'Attorney Licensing Verification: How To Find And Research A Lawyer' – Written By New York Entertainment Attorney John J. Tormey III, Esq.
© John J. Tormey III, PLLC. All Rights Reserved.

This article is not intended to constitute, and does not constitute, legal advice with respect to your particular situation and fact pattern. Do secure counsel promptly, if you see any legal issue looming on the horizon which may affect your career or your rights. What applies in one context, may not apply to the next one. Make sure that you seek individualized legal advice as to any important matter pertaining to your career or your rights generally.

---

Attorneys are members of the Bar and officers of the court. We are publicly-accountable. We are conscious of, and proud of, our public profiles.

Additionally, my New York entertainment, media, and arts law practice requires me to interact with other attorneys in New York, California, and elsewhere, on a regular basis. To this day, I am still often surprised to hear from individuals that have never before researched an attorney's status and licensure, to determine: (A) whether or not the lawyer is in fact really a lawyer, and for how long; much less (B) the identity of the state or other jurisdiction in which the attorney has been admitted to practice law.

The essence of working with a licensed professional, is reliance upon the fact that the professional is licensed. "Licensed", in effect, means that the professional is accountable to the state and state government, and sometimes to the federal government in addition. This is why, generally speaking, performers are safer when working with an entertainment attorney than with an unlicensed personal manager. Lawyers are accountable to a code. Personal managers usually are not. There is a complex body of law that governs the conduct of lawyers – far more complex than the tenets of basic contract law that might or might not govern the conduct of an unlicensed personal manager in any of the fifty (50) states.

The initial lack of lay knowledge – that is, the initial uncertainty about how to research an attorney and his or her status - is not always someone’s fault. After all, most universities don’t teach it. For that matter, most law schools don’t teach it. Most bar exams don’t even cover it. Additionally, each state and commonwealth’s legal system is somewhat different. There really is not a lot of uniformity in how each state and commonwealth maintains information about the lawyers admitted to practice there. Many folks have suggested that there should be more consistency, state to state. Don’t hold your breath waiting for it.

In theory, the easiest way for a prospective client to confirm a lawyer’s licensure and status, is to simply ask the lawyer. Yet the problem here, is that many prospective clients do not want to do that, for fear of somehow insulting the lawyer. The thinking goes, that you will probably preserve more goodwill with a lawyer, doctor, any other professional, or any other contractor for that matter, if you investigate them and their background without actually telling them that you are investigating them.

Moreover, while I usually avoid quoting old Russian proverbs or Ronald Reagan otherwise, the intelligent approach here is to "Trust, But Verify". Historically, there have been cases of identity-theft, unlicensed law practice, unauthorized practice of law ("UPL"), and non-lawyers impersonating lawyers. As of this writing, the State Bar of California just required all of its lawyers to be re-fingerprinted, even though lawyers of my generation already submitted our fingerprints previously when we took and passed the California Bar Exam. There are also ersatz impresarios in the entertainment industry that emulate lawyers and lawyer functions, but were never admitted to the Bar of any state. It’s best to check. Moreover, you can often find out a lot of useful information about a lawyer by first checking out their public-record file. Additionally, you can usually do it discreetly, without tipping-off the fact that you are doing it.

As for what basic steps one might take to find out more about a particular attorney in the United States, there are two (2) important ones that should always be taken. These are the same steps that I take when checking out a lawyer whom I don’t already know. In fact, I take these same steps to update information, from time to time, even on lawyers that I have known for many years. After all, a lawyer's status with a state Bar can change over time. You won't necessarily receive an automatic e-mail in your in-box telling you if and when that status-change happens, even if you have previously set a verbatim Google Alert for the lawyer’s name in quotation marks. Here are the two (2) steps:

Step #1. First, make contact with the state Bar or other relevant governmental authority wherein the attorney was admitted to practice law. Start with the state in which the lawyer does business – the state in which the lawyer maintains an address. If the lawyer maintains an address in multiple states, then check each state, not just one of them. Confirm, at minimum, preferably on a paper print-out saved to your files, that the attorney is: (A) admitted to practice law in that state, (B) is active status and in good standing (including paid-up on all dues and filing fees), and (C) has no record of public professional discipline. If looking up a Manhattan-based New York attorney, historically, for example, one would first contact the New York State Office of Court Administration ("OCA") to confirm attorney admission. Then, assuming that the attorney was admitted in the New York State Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department ("First Department"), as many Manhattan lawyers were (and are), you would then separately contact the First Department and confirm that the lawyer has no record of public professional discipline. Any other jurisdiction or state would historically have a similar authority or authorities, which would be able to provide this type of information, by phone or otherwise. Again, you can now do much of this on-line, including in New York. Yet in important cases, you want to be sure, which is why you are often well-advised to triangulate with a direct phone contact or other form of contact to the governing authority itself, irrespective of what the relevant website seems to indicate.

Step #2. Second, access the esteemed Martindale-Hubbell lawyer directory:
https://www.martindale.com
1-908-464-6800 (phone)
1-800-526-4902 (toll-free phone)
1-908-771-7777 (international phone)
1-908-771-8704 (fax)
Martindale-Hubbell
121 Chanlon Road, Suite 110
New Providence, New Jersey 07974 USA

Martindale-Hubbell is not the Bar. Martindale-Hubbell is not the government. But Martindale-Hubbell is the proverbial bible of attorney information that other attorneys (and, I'm told, judges and other court personnel) themselves use when researching a lawyer. In recent years, other on-line services have popped up purporting to publish attorney information. Yet there is only one Gold Standard. There is only one Martindale-Hubbell. Martindale-Hubbell’s search-engine is extremely powerful and effective. Its rating system is non-pareil.

When I myself research a lawyer, I will either phone Martindale-Hubbell (in extreme cases), or else simply access Martindale-Hubbell’s website. There used to be printed editions of the Martindale-Hubbell directory available in libraries and for purchase. The company’s “Bar Register” volumes listing “AV”-rated lawyers are still available in hard-back form. Martindale-Hubbell is considered by members of the Bar to be the foremost authority on lawyer information. Martindale-Hubbell has a tiered rating-system whereby lawyers are graded, on their abilities, and also on their professional ethics. A peer rating-system is used that is very stringent. The “AV” rating is the prized highest rating, and it is the rating which I am fortunate enough to have and maintain, for many years, since I opened my own law practice.

If someone asks me "Should I work with a lawyer who does not have an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell?", well, I am probably too biased under the circumstances to answer them. Yet suffice it to say that I believe in the Martindale-Hubbell rating system, and it is one upon which I and many others rely, when researching other lawyers.

If someone asks me (and thankfully, it's a rare question) whether he or she should work with a lawyer who has a record of public professional discipline, it would be a situation that would need to be handled with sensitivity and care. I would generally suggest that the questioner carefully and fully investigate, to the full extent possible, what the actual facts of the disciplinary action were or are, consider (as always) other options for choice of counsel, and never work with any lawyer if they have any residual or remaining doubts about the lawyer’s character or abilities once the investigative process concludes.

Again, the whole essence of working with professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, and accountants, is that society has, in essence, pre-screened these people for you. Society has made them publicly-accountable. Their maintenance of their license to practice their craft indeed depends upon same. The whole essence of the societal distinction between professionals and others, is that you can look up a professional’s record. To fail to look up a professional’s record before working with him or her, on the other hand, would be a big mistake. Yet it is a big mistake that people make all the time – and it is a big mistake that people have paid dearly for in the past.

Mindful of this recurrent concern, I decided to compile and publish the following list of "starting-point" links which I regularly use, when seeking to discern whether a specific lawyer is in fact admitted to practice law within a specific state or commonwealth here within the United States of America. Some of these links are less helpful than others, because some of these states are less helpful than others. A number of the fifty (50) states of the union differ as to their definition of what constitutes a "public record" – that is, what information regarding a lawyer and a lawyer’s practice and history is considered public information as opposed to private information.

When researching the status of a specific attorney in one of the fifty (50) states, therefore and again, I would urge that no one simply takes the state Internet website's "word for it" alone. Instead, the web-gleaned information should be triangulated with additional information obtained by direct contact by phone, fax, e-mail, or mail with the same state court or other office that administers or otherwise authorizes the Internet database on lawyers. That is the reason why I have listed additional contact-information for each authority below, beyond just the Internet links. As you will see from clicking on the links in the below link-list, these state governmental authorities can be called something like "State Bar", "Bar Association", "Supreme Court", "State Judiciary", "Office of Attorney Regulation", "Judicial Branch", "Attorney Registration Commission", "Office of Judicial Administration", "Office of Professional Regulation", "Board of Overseers", "Office of Court Administration", or other words or phrases to similar effect. The names of the offices and departments, state to state, are truly all over the map. Perhaps someday, the format of the name of the state authority governing attorney admissions and records, will actually be unified across all fifty (50) states in a consistent manner. For now, "State Bar" appears to be the most common variant, and the search-term to which Google most reliably responds.

So therefore – this is not-unsophisticated subject matter. Before anyone jumps in to this particular link-list below, the following additional concerns should be carefully considered:

1. You Are At The Mercy Of Non-Unified State Law. Again, it is not easy to fully research a lawyer in most any of the individual fifty (50) states of the union. Attorney registration, at its core, is a matter of state law. Attorneys in the United States are typically admitted to practice law in at least one state before they seek admission in any of the federal courts. Therefore, if you are looking for uniformity and federalized systemic logic, you are looking at the wrong topic. States often have byzantine, arcane, fractionalized systems in place, often originating many decades ago, for maintaining their respective rolls of attorneys. A number of states were quite late to the proverbial table in terms of fully digitizing their databases and posting them to the Internet. As of this writing, some states have even yet to do so. The landscape is ever-changing. The technology is ever-evolving. Therefore, no single article can possibly give you, the reader, full and plenary instructions on how to research an attorney in each of the fifty (50) states at any given hour or on any given day. The below link-list will change and will need to be updated. States will change and hopefully streamline their systems. Yet also keep in mind that there is a recurrent tension as between the beneficent governmental purpose of providing citizens free and easy access to information on the one hand - versus the need to protect governmental employees, particularly those in the court system, from harassment and over-communication, on the other hand. As time marches on, expect to see better technology, but also more barriers to entry, such as cyber-requirements to create digital “accounts”, and additional pay-for-information services. In any event, view the below link-list as your 50-state starting point. Contact me if you see the need for an update, or if you need an update. I am an officer of the Court. I have a vested interest in this process working, and I help people whenever I can.

2. "Not My Department". To similar theme, remember that it is typically not just one office that handles all matters relating to attorneys in any particular state. Sometimes, one office handles the bar exams. A different office may handle attorney registration. A different office may handle dues payment. A different office may handle attorney continuing legal education (CLE) requirements. And so forth. More mystifying, is the fact that not all the offices that you contact, will necessarily be state or governmental offices. Sure, some may be governmental administrative offices. Yet others may be the courts themselves, court clerks themselves, or workers within court buildings themselves. Other offices may be within entities entirely separate from the state government or the courts, but instead voluntary and self-regulating state bar "associations" comprised of non-lawyers and lawyer-members themselves, and not state employees. Some may operate like simple indices. Others may operate like referral-services. Additionally, these days, sometimes, you may simply reach webmasters who administer and maintain the data. Do not think that, just because you have communicated with one state government or other office about an attorney admitted in that jurisdiction, that you have therefore gleaned all available information about that attorney. There might be a lot more information about that attorney in other offices within that state, or even elsewhere. Therefore, the best way to handle this reality, is to write out your own checklist of questions you have about the attorney, before you write or call the first state office about that attorney. If the responding office cannot answer all the questions on your checklist, ask them what other department or office can. Here is an example of a checklist that I would use:

-What is the attorney's full name, with middle name, middle initial, and all punctuation?
-Is this attorney assigned to any "Bar number" or "registration number", however referenced in your jurisdiction?
-Do your records indicate any other name by which the attorney was ever known?
-Do your records indicate the name of the college or university that the attorney attended, and when he or she graduated?
-Do your records indicate the name of the law school that the attorney may have attended, and when he or she graduated?
-Do your records indicate when and where this attorney took and passed the Bar exam, and for that matter, how many tries it took him or her?
-Do your records indicate the year and date upon which the attorney was admitted to your state’s Bar?
-Do your records indicate the “Departments”, judicial “Districts”, courts, or other units or authorities in which the attorney may have been admitted?
-Do your records indicate any other states or jurisdictions in which the attorney may have been admitted?
-Do your records indicate the number of years which this attorney has practiced law?
-Do your records indicate any of the attorney’s work history – that is, where and at what firms or places this attorney may have worked in the past, and when?
-Do your records indicate this attorney's address?
-Do your records indicate other contact-information for this attorney?
-Do your records indicate the firm or other attorneys with which this attorney may be affiliated, if any?
-Do your records indicate whether or not this attorney is in “active” status and in good standing with the Bar, or anything else about this attorney's current registration status?
-Do your records indicate whether or not this attorney is current on all payment of dues?
-Do your records indicate whether or not this attorney is current on all of his or her Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements?
-Do your records indicate whether this attorney has any past record of public professional discipline?
-Do your records provide any other information, available to the public, about this attorney?
-Thank you for your time. (Always).

3. New York and New Jersey, As Examples. New York and New Jersey provide classic examples of how difficult it has been in the past to obtain answers to all these questions. Historically, New York would require a contact to the Office of Court Administration (OCA) to confirm that an individual was an attorney and paid-up in good standing, but then a further specific inquiry to the Department in which the attorney was admitted (First, Second, Third, or Fourth) to ensure that the attorney had no prior record of public professional discipline. Upgrades to the New York State Unified Court System website has now made some of that incremental work somewhat unnecessary. Yet again, in an important situation, direct and corroborative further contacts to the relevant authorities are still well-advised. New Jersey was also a notoriously difficult attorney-check, requiring phone calls to several different phone numbers at several different state offices to collect all publicly-available information on an attorney’s history. There apparently was no one central repository of information to call. While the situation has improved in each state, it is a still a challenge to know that you have checked out every detail. That’s why a written checklist is essential.

4. Do Not Rely Upon A Website Alone. Particularly in the context of searching with Internet websites, remember that just because you cannot find it, does not mean that it is not there. This is another great reason why further direct and corroborative further contacts to the relevant authorities are still well-advised. Some search-engines are more "literal" than others. Some use "Soundex"-like technologies. Others may not. As for a subject near and dear to my heart, sometimes it is particularly difficult to use a website to search for attorneys using a suffix like a Roman numeral after their last name, like "III". Sometimes the entry of the Roman numeral throws off the search-engine. Yet I know for a fact that Attorney "John J. Tormey III" is reposed in attorney databases in New York, California, and the District of Columbia, and has been for many years. It is not impossible that someone may need the assistance of a webmaster, or at least some posted "FAQ" text, in order to be instructed on how to properly enter the Roman numeral "III" when searching my last name. For that matter, there are currently other attorneys named "John Tormey" listed in both New York's database and also California’s database. It is not impossible that someone may need the assistance of a webmaster or at least some posted "FAQ" text, to figure out which "John Tormey" is the entertainment lawyer. In short, make sure that you dive deeper than the search-engine alone. The search-engine is a robot. Lawyers and judges are people.

5. The Federal Pathways Are Different. As indicated above, when researching attorneys, you should consider the federal system as separate and distinct from any state system – even if the same lawyer can "occupy" both. Keep in mind that a separate process and procedure is typically required for admission to the United States federal courts, as opposed to the state courts. Additionally, different federal courts have different admission requirements and procedures, even if they are located within the same state or even within the same city. Manhattan-based attorneys, for example, are typically first admitted in the First Department, part of the New York State court system. Then and thereafter, particularly if the attorney expects to litigate in the federal courts, the attorney will often seek admission to the United States District Court in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) in downtown Manhattan, followed by the United States District Court in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) in Brooklyn but a few-minute subway ride away. It is true that a musician needing legal representation on a recording agreement, or an actor about to sign a three-picture deal, may not really need to know all this information to make his or her decision as to choice of counsel. Yet keep in mind that, just because you have communicated with one state government or other office about an attorney admitted in that jurisdiction, it doesn't mean that you have therefore gleaned all available information about that attorney. There might be a lot more information about that attorney in other offices – and you should know as much of it as you can, before you choose counsel. You need to do more than simply scan the lawyer's own web-site.

6. Be Careful. Keep in mind that the below is a powerful list. Use it carefully, if you use it at all. While true, some of the people receiving your contacts resulting therefrom may be non-judicial personnel, others may be court employees of one kind or another. You could even end up with a judge on the line, in some states. Communicate with them as carefully and respectfully, as you would communicate with a tax authority, or a zoning enforcement agent, or a state trooper who just pulled you over. Even if you reach a harried clerk on the phone that seems less than courteous, take the high road. After all, you may well need to contact that very same person again, when you need to check out a second lawyer. Those in the legal profession tend to keep good records, and tend to remember those with whom they have spoken or communicated. It’s a small world, and the legal community is smaller still.

The link-list is here, and I hope that it proves helpful to you:

Step #1.

ALABAMA (AL)
https://www.alabar.org/for-the-public/find-a-member/
Alabama State Bar
415 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, Alabama 36104 USA
(334) 269-1515 (phone)
(800) 354-6154 (toll-free phone)
(334) 261-6310 (fax)

ALASKA (AK)
https://alaskabar.org/member-services/member-directories/
Alaska Bar Association
840 K Street, Suite 100
Anchorage, Alaska 99501 USA
(907) 272-7469 (phone)
(907) 272-2932 (fax)
info@alaskabar.org

Alaska Bar Association
PO Box 100279
Anchorage, Alaska 99510-0279 USA

ARIZONA (AZ)
https://azbar.legalserviceslink.com/
State Bar Of Arizona
4201 North 24th Street, Suite 100
Phoenix, Arizona 85016-6266 USA
(602) 252-4804 (phone, from within Maricopa County)
(866) 482-9227 (toll-free phone, from outside Maricopa County)
(602) 271-4930 (fax)

State Bar Of Arizona, Southern Regional Office
270 North Church Avenue, Suite 100
Tucson, Arizona 85701-1113 USA
(520) 623-9944 (phone)
(520) 623-9974 (fax)

ARKANSAS (AR)
https://attorneyinfo.aoc.arkansas.gov/info/attorney_search/info/attorney/attorneysearch.aspx
Supreme Court of Arkansas – Arkansas Judiciary
Arkansas Justice Building
625 Marshall Street
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 USA
(501) 682-6849 (phone)
(501) 682-9410 (fax)
acap.help@arcourts.gov

CALIFORNIA (CA)
http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/MemberSearch/QuickSearch
The State Bar of California - San Francisco Main Office
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, California 94105 USA
(415) 538-2000 (phone)
AttorneyRegulation@calbar.ca.gov
pra@calbar.ca.gov

The State Bar of California - Los Angeles Office
845 South Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, California 90017-2515 USA
(213) 765-1000 (phone)

COLORADO (CO)
http://www.coloradosupremecourt.com/search/attsearch.asp
Colorado Supreme Court, Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel
Ralph L. Carr Judicial Center
Colorado Supreme Court, Office of Attorney Registration
1300 Broadway, Suite 500
Denver, Colorado 80203 USA
(303) 457-5800 (phone)
(877) 888-1370 (toll-free phone)
(303) 501-1146 (fax)
attorney_registration@coloradosupremecourt.us

CONNECTICUT (CT)
http://www.jud2.ct.gov/attorneyfirminq/attorneyfirminquiry.aspx
State of Connecticut, Judicial Branch
Supreme Court Building
231 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06106 USA
(860) 568-5157 (phone)
(860) 263-2734 (phone)
(860) 757-2200 (phone)
(860) 568-4953 (fax)
helpdesk@jud.ct.gov

DELAWARE (DE)
http://www.dsba.org/resources/attorney-search/
Delaware State Bar Association
405 North King Street, Suite 100
Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USA
(302) 658-5279 (phone)
(302) 658-5212 (fax)

Delaware Supreme Court, New Castle County
The Renaissance Centre
405 North King Street, Suite 509
Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USA
(302) 651-3960 (phone)
(302) 739-4155 (phone)
(302) 651-3961 (fax)

Delaware Supreme Court, Kent County
55 The Green
Dover, Delaware 19901 USA
(302) 739-4155 (phone)
(302) 739-3751 (fax)

Delaware Supreme Court, Sussex County
Court of Chancery Courthouse
34 The Circle
Georgetown, Delaware 19947 USA
(302) 856-5363 (phone)
(302) 856-5365 (fax)

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (DC)
https://join.dcbar.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=dcbar&WebCode=FindMember
The District of Columbia Bar
901 4th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001 USA
(202) 737-4700 (phone)
(202) 626-3475 (phone)
(202) 638-1501 (phone)
1 (877) 333-2227 (toll-free phone)
lrs@badc.org

FLORIDA (FL)
https://www.floridabar.org/directories/find-mbr/
The Florida Bar
651 East Jefferson Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2300 USA
(850) 561-5600 (phone)
website@floridabar.org

GEORGIA (GA)
https://www.gabar.org/membership/membersearch.cfm
State Bar of Georgia
104 Marietta Street NW, Suite 100
Atlanta, Georgia 30303 USA
(404) 527-8700 (phone)
(800) 334-6865 (toll-free phone)

HAWAI'I (HI)
http://hsba.org/HSBA/SEARCH_DIRECTORY/HSBA/Directory/Directory_Search.aspx
http://www.courts.state.hi.us/legal_references/attorneys/membership_status
Hawai'i State Bar Association
Alakea Corporate Tower
1100 Alakea Street, Suite 1000
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96813 USA
(808) 537-1868 (phone)
(808) 521-7936 (fax)
webinfo@hsba.org
Hawai'i State Judiciary, Administrative Offices of the Courts
Ali'iolani Hale
417 South King Street
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96813-2943 USA

IDAHO (ID)
https://isb.idaho.gov/licensing-mcle/attorney-roster-search/
Idaho State Bar
PO Box 895
Boise, Idaho 83701 USA
(208) 334-4500 (phone)
(208) 334-4515 (fax)
(208) 334-2764 (fax)
isbwebsite@isb.idaho.gov

Idaho State Bar
525 W. Jefferson Street
Boise, Idaho 83702 USA

ILLINOIS (IL)
https://www.iardc.org/lawyersearch.asp
Supreme Court of Illinois, ARDC
One Prudential Plaza
130 East Randolph Drive, Suite 1500
Chicago, Illinois 60601-6219 USA
(312) 565-2600 (phone)
(800) 826-8625 (phone, within Illinois)
(312) 565-2320 (fax)
(312) 565-0997 (fax)
information@iardc.org
webmaster@iardc.org

Supreme Court of Illinois, ARDC
3161 West White Oaks Drive, Suite 301
Springfield, Illinois 62704 USA
(217) 546-3523 (phone)
(800) 252-8048 (phone, within Illinois)
(217) 546-3785 (fax)

INDIANA (IN)
https://courtapps.in.gov/rollofattorneys
Indiana Judicial Branch, Office of Judicial Administration
State House, Room 315
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 USA
(317) 232-2542 (phone)

Indiana Office of Court Services
251 North Illinois Street, Suite 800
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 USA
(317) 232-2542 (phone)
(317) 232-1313 (phone)

IOWA (IA)
https://www.iacourtcommissions.org/SearchLawyer.do
Iowa Judicial Branch, Office of Professional Regulation
Judicial Branch Building, 1111 East Court Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50319 USA
(515) 348-4670 (phone)
(515) 348-4698 (fax)

KANSAS (KS)
http://tpka-oas-01.kscourts.org:8888/pls/ar/attorney_registration_pkg.request_attorney
The Kansas Supreme Court, Office of Attorney Registration
301 S.W. 10th Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66612 USA
(785) 296-8409 (phone)
registration@kscourts.org

KENTUCKY (KY)
http://www.kybar.org/search/custom.asp?id=2947
Kentucky Bar Association
514 W. Main Street
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-1812 USA
(502) 564-3795 (phone)
(502) 564-3225 (fax)

LOUISIANA (LA)
https://www.lsba.org/public/membershipdirectory.aspx
Louisiana State Bar Association
601 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 USA
(504) 566-1600 (phone)
(800) 421-LSBA(5722) (toll-free phone)
(504) 566-0930 (fax)
michelle.larose@lsba.org

MAINE (ME)
https://www1.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/maine_bar/attorney_directory.pl
Board of Overseers of the Bar, State of Maine
97 Winthrop Street, P. O. Box 527
Augusta, Maine 04332-0527 USA
(207) 623-1121 (phone)
(207) 623-4175 (fax)
board@mebaroverseers.org

MARYLAND (MD)
http://mdcourts.gov/lawyers/attylist.html
Maryland Courts – Maryland Judiciary
Administrative Office of the Courts, Maryland Judicial Center
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland 21401 USA
(410) 260-1400 (phone)
(410) 260-1252 (fax)
webmaster@mdcourts.gov

MASSACHUSETTS (MA)
https://www.massbbo.org/bbolookup.php
Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers
99 High Street, 2nd Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02110 USA
(617) 728-8750 (phone)
webmaster@massbbo.org

MICHIGAN (MI)
http://www.michbar.org/memberdirectory/home
State Bar of Michigan (SBM)
306 Townsend Street
Lansing, Michigan 48933-2012 USA
(517) 346-6300 (phone)
(800) 968-1442 (toll-free phone)
(517) 482-6248 (fax)
(517) 372-1139 (fax)

MINNESOTA (MN)
http://mars.courts.state.mn.us/
Minnesota Judicial Branch, Lawyer Registration
180 East 5th Street, Suite 950
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101 USA
(651) 296-2254 (phone)
lawyerregistration@mbcle.state.mn.us

Minnesota Lawyer Registration Office (MARS)
Minnesota Judicial Center, Room 305
25 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155 USA
(651) 297-7650 (phone)
(651) 296-2254 (phone)
(651) 297-4149 (fax)

MISSISSIPPI (MS)
https://www.msbar.org/lawyer-directory/
The Mississippi Bar
643 North State Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39202 USA
(601) 948-4471 (phone)
(601) 355-8635 (fax)
info@msbar.org

The Mississippi Bar
P.O. Box 2168
Jackson, Mississippi 39225-2168 USA

MISSOURI (MO)
http://www.mobar.org/LawyerDirectory.aspx
The Missouri Bar
PO Box 119, 326 Monroe
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102-0119 USA
(573) 635-4128 (phone)
(573) 635-2811 (fax)
mobar@mobar.org

MONTANA (MT)
https://www.montanabar.org/search/
State Bar of Montana
33 S. Last Chance Gulch, Suite 1B - P.O. Box 577
Helena, Montana 59624 USA
(406) 442-7660 (phone)
(406) 442-7763 (fax)

http://www.montanaodc.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1229
State Bar of Montana
P. O. Box 1099
Helena, Montana 59624-1099 USA
(406) 442-1648 (phone)
(406) 442-2685 (fax)

NEBRASKA (NE)
https://mcle.wcc.ne.gov/ext/SearchLawyer.do
Attorney Services Division of the Nebraska Supreme Court
3806 Normal Boulevard
Lincoln, Nebraska 68506 USA
(402) 471-3137 (phone)
(402) 471-2512 (fax)
nsc.courtservices@nebraska.gov (email address for attorney use only)

Nebraska Judicial Branch – Supreme Court – Court of Appeals
Nebraska State Capitol
1445 K Street
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508 USA

NEVADA (NV)
http://www.nvbar.org/find-a-lawyer
State Bar of Nevada
3100 West Charleston Boulevard, Suite 100
Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 USA
(702) 382-2200 (phone)
(702) 385-2878 (fax)
1 (800) 254-2797 (toll-free phone)
1 (888) 660-6767 (toll-free fax)

State Bar of Nevada
9456 Double R Boulevard, Suite B
Reno, Nevada 89521 USA
(775) 329-4100 (phone)
(775) 329-0522 (fax)

NEW HAMPSHIRE (NH)
[NOTE: I am informed that New Hampshire does not provide an online searchable database of licensed attorneys, and that instead, one should phone the New Hampshire Supreme Court at (603) 271-2646].
https://member.nhbar.org/login/
New Hampshire Bar Association
2 Pillsbury Street, Suite 300
Concord, New Hampshire 03301 USA
(603) 224-6942 (phone)
(603) 224-2910 (fax)
info@nhbar.org

http://www.nhattyreg.org/
New Hampshire Supreme Court, Attorney Discipline Office
4 Chenell Drive, Suite 102
Concord, New Hampshire 03301 USA
(603) 224-5828 (phone)
(603) 228-9511 (fax)

NEW JERSEY (NJ)
https://portal.njcourts.gov/webe7/prweb/PRServletPublicAuth/-amRUHgepTwWWiiBQpI9_yQNuum4oN16*/!STANDARD
New Jersey Courts, New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
25 West Market Street - 8th Floor, North Wing
Trenton, New Jersey 08611 USA
(609) 815-2930 phone)
(609) 984-2111 (phone)
cpf.Mailbox@njcourts.gov
bac.Mailbox@njcourts.gov

Office of Communications and Community Relations, Administrative Office of the Courts
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
P.O. Box 037
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0037 USA
Webmaster.Mailbox@njcourts.gov

Supreme Court of New Jersey - Board on Attorney Certification
PO Box 965
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0965 USA

NEW MEXICO (NM)
http://www.nmbar.org/FindAnAttorney
State Bar of New Mexico
5121 Masthead NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109 USA
(505) 797-6000 (phone)
(800) 876-6227 (toll-free phone)
(505) 797-6098 (fax)
sbnm@nmbar.org

State Bar of New Mexico
PO Box 92860
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87199-2860 USA

NEW YORK (NY)
https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/attorney/AttorneySearch
New York State Unified Court System
Office of Court Administration (OCA), Attorney Registration Unit
25 Beaver Street, Room 840
New York, New York 10004 USA
(212) 428-2800 (phone)
(212) 428-2804 (fax)
attyreg@nycourts.gov

NORTH CAROLINA (NC)
http://www.ncbar.gov/gxweb/mem_search.aspx
North Carolina State Bar
217 East Edenton Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 USA
(919) 828-4620 (phone)
(919) 821-9168 (fax)
general@ncbar.gov

NORTH DAKOTA (ND)
http://www.ndcourts.gov/lawyers/
North Dakota Supreme Court
Judicial Wing, First Floor - State Capitol
Bismarck, North Dakota 58505-0530 USA
(701) 328-2221 (phone)
(701) 328-4480 (fax)
info@ndcourts.gov

OHIO (OH)
https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/AttorneySearch/#/search
The Supreme Court of Ohio, Office of Attorney Services
65 South Front Street, 5th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3431 USA
(614) 387-9327 (phone)
(614) 387-9320 (phone)
(614) 387-9000 (phone)
(614) 387-9529 (fax)
attyreg@sc.ohio.gov

OKLAHOMA (OK)
http://www.oklahomafindalawyer.com/FindALawyer
[NOTE: I am informed that the on-line directory in Oklahoma does not include all attorneys in good standing in this database, because attorneys in good standing can opt-out of the publicly-searchable database – therefore, a phone call is needed].
Oklahoma Bar Association
P.O. Box 53036, 1901 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73152-3036 USA
(405) 416-7000 (phone)
(800) 522-8065 (toll-free phone)
(405) 416-7001 (fax)

OREGON (OR)
http://www.osbar.org/members/membersearch_start.asp
Oregon State Bar Center
16037 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road
Tigard, Oregon 97224 USA
(503) 620-0222 (phone)
(800) 452-8260 (toll-free phone in Oregon)
(503) 684-1366 (fax)
info@osbar.org

Oregon State Bar Center
PO Box 231935
Tigard, Oregon 97281 USA

PENNSYLVANIA (PA)
https://www.padisciplinaryboard.org/for-the-public/find-attorney
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave, Suite 5600 - P.O. Box 62625
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17106-2625 USA
(717) 231-3380 (phone)
(717) 231-3381 (fax)
atty.registration@pacourts.us

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Western District Office
801 City-County Building
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219 USA
(412) 565-2816 (phone)

RHODE ISLAND (RI)
https://www.ribar.com/Members/Directory/
Rhode Island Bar Association
41 Sharpe Drive
Cranston, Rhode Island 02920 USA
(401) 421-5740 (phone)
(401) 421-2703 (fax)

SOUTH CAROLINA (SC)
https://www.scbar.org/lawyers/directory/
South Carolina Bar
950 Taylor Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201 USA
(803) 799-6653 (phone)
(803) 765-5108 (fax)
doelhafen@scbar.org

South Carolina Bar
P.O. Box 608
Columbia, South Carolina 29202 USA

SOUTH DAKOTA (SD)
http://www.statebarofsouthdakota.com/
[NOTE: I am informed that South Dakota does not provide an on-line searchable database of licensed attorneys, and instead, one should phone the state’s lawyer licensing agency in South Dakota: (800) 952-2333].
State Bar of South Dakota
222 East Capitol Avenue #3
Pierre, South Dakota 57501 USA
(605) 224-7554 (phone)
(605) 224-0282 (fax)

https://findalawyerinsd.com/
State Bar of South Dakota's Lawyer Referral Service
222 East Capitol Avenue #3
Pierre, South Dakota 57501 USA
(800) 952-2333 (toll-free phone)

TENNESSEE (TN)
http://www.tbpr.org/for-the-public/online-attorney-directory
Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee
10 Cadillac Drive, Suite 220
Brentwood, Tennessee 37027 USA
(615) 361-7500 (phone)
(800) 486-5714 (toll-free phone)
(615) 367-2480 (fax)

TEXAS (TX)
https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?
State Bar of Texas
1414 Colorado Street
Austin, Texas 78701 USA
(512) 427-1463 (toll-free phone)
(800) 204-2222 (phone)

UTAH (UT)
https://services.utahbar.org/Member-Directory
Utah State Bar
645 South 200 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 USA
(801) 531-9077 (phone)
(801) 531-0660 (fax)
info@utahbar.org
onlineservices@utahbar.org

VERMONT (VT)
https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/attorneys/attorney-licensing-and-pro-hac-vice
https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/sites/default/files/documents/rptAttorneys_Good_Standing_2.pdf
Vermont Judiciary, Office of Attorney Licensing
Costello Courthouse - 32 Cherry Street, Suite 213
Burlington, Vermont 05401 USA
(802) 859-3000 (phone)
(802) 859-3003 (fax)
jud.attylicensing@vermont.gov

VIRGINIA (VA)
http://www.vsb.org/attorney/attSearch.asp
[NOTE: I am informed that the directory in Virginia does not include all attorneys in good standing, because attorneys in good standing can opt out of the publicly-searchable database – therefore, a phone call is needed].
Virginia State Bar – An Agency of the Supreme Court of Virginia
1111 East Main Street, Suite 700
Richmond, Virginia 23219-0026 USA
(804) 775-0530 (phone)
(804) 775-0500 (phone)
(804) 775-0501 (fax)
membership@vsb.org

WASHINGTON (WA)
https://www.mywsba.org/PersonifyEbusiness/LegalDirectory.aspx
Washington State Bar Association
1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 600
Seattle, Washington 98101-2539 USA
(800) 945-9722 (toll-free phone)
(206) 443-9722 (phone)
(206) 727-8316 (fax)
(206) 727-8313 (fax)
(206) 727-8325 (fax)
questions@wsba.org

WEST VIRGINIA (WV)
https://www.mywvbar.org/membership-search-members
The West Virginia State Bar
2000 Deitrick Boulevard
Charleston, West Virginia 25311-1231 USA
(304) 553-7220 (phone)
1 (866) 989-8227 (toll-free phone)
(304) 553-7228 (fax)
caseya@wvbar.org

WISCONSIN (WI)
http://www.wisbar.org/Pages/BasicLawyerSearch.aspx
State Bar of Wisconsin
5302 Eastpark Boulevard
Madison, Wisconsin 53718-2101 USA
(608) 257-3838 (phone)
(800) 728-7788 (toll-free phone)
(800) 444-9404 (toll-free phone)
(608) 257-5502 (fax)
service@wisbar.org

State Bar of Wisconsin
P.O. Box 7158
Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7158 USA

WYOMING (WY)
https://www.wyomingbar.org/for-the-public/membership-directory/
Wyoming State Bar
4124 Laramie Street, PO Box 109
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003 USA
(307) 632-9061 (phone)
(307) 632-3737 (fax)
swilkinson@wyomingbar.org

TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS

PUERTO RICO
http://prbany.com/
Puerto Rican Bar Association
c/o Stephanie R. Correa, Esq. - The Cochran Firm
55 Broadway, 23rd Floor
New York, New York 10006 USA
president@prbany.com

GUAM
http://guambar.org
Guam Bar Association
284 West Chalan Santo Papa
Hagåtña, Guam 96910
(671) 989-4227 (phone)
(671) 475-3400 (fax)
info@guambar.org

(671) 475-3167 (phone)
(671) 989-4227 (phone)
atolentino@guamsupremecourt.com

American Samoa
Northern Mariana Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
Minor Outlying Islands
Bajo Nuevo Bank
Baker Island
Howland Island
Jarvis Island
Johnston Atoll
Kingman Reef
Midway Islands
Navassa Island
Palmyra Atoll
Serranilla Bank
Wake Island
Palmyra Atoll

Step #2.

MARTINDALE-HUBBELL
https://www.martindale.com/

---

Click the “Articles” link below to return to the main articles page.