FAQ
- What is the difference between the North Carolina State Bar (NCSB) and the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA)?
- What is the cost of membership?
- Do I have to be licensed in North Carolina to join? Do I have to live in North Carolina to join?
- When do I age out of YLD?
- What are the different categories of membership?
- Does the NCBA have an inactive status?
- If I am on inactive status with the N.C. State Bar, may I still belong to the NCBA?
- Is my member number the same as my State Bar number?
- How do I obtain my member number and password?
- What is NC Fastcase?
- Where are you located? How do I get to the Bar Center?
- Do you offer affiliate memberships for legal-related companies?
- Am I a legal services attorney? Am I a government attorney?
- Do you have a membership directory available for purchase? Or, is there a place where I can look up members online?
- Are there any sections that non-lawyers can join?
- What is the difference between the Corporate Counsel and Business Law sections, as far as membership requirements?
- I am a paralegal. Can I join the Paralegal Division?
- Are there any scholarships available for NCBA membership?
- Is there a discount if I work for the district attorney or the public defender offices?
What is the difference between the North Carolina State Bar (NCSB) and the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA)?
The North Carolina State Bar is the regulatory body for the legal profession in the state. It is mandatory that all lawyers pay their annual dues to the State Bar. To reach the State Bar, please call (919) 828-4620. The North Carolina Bar Association is a voluntary association serving the diverse needs of the legal profession with member services such as continuing legal education, legislative lobbying, specialty sections, public service activities and more. The NCBA also has a Foundation, which has the primary objective of funding worthy projects or activities within the Association and the Foundation, as well as responding to other legally related needs in the community.
What is the cost of membership?
The NCBA membership year runs from July 1 through June 30. View membership categories and rates.
- Attorneys (annual rate is determined by year of practice as of December 31st): 1st-2nd year: $0 | 3rd-5th year: $180 | 6th+ year: $360 | Retired: $90
- Judges: $180
- Paralegals: $90
- Affiliates: $90
- Law Students: $0
- Emeritus: $180*
Do I have to be licensed in North Carolina to join? Do I have to live in North Carolina to join?
Those who are licensed in a state other than North Carolina and are living in North Carolina are eligible to join the NCBA as a Regular member. If you are licensed in North Carolina and live out of state, you are also eligible as a Regular member. If you are licensed outside of North Carolina and live outside of North Carolina, you can join as an Out-of-State member. Out-of-State members cannot hold NCBA office, cannot vote and are not eligible for insurance programs, but may participate in all other membership privileges.
When do I age out of YLD?
The Young Lawyers Division is made up of all NCBA members who are 36 years of age and under [before July 1 – the start of the new bar year] or who have been practicing law for 10 years or less in North Carolina.
What are the different categories of membership?
View Membership Categories.
Does the NCBA have an inactive status?
Due to the fact that we are a voluntary association, we do not offer an inactive status.
If I am on inactive status with the N.C. State Bar, may I still belong to the NCBA?
Yes, our membership categories require that you are a member in good standing with the State Bar, and inactive status is considered in good standing.
Is my member number the same as my State Bar number?
No. When you join the NCBA, you receive a different number than your State Bar number. When you are asked for a member number, we are referring to your NCBA number, not your State Bar number, unless otherwise specified.
How do I obtain my member number and password?
Your member number included at the top of your annual dues statement. However, you may also call the NCBA at 919.677.0561 and ask for the Membership Department. Or, you can send an email to [email protected] and request the information. Your email will be forwarded to the appropriate person. However, if we have your current email address on file and you know your NCBA member number, you may go to membership.ncbar.org and click "Forgot Password."
What is NC Fastcase?
Fastcase is the leading next-generation legal research service that puts a comprehensive national law library and smarter and more powerful searching, sorting and visualization tools at your fingertips. The NCBA knows the value of information. That is why we made the NC Fastcase Web Library a no-cost member service. Simply put, if you are a member of the NCBA, you receive, free, unlimited access to the NC Fastcase Web Library. No other provider can offer anything that comes close to this NCBA membership service. Fastcase includes:
- Innovative interactive search map of results, highlighting the most important cases at a glance.
- Twelve different ways to sort search results, such as relevance score, number of citations, and date decided.
- Timeline listing, illustrating how results occur over time, how relevant each case is based on your search terms, and how many times each case has been cited.
- Libraries including primary law from all 50 states, cases, statutes, regulations, court rules and constitutions.
- Integrated citation analysis, saving you time and energy.
Where are you located? How do I get to the Bar Center?
The NC Bar Center is located at 8000 Weston Parkway, in Cary, NC, just outside of Raleigh. From I-40, take Exit 287 – Harrison Avenue, and proceed toward Cary (from I-40 East, take a right; from I-40 West, take a left). On Harrison Avenue, take a right at the third light to Weston Parkway. The Bar Center is 1½ miles down Weston Parkway on the right.
Am I a legal services attorney? Am I a government attorney?
A legal aid attorney works for Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) or for other legal services providers, which provide free or low-cost legal representation to people of modest means in the state. A government attorney works directly for the state or federal government. It does not include professors at state institutions.
Do you have a membership directory available for purchase? Or, is there a place where I can look up members online?
We no longer provide a printed membership directory. Members can get updated member information at our online member directory. You will need to log in with your member number and password.
Are there any sections that non-lawyers can join?
We offer an affiliate status in 10 of our sections. If you meet the guidelines in any of these sections, we welcome you to join.
- Administrative Law: Open to non-lawyers who are actively involved in the promulgation, execution or enforcement of administrative rules
- Dispute Resolution / Collaborative Law: Open to non-lawyer mediators.
- Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Law: Open to non-lawyer environmental professionals.
- Intellectual Property Law: Open to non-lawyer patent agents.
- International Law & Practice (& AEP): Open to non-lawyers active in the field.
- Juvenile Justice & Children's Rights: Open to non-lawyer professionals dealing with children's rights issues.
- Privacy & Data Security: Open to non-lawyer professionals who are actively engaged in the fields of privacy and data security by developing or implementing products; providing services; or engaging in a profession involving teaching or research.
- Small Firm & Technology: Open to non-lawyer firm administrators, affiliates of Paralegal Division and non-lawyer law librarians. If you are a licensed lawyer, in any state, we require that you join the Association and the section that interests you.
- Workers' Compensation: Open to non-lawyer professionals who are involved in workers' compensation law.
- Zoning, Planning & Land Use: Open to non-lawyers active in the field of zoning, planning and land use law.
What is the difference between the Corporate Counsel and Business Law sections, as far as membership requirements?
In order to be a member of the Corporate Counsel Section, you are required to be a full-time, in-house counsel. The Business Law Section’s members need only deal in law pertaining to the business sector generally, and need not be connected to only one company or corporation.
I am a paralegal. Can I join the Paralegal Division?
We do have a Paralegal Division (PD) that can meet many of your needs. They are a very active group that provides networking and learning opportunities and a quarterly newsletter.
Are there any scholarships available for NCBA membership?
Yes. Attorneys residing in North Carolina and in good standing with any state bar in the United States are eligible for a membership scholarship. These scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis starting on July 1, provided the attorney can show sufficient financial need.
Is there a discount if I work for the district attorney or the public defender offices?
Yes. The NCBA Board of Governors offers a 25% subsidy off annual membership dues and Criminal Justice Section dues for all state and federal district attorneys, assistant district attorneys and public defenders (elected and appointed).