2017 Bar Admission Information & Ceremonies

2017 Bar Admission Information & Ceremonies

10/18/17

The results of the July 2017 bar exam were released to applicants on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. View the notice on the Board of Law Examiners' website.

To Become a Member of the State Bar of Michigan

Pass Bar ExamThe 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. 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 Bar Association

Date/Time: Tuesday, November 7; 9;00 a.m.
Location: Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 13th Floor Auditorium, 2 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48226

Guests are welcome to attend the admission ceremony. There is no need for guests to register in advance or check in at the ceremony.

Visit the Detroit Bar Association for more information, or contact Tracey M. Gilbert at tgilbert@waynecounty.com, (314) 224-5516, or Zenell Brown at (313) 224-2236.

Federal Bar Association

Date/Time: December 5 & 6; 8:30 a.m.
Location: Theodore Levin United States Courthouse, 231 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226

An admissions ceremony will be held in conjunction with a New Lawyers Seminar held on December 5 and 6.

Please visit the Federal Bar Association's website or e-mail fbamich@fbamich.org for more details.

Genesee County Bar Association

Date/Time: Wednesday, November 1; 1:30 p.m.
Location: Genesee County 7th Judicial Circuit Court, 900 S Saginaw St, Flint, MI 48502

To RSVP, visit the Genesee County Bar Association's website.

Ingham County Bar Association

Date/Time: Thursday, November 2; 5:30 p.m.
Location: WMU-Cooley Law School, 300 S Capitol Lansing, MI 48933

Note: You do not have to be a WMU-Cooley graduate to attend.  For more details, e-mail icbayounglawyers@gmail.com.

Macomb County Bar Association

Date/Time: Thursday, November 9; 3:00 p.m.
Location: Hon. James Biernat, Jr.'s Courtroom, 40 N. Main St, 3rd Floor, Mt. Clemens, MI 48043

Admittees please arrive at 3:15pm. Please register for this event by calling Patty at (586) 468-2940 ext. 1000.

Oakland County Bar Association

Date/Time: Friday, November 3; 11:45 a.m.
Location: Oakland County Commissioner's Auditorium, 1200 N. Telegraph Rd., Pontiac, MI 48341

Visit the Oakland County Bar Association for ceremony registration and details. Please direct questions to Katie Tillinger at (248) 334-3400.