STATE BAR STAFF CONTACTS Telephone (800) 204-2222 or (512) 427-1463 and the extension number, as noted for each department, unless another telephone number is given.
Complainants are required to use the State Bar's current grievance form, effective September 1, 2023, to report attorney misconduct. A grievance can be submitted electronically at , or the current grievance form can be downloaded from there.
After graduating from a law school approved by the American Bar Association with a doctor of jurisprudence degree, candidates must then take the bar examination – a comprehensive test of knowledge in many areas of law.
With 95,437 active members, the State Bar of Texas is one of the largest state bars in the United States. Unlike the American Bar Association (ABA), the State Bar of Texas (SBOT) is a mandatory bar.
The State Bar of Texas is composed of those persons licensed to practice law in Texas and is an "integrated" or "mandatory" bar. The State Bar Act, adopted by the Legislature in 1939, mandates that all attorneys licensed to practice law in Texas be members of the State Bar.
The country's thirty-one mandatory state bar associations are fac- ing an existential threat following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Janus v. ACSME, 138 S. Ct. 2448 (2018).
The mission of the State Bar of Texas is to support the administration of the legal system, assure all citizens equal access to justice, foster high standards of ethical conduct for lawyers …
Applicants who earned their law degree outside of the United States must complete six credits of coursework on subjects tested on the Texas bar and three specific courses: Professional Responsibility (6321), Lawyering Skills & Strategies (5314), and Introduction to American Law (6321).
After graduating from a law school approved by the American Bar Association with a doctor of jurisprudence degree, candidates must then take the bar examination – a comprehensive test of knowledge in many areas of law. After passing this test, the person is licensed to practice law.