local bar association. A bar association organized on a local level, such as an association within a county or city. • Local bar associations are voluntary in membership.
state bar association. An association or group of attorneys that have been admitted to practice law in a given state; a bar association organized on a statewide level, often with compulsory membership. • State bar associations are usu. created by statute, and membership is often mandatory for those who practice law in the state. Unlike voluntary, professional-development bar associations such as the American Bar Association, state bar associations often have the authority to regulate the legal profession, by undertaking such matters as disciplining attorneys and bringing lawsuits against those who engage in the unauthorized practice of law.
