10/14/16
The results of the July 2016 bar exam were released to applicants on Friday, October 14, 2016. View the notice on the Board of Law Examiners' website.
To Become a Member of the State Bar of Michigan
The State Bar of Michigan welcomes qualified applicants who are entering the practice of law in this state. All attorneys who practice law in Michigan are required to be members of the State Bar.
We have provided these helpful steps for you to follow after you have received your certified results from the Board of Law Examiners indicating a passing score on the Michigan bar exam or certification through reciprocity with another state:
Step 1. Appear and present Board of Law Examiners certification, sent by mail, at a mass swearing-in ceremony or to one of the circuit courts of the state. For a complete list of the swearing-in ceremonies, visit the State Bar of Michigan. Upon motion made in open court by a licensed Michigan lawyer, the court will administer the oath of office and enter an order admitting you to the bar of the state. (This order will expire after three years).
Step 2. After being admitted to the bar by the court, you must complete the Membership Application online at e.michbar.org using a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card to become a member of the State Bar of Michigan. Paper applications are no longer accepted. This application is not complete without a true, or certified copy of the Order of Admission (from the swearing-in ceremony) and payment of the required bar dues as noted within the instructions. Create an account as a Prospective New Active Attorney or Prospective New Voluntary Inactive Attorney.
Please note: some counties send the Order of Admission directly to the State Bar of Michigan following the swearing-in ceremony.
Step 3. After the Membership Application, Order of Admission, and dues payment are received and processed, your bar license number (P number) is assigned. Only then are active members eligible to practice law in Michigan. It may take up to a week for the State Bar to process the application and assign your P number. If you provide an e-mail address, notification of your P number will be provided electronically. A bar card will be sent by mail within 10-15 business days of assignment of your P number.
Please note: that if you must conduct business in a court or jail after receiving your P number and before receiving a bar card, a Certificate of Good Standing may be used, provided the court or jail accepts it. It is your responsibility to contact the court or jail to determine if a Certificate of Good Standing is accepted. To purchase a Certificate of Good Standing, click on SBM Store or download a paper form. All requests must be in writing and must include the certificate processing fee(s).
Local bar associations are scheduling their admissions ceremonies. We will post information on those ceremonies as soon as we receive it from the local bars.
Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association
Visit www.detroitlawyer.org for more information or contact Darlene Trudell at dtrudell@detroitlawyer.org or (313) 961-6120 ext. 201.
Federal Bar Association—Eastern District
Date/Time: Tuesday, December 6; 8:30 a.m.
Location: Theodore Levin United States Courthouse, 231 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit
Visit www.fbamich.org for details, or call Brian Figot at (313) 766-4254.
Genesee County Bar Association
Date/Time: Thursday, November 3; Noon
Location: Courtroom of Hon. Geoffrey L. Neithercut, Genesee County 7th Judicial Circuit Court, 900 S Saginaw St, Flint
To register, and for more information, go to www.gcbalaw.org or call (810) 232-6012.
Grand Rapids Bar Association
Admission to the federal court is coordinated with this ceremony.
Date/Time: Tuesday, November 15; 3:30 p.m.
Location: Grand Valley State University, Eberhard Center, 301 Fulton W, Grand Rapids
Important: Registration required, no walk-ins allowed.
Visit www.grbar.org or contact Debbie Kurtz at (616) 454-5550 extension 101 or debbie@grbar.org.
Grand Traverse–Leelanau–Antrim Bar Association
Contact Teri Quinn at (231) 922-4701, c13court@grandtraverse.org
Ingham County Bar Association
Date/Time: Thursday, November 3; 5:30 p.m.
Location: WMU-Cooley Law School, 300 S Capitol Ave, Lansing
All passers are welcome, you need not be a WMU-Cooley alumnus. Contact the Ingham County Bar Association at icbayounglawyers@gmail.com for more information.
Jackson County Bar Association
Contact Christine Lammi at the Fourth Circuit Court Administrator's Office at (517) 768-8502 or e-mail to clammi@co.jackson.mi.us to schedule a ceremony.
Kalamazoo County Bar Association
Applicants should contact Gale Evans at (269) 383-8669 for more information.
Macomb County Bar Association
Date/Time: Thursday, November 3; 4:00 p.m.
Location: 16th Circuit Court, 3rd Floor, 40 North Main St, Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
Visit www.macombbar.org or call the office at (586) 468-2940, extension 101.
Muskegon County Bar Association
Visit www.michbar.org/localbars/muskegon for event details.
Oakland County Bar Association
The Oakland County Bar Association will hold one Lawyer Admission Ceremony with judges sitting en banc. Admittees MUST register in advance.
Date/Time: Friday, October 28; 11:45 a.m.
Location: Oakland County Commissioner's Auditorium, 1200 N. Telegraph Rd., Pontiac, MI 48341
Visit www.ocba.org for ceremony registration and details. Please direct questions to Jan Anson or Katie Tillinger at (248) 334-3400.
Washtenaw County Bar Association
Visit www.washbar.org or call the Civil/Criminal Clerk’s Office (734) 222-3001.