Updated: September 30, 2021

Member Privacy Statement

The State Bar of Michigan understands the importance of member privacy and has safeguards in place to protect your information. SBM’s objective is to assure your privacy while continuing to provide you with superior benefits and services. This Member Privacy Policy describes SBM’s efforts to meet this objective.

SBM may amend this policy at any time. SBM will post the current policy on its website so you always have access to SBM’s current policy.

What Information Does SBM Collect?

In order to serve you and the public and meet our obligations under statute and court rule, SBM collects and maintains specific public and nonpublic information about you. You provide this information to SBM when you complete your annual license renewal and other forms you voluntarily submit to SBM.

Public Information

Your name, P number, status (active, inactive, emeritus, etc.), address of record, e-mail address of record, bar admission date, and SBM section and committee memberships are matters of public record and are subject to disclosure. If the disclosure of a member’s address poses a safety or security concern, members should request a limited listing here.

If you provide additional profile information (such as, employer, title, telephone number, photograph) these will be made publicly available on your profile and are subject to disclosure.

You may choose to have your address of record be a mail-only address (e.g., P.O. Box); however, SBM must still have a physical address on file to comply with Rule 2 of the Michigan Supreme Court Rules Concerning SBM.

You may choose not to have your e-mail address published in your SBM member directory listing. Please note that if you choose to have your e-mail address not included in your directory listing, you will not be able to participate in the discussion feature of SBM Connect.

Notwithstanding any privacy preferences or limited directory listing, SBM may disclose your physical address and e-mail address in response to a specific request.

Non-Public Information

You are required by the Michigan Supreme Court to provide us with certain information relevant to the effective regulation of the legal profession, such as your birth date, admission date in other jurisdictions, method of admission, county of admission, law school and year of graduation, lawyer trust account information, other jurisdictions where you are licensed, and whether you carry malpractice insurance. This information is not public and is not disclosed to third parties, absent your approval, permission of the Supreme Court, a court order, or a valid subpoena.

The Michigan Supreme Court also requires you annually to provide information about any criminal convictions and/or disciplinary action taken against you in other jurisdictions. The State Bar does not retain this information; it is sent directly to the Attorney Grievance Commission and Attorney Discipline Board.

Voluntary Surveys

To facilitate better communication and to aid in your practice, the State Bar periodically asks you voluntarily to provide information such as your practice type and firm size. No individual information collected for this purpose is ever disclosed to the public.

How is Member Information Used and Shared with Others?

The State Bar uses your contact information in three ways: 1) to carry out membership and regulatory functions, 2) to advise you of State Bar activities and news, including section and Institute of Continuing Legal Education information (legal community communications), and 3) to advise you of external events and benefit offers from third parties (preferred partners communications) that we have determined are of value to our membership. Opt-Out Options

You may opt out of receiving legal community communications and preferred partner communications during your annual license renewal or anytime by completing the member preference form.

Unless otherwise provided, SBM may provide third parties with your address of record or e-mail address of record for limited and specific purposes that are relevant or of interest to the legal community, such as: sections, candidates running for SBM Board of Commissioners, SBM Representative Assembly, SBM Young Lawyers Section Council, and the Judicial Tenure Commission; candidates running for judicial office, attorney general, and prosecutive attorney; the Institute of Continuing Legal Education; the Michigan State Bar Foundation; local and special purpose bars; and affiliated parties. Third parties are limited in their use of your contact information and required to comply with SBM’s Member List and Privacy policies, including that they may not provide your contact information to others.

Option to Provide Secondary E-Mail Address for E-Filing Purposes

To facilitate e-service and e-notification functionality, SBM has collaborated with the State Court Administrative Office to add an additional e-mail field specifically for use in MiFILE and in certain courts’ case management systems. Many courts in Michigan receive a data feed of attorney information from SBM, which includes your SBM-registered e-mail address. This new field, labeled as your secondary e-mail address for MiFile, will also be shared with the courts and MiFile. The courts and MiFile will send e-filing notifications to both your primary and secondary email addresses.

How Does SBM Protect the Confidentiality, Security,
and Integrity of Your Information?

SBM maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect our member database. Internally, access to our database is restricted to State Bar employees who need access in order to serve you. Third parties who provide support services are required to conform to our safeguard standards.

How Can You Limit Sharing of Your Information?

You may limit the extent to which SBM shares your information. You may change your communication preferences online or by mailing or e-mailing a member preference form to SBM. You can find more information on how to change your communication preferences here.

The preferences you provide when you complete your annual license renewal, Member Preferences Form, or other communications will supersede previous preferences submitted to SBM.