Status Information

Membership Categories 

Active Membership: Any member admitted to practice law in the State of Mississippi and  engaged in the practice of law in this state.

Inactive Membership: Any member in good standing not engaged in the practice of law  in the State of Mississippi may, upon written request, be enrolled as an inactive member.  Inactive members shall not be entitled to vote or hold office in the association. For the  purposes of membership, the "practice of law" shall include any person holding  himself/herself out as a practicing attorney, or occupying any position in which he/she  may be called upon to give legal advice or counsel, or to examine or pass upon the legal  effect of any act, document, or law. An annual fee is required to maintain good standing.

 Exemptions:
 1. Lawyers over the age of 75
 2. Lawyers retired from the practice of law because of age, serious illness or permanent  disability. Illness or disability exemptions require supporting documentation from doctor  or agency certifying the illness or disability to be filed in the member's record
 3. Judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, Chancery Courts,  County Courts, U.S. Magistrates, Bankruptcy Courts, Federal Courts and Federal  Administrative Law Judges.

Status Change
To request a change of status, download one of the following forms and send to  Membership Records, The Mississippi Bar, P.O. Box 2168, Jackson, MS 39225-2168.
• Change of Status--Active to Inactive
• Change of Status--Inactive to Active

 
Penalty for Non-payment of Membership Fees/Reinstatement
Under Mississippi Law (73-3-127 MCA (1972)), members failing to pay enrollment fees 90 days after notices have been mailed are suspended from membership in The Mississippi Bar.
To be reinstated following suspension, Mississippi law requires payment of delinquent fees and a penalty (for each year remaining suspended) in an amount equal to one-half (1/2) of the delinquent fee.
For more information, contact  Nikki McIntyre at nmcintyre@msbar.org or 601-355-4619.

New Members Information - (Under Construction. Information Coming Soon)
  
Demographics 
The Mississippi Bar was founded in 1906 and in 1932 the Legislature unified the Mississippi Bar (made membership mandatory). Today Mississippi is one of 35 unified state Bars.  There are over 10,700 members (active or inactive) of the Mississippi Bar. There are members in all 50 states. Mississippi's lawyer population ranks 34th nationally between Iowa and Nevada.

Almost half of the lawyers in Mississippi practice in the Jackson metropolitan area. The second largest concentration of lawyers in Mississippi is on the gulf coast. Just over 25% of the active members in Mississippi are female and approximately 10% are minority practitioners.

Mississippi Bar membership statistics (As of January 2012)
Active Members    8,764
Inactive Members    1,965
Total Membership    10,729

Active Members - Mississippi   6,955
Active Members - Out of State    1,809
Total Active     8,764

Inactive Members - Mississippi   636
Inactive Members - Out of State   1,329
Total Inactive     1,965

Active Members - Female - Mississippi  1,859
Active Members - Females - Out of State 520
Total Active Members - Female   2,379

Active Members - Minority - Mississippi 680
Active Members - Minority - Out of State  149
Total Active Members - Minority  829