North Carolina Bar Association
| Type | Legal Society |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Cary, North Carolina |
| Location |
|
|
Membership
|
14,000+ in 2013 (750 out of state) |
| Website | http://www.ncbar.org/ |
The North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) is the voluntary (non-mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of North Carolina. NCBA membership is voluntary and tax money is not involved in its support. In contrast, the North Carolina State Bar and the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners are state agencies.
The North Carolina Bar Association is a voluntary organization of lawyers, paralegals and law students dedicated to serving the public and the legal profession. It was founded in Raleigh on Feb. 10, 1899, and is based at the N.C. Bar Center, located in Cary at 8000 Weston Parkway.
Leadership is provided by the NCBA Board of Governors under the direction of a president who serves a one-year term. The president is elected to the position of president-elect at the annual meeting one year prior to his or her installation as president at the subsequent annual meeting.
Individuals comprising membership in the Board of Governors also serve on the Board of Directors for the NCBA Foundation, Inc. The NCBA is a 501(c)(6) trade organization; the NCBA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The NCBA Foundation was established in 1960 and the NCBA Foundation Endowment was established in 1987.
The president of the NCBA and the NCBA Foundation for 2016-17 is Kearns Davis of Greensboro. The executive director of the NCBA and secretary-treasurer of the NCBA Foundation is Jason Hensley.
The first NCBA Annual Meeting was held July 5-7, 1899, in Morehead City. There have been four more presidents than annual meetings: Platt W. Walker of Charlotte, the first president, served his term prior to the first annual meeting; Hamilton C. Jones (1904) and T.L. Caudle (1929) died in office; and Linville K. Martin (1942) resigned when he was called into military service during World War II.
North Carolina is rare in that it has two statewide bar organizations serving the entire legal profession: the voluntary North Carolina Bar Association and the mandatory North Carolina State Bar. This often causes confusion among the public and sometimes even within the legal profession. In lay terms, the NCBA is a service organization for legal professionals providing continuing legal education, legislative advocacy, practice management support, and countless opportunities to lead, serve and network. The State Bar, meanwhile, regulates the practice of law. Admission to the State Bar is the responsibility of the N.C. Board of Law Examiners.
The late William L. Storey, who served as executive vice president and secretary of the NCBA for 26 years, provided the following historical insight into the establishment of the N.C. State Bar and what is now known as the N.C. Board of Law Examiners:
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