Bar, where can I get sworn in?

  Any Superior Court Judge in the State can swear you in. You can make an appointment by contacting the clerk of the court in the county that you choose. A directory of Superior Court Clerks can be found at www.gsccca.org/clerks. If you reside out of state and wish to be sworn in by proxy, contact the Fulton County Superior Court Clerk’s office at 404-613-4217 or email cosmc.swearinfins@fultoncountyga.gov for additional information. They will require a copy of your original certificate of eligibility and a copy of a state issued ID.

• A list of frequently used forms may be found below. Please refer to specific individual FAQs for more information.

  Disability Petition
  Name Change Form
  Resignation Petition
  Letter of Good Standing Request Form

• What are the benefits of being inactive?

  As an inactive member, you are not required to complete CLE hours and your license fee is lower. However, inactive status requires that you do not practice law in Georgia. A possible disadvantage is the fact that if you plan to use your Georgia license to be admitted by reciprocity to another jurisdiction, the other jurisdiction often requires that you have been active five of the last seven years.

• How do I obtain a temporary Bar Card?

  A temporary Bar Card can be printed by logging into your account and selecting Edit Personal Preferences from the menu options. You may also order a permanent Bar Card in this same area on the website.

• What happens if I do not pay my Bar License Fee

  A late fee of $75 is assessed after Aug. 1 and you are ineligible to practice after Sept. 1. Another late fee of $100 is assessed after January 1 (Total Late Fee $175). After the second year of unpaid status, your membership status is changed to administratively suspended. Your membership will remain as administratively suspended for a five-year period starting after the first year that you did not pay your annual license fee. During this five-year period, you may reinstate by being recertified thru the Fitness process with Bar Admissions, completing several administrative requirements and paying additional penalty fees, license fees and late fees. After the five-year period, you will be required to retake the Bar Exam to be readmitted.

• Bar License Fee Notices normally are mailed in the Spring. When are they due?

  The notices are always mailed in April or May and are due on July 1. A late fee of $75 is assessed on all payments after Aug. 1.

• Does the State Bar need a member’s official mailing address on file? Can the address be marked private?

  Bar Rule 1-207 requires that all members maintain a valid official address and phone number with the State Bar of Georgia. All address changes must be in writing by one of the following methods: (1) logging into the member’s account here and selecting “Edit Contact Information”, (2) emailing the Membership Department at membership@gabar.org or (3) mailing information to State Bar headquarters, attention Membership Department. 
  
  If a member does not want their contact information visible in the online directory, they may contact Membership at 404-527-8777 or email membership@gabar.org and request their information be marked private. Their firm/employer name, street address, phone, fax and email addresses will be hidden from public view. To release the privacy restriction, the Membership Department must be contacted. 

• Where can I find information about admission to the State Bar of Georgia?

  The Office of Bar Admissions is the administrative arm of the Supreme Court of Georgia responsible for the admission of attorneys to the practice of law in Georgia. This office has a website separate from the State Bar of Georgia’s which can be accessed by clicking here.

• How can I be sworn in to practice in the higher courts?

  You can contact the clerk of the court that you wish to practice in and they will arrange for you to be sworn in. You must first be admitted in Superior Court before you can be sworn in to the higher courts. Some of the telephone numbers for the higher courts are listed below:
  
  Supreme Court - 404-656-3470
  Court of Appeals - 404-656-3450
  U.S Court of Appeals - 404-335-6100
  U.S. Northern District - 404-215-1660
  U.S. Middle District - 478-752-3497
  U.S. Southern District - 912-650-4020
  
  In order to be notified of any mass swearing in ceremonies for the higher courts, email the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia by clicking here.

• How do I change my name?

  Click here to download the Name Change Form. This is a fillable form, which may be completed online before you print it for a signature. Please fax or mail this form.

• While on inactive status, would I have to take CLE hours? Are there other requirements to maintain inactive status besides paying inactive dues?

  You are not required to take CLE hours while you are inactive. There are no other requirements to maintain your inactive status. You may remain inactive for an unlimited amount of time. While you are inactive it is very important to keep your address updated with the Bar and pay your license fee. You may change your address by clicking here.

• How do I change my status to active?

  If you have not paid your license fee for the year, simply mark your license fee notice and pay the active fee amount. If you have already paid the inactive fee for the year, mail a check for the difference between inactive and active fees along with a note and your Bar Number to: State Bar of Georgia, P.O. Box 102054, Atlanta, GA 30368-2054. If you are unsure of the amount to send, email membership@gabar.org and someone will be happy to assist you. If you would like to pay to activate your membership over the phone, please call us at 404-527-8777.

• Would I have to take CLE hours to regain my active status from inactive?

  You will owe CLE for the year you activate in as well as any hours that you owed CLE from prior years when you deactivated. These hours would need to be completed by March of the following year.
  
  NOTE:
  You will owe CLE for the current year even if you are only active for one day, week, etc. during the year. Be sure to consider this when you are activating at the end of a year.

• How do I change my status to inactive?

  If you have already paid active fees, you may send an email to membership@gabar.org and request that your status be changed. Be sure to include your Bar Number and the effective date. If you have not paid your license fee, the change can be indicated on the license fee notice and you may pay the inactive fee amount shown on the notice. You can also call us at 404-527-8777 and request that we update your billing to reflect inactive fees so that you can pay online.

• How do I login to the website?

  State Bar members, if you have created a username and password, please use the one you created. Proceed by clicking here.
  
  If you have not created an account, your default username is your Bar number, and your default password is your last name plus your birth year all lowercase, i.e., name1950. If creating a new password, it must contain 7 characters including letters and numbers. Upon logging in, you may change both under "Update Password/Username." If you need help logging in to the website, please contact the Membership Department at membership@gabar.org or 404-527-8777.

• How do I obtain a disciplinary history?

  Please Note for Complete Disciplinary History Requests: Pursuant to Bar Rule 4-224 of the State Bar of Georgia, all grievances which do not result in discipline against the respondent are expunged from our records after a period of either one or two years.  

  A disciplinary history is provided as a letter from the Office of the General Counsel for $15 per letter. Requests will be processed and mailed within 10 business days. 

  To order and pay for your disciplinary history online, please login by clicking here and proceed to the Store. 

  To pay by check, log in to the member portal and download the form. Send the completed form and payment to the Office of the General Counsel, State Bar of Georgia, 104 Marietta St. NW, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30303, Attn: Karen Cooper. The check should be made payable to State Bar of Georgia.

  If you are no longer a member of the State Bar of Georgia and you need a copy of your disciplinary history, contact Karen Cooper at 404-526-8634 or karenc@gabar.org for assistance.

  Questions? Contact Karen Cooper, 404-526-8634 or karenc@gabar.org.

• How do I order a Letter of Good Standing?

  Letters of Good Standing include the attorney's name, Bar Number, address and current status. If the jurisdiction you are applying to requires information about disciplinary history, please see the last paragraph below for instructions.
  
  Some jurisdictions require that the letter come from the highest court in the state. In Georgia, the highest court that you are required to be admitted in, in order to practice, is the Superior Court. However, you may have been separately sworn in to the Supreme Court of Georgia and/or the Court of Appeals of Georgia.
  
  The State Bar of Georgia is an official arm of the Supreme Court, but if the jurisdiction in which you are applying requires you to submit a letter from the highest court to which you are admitted (i.e., Supreme Court of Georgia, Court of Appeals of Georgia, etc.), you must contact those courts directly, (but only if you are admitted to them) to request a letter of good standing. Otherwise, if you have only been admitted in Superior Court, a letter of good standing from the State Bar of Georgia will be sufficient.
  
  Letters are available from the Membership Department at a cost of $15 for the first letter and $5 for each additional letter requested at the same time. Requests for Letters of Good Standing will be processed and mailed out each business day. Cutoff time for receipt of orders is 12 p.m. If your order indicates that you would like to pick up your letter, you will be notified by email or phone when the letter is ready. To receive a Letter of Good Standing your Membership Dues must be current.
  
  To order your letter of good standing please login by clicking here and proceed to the storefront, or your may click here to download the request form and mail it in.
  
  Any member seeking a letter that includes information about disciplinary history, please refer to FAQ 10 above.

• How do I obtain information about Admission on Motion (Reciprocity)?

  Under some circumstances, Georgia offers admission on motion without examination to lawyers who are licensed in another jurisdiction. Out-of-state lawyers who wish to apply for admission on motion without examination to the State Bar of Georgia should visit the website of Georgia’s Office of Bar Admissions here. Each jurisdiction may have different eligibility requirements. Please contact the Office of Bar Admissions at 404-656-3490 for more detailed information.

• How do I order a Membership Certificate that is suitable for framing?

  Any active member in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia is eligible to order a personalized membership certificate. Printed on ivory parchment paper, these certificates are stamped with the official seal of the State Bar and signed by the current president. Unframed certificates are $20.
  
  Framed membership certificates are double-matted in black and gold and enclosed in a gold wood frame. Complete with a hook for easy hanging, they are available for $95.
  
  To order your certificate, please login by clicking here and proceed to the storefront.

• How do I order a Photo ID?

  A photo ID card is a convenient and quick way to identify you as a State Bar of Georgia member.
  
  To order your photo ID, please login by clicking here and proceed to the storefront.
  
  Once you make your purchase, you will need to email membership@gabar.org and attach a high-resolution picture. Be sure to include your Bar Number. The State Bar of Georgia reserves the right to decide if the photo you provide is appropriate for use on your State Bar of Georgia photo ID.
  
  If you would prefer to pay by check, mail $16 to Membership, State Bar of Georgia, 104 Marietta St. NW, Suite 100, Atlanta GA 30303. Be sure to include your Bar Number with the request.
  
  (If you don’t have the ability to send a photo electronically, you may mail those to Membership as well. Be sure to include your Bar Number on all requests.)

• I am a member of the State Bar of Georgia and my information in the online directory is incorrect. Who must I contact to fix it?

  The Online Directory is a direct reflection of the State Bar of Georgia’s membership database. To change this information, you can change your address online by clicking here, or email membership@gabar.org.

• I am not employed yet, should I wait to be sworn in?

  You have one year from the date you received your certificate of eligibility from Bar Admissions to be sworn in. If you do get sworn in, you have 60 days from the date you were sworn in to apply for admission to the State Bar of Georgia. The fiscal year for the State Bar of Georgia is July 1 through June 30. Membership license fees are prorated by month for the first year you are a member.

• I have a hardship right now and cannot pay my license fee. Is there a hardship exemption I can apply for or can I make payments?

  Dues must be paid in full by the Sept. 1 date or you will be ineligible to practice. If you are not practicing, you can pay the inactive fee and later in the year convert to active.

• I have just been notified that I passed the Bar Exam. What do I do now in order to practice?

  All of the materials necessary to enroll with the State Bar of Georgia are available on the website and can be accessed by clicking here.

• I have to appear in court but my license fee is unpaid, can I still appear in court?

  After Sept. 1 of each Bar year, unpaid members are ineligible to practice law until their license fees are paid.

• I wish to check my membership status, or check the membership status of an attorney. Who should I speak to?

  The State Bar of Georgia's Membership Department maintains and updates each bar member's status. For information about your membership status, or to make sure an attorney is in good standing, please check our online membership directory which is updated daily. If you still have questions call the Membership Department at 404-527-8777 or e-mail membership@gabar.org.

• If I am inactive and wish to take CLE hours anyway, are there any restrictions?

  Up to two years of CLE hours (24 credit hours) taken while inactive can be carried over and applied when you reactivate.

• If I go inactive, how difficult is it for me to become active again?

  Please contact us at 404-527-8777 to make a payment over the phone or send a check for the difference in active and inactive fees for that year. Be sure to include your Bar Number and a note that you would like to become active. The check should be sent to:
  State Bar of Georgia
  P.O. Box 102054
  Atlanta, GA 30368-2054

• If I have already paid the active license fee for the year, would a portion of my fee be refunded if I become inactive?

  Due to the complexities and time involved with refunds for status changes, we do not refund any portion of the active license fee.

• If I have decided I do not want to keep my membership, how do I resign? If I decide to reinstate after I have resigned, can I do that?

  Bar Rule 1-208 states that members who would like to resign their membership need to petition the Executive Committee for leave to resign from the State Bar of Georgia. Members who desire to resign their membership need to fill out the Official Petition for Resignation and email the form to membership@gabar.org. Members may resign while in good standing with the State Bar. Members may also resign while delinquent or suspended for failure to pay license fees, or for failure to comply with CLE requirements. The process to be reinstated after resignation is similar to the process for non-payment of license fees. After the five-year period, you will be required to retake the Bar Exam to be readmitted. Click here for Official Petition for Resignation. Click here for full text of Rule 1-208.

• If I live out of state and do not practice in Georgia, am I required to go inactive?

  You are not required to change to inactive status. In order to eliminate the CLE requirement if you are not practicing in Georgia and live out of state, you may file an out of state exemption. Please contact CLE at 404-527-8710 for additional information about CLE.