About the Bar
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The Virginia State Bar (VSB) was created in 1938 by the Virginia General Assembly as an administrative agency of the Supreme Court of Virginia, unifying Virginia lawyers into a mandatory state bar.
The VSB is governed by its Council and Executive Committee, whose members are elected or appointed from every judicial circuit in the commonwealth. Appointed volunteer lawyers and nonlawyers make up the many VSB boards and committees.
The mission of the Virginia State Bar is (1) to protect the public, (2) to regulate the legal profession of Virginia, (3) to advance access to legal services, and (4) to assist in improving the legal profession and the judicial system.
All VSB activities relate to one or more of these four elements. The VSB is supported entirely by annual lawyer license fees, self-generated income, and volunteer service. It receives no tax dollars.
Primarily, the VSB:
- Enforces the rules and regulations that govern lawyer ethical behavior and the unauthorized practice of law;
- Disciplines lawyers who violate the rules;
- Regulates attorneys’ completion of mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE);
- Promotes access to legal services; and
- Advances diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
The VSB is separate from:
- the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners, which initially licenses attorneys to practice law in Virginia;
- the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission, which deals with complaints about judges; and
- the Virginia Bar Association, which is an independent nonprofit that lawyers join voluntarily.
VSB membership statistics, updated monthly, show how many lawyers practice law in Virginia at any given time. The organizational chart shows the structure of its departments.
Learn more about the VSB’s goals and mission in its 2019-2024 Strategic Plan.
The Virginia State Bar’s authority is found in, e.g.: Virginia Code Section 54.1-3909, the Supreme Court of Virginia's authority to promulgate rules and regulations regarding the practice of law; Virginia Code Section 54.1-3910, establishing the Virginia State Bar as an administrative agency of the Court for professional regulation; and the Rules of Court Part 6, Section IV, paragraph 9, which dictate the organization and government of the Virginia State Bar. The most recent version of the mission statement was approved by Bar Council on October 25, 2019.
Updated: Dec 20, 2022