State Bar of Montana
Appearance
Type | Legal Society |
---|---|
Headquarters | Helena, MT |
Location |
|
Membership | 4,100+ in 2012 (1,300 out of state) [1] |
Website | http://www.montanabar.org/ |
The State Bar of Montana is the integrated (mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of Montana.
History
In 1974, the State Bar of Montana was created by order of the Montana Supreme Court .[2] Its first President was Marshall H. Murray.
The predecessor to the State Bar of Montana was a voluntary organization, the Montana Bar Association, founded in 1885.
Structure
SBM is governed by a Board of Trustees, consisting of 16 members plus four Board officers, all of whom are elected by the membership. The Board hires an Executive Director to supervise the organization's staff.
The Bar enforces the rule that Montana lawyers must complete 15 credits each year.[3]
Major MSB activities include
- A Lawyers Fund for Client Protection, which makes restitution in cases where an attorney has improperly appropriated client funds.
- A Lawyer Referral Service, which allows members of the public to get help to find a lawyer for help with their particular legal problem.
- A Fee Arbitration Program to settle fee disputes between an attorney and a client short of litigation.
- Assistance with the provision of financial support for legal services to the poor through the Montana Justice Foundation
- Over a dozen practice-oriented sections addressing specialty interests
- Montana Lawyer, a monthly magazine.
References
- ^ Montana Bar Overview, Martindale Hubbell, retrieved 2012-09-11
- ^ "History & Purpose of the Bar". State Bar of Montana. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ "MCLE Credit Requirements by State". Practising Law Institute. Retrieved 2012-09-11.