Information on Membership Categories

Information on Membership Categories

Active (Regular)Membership:

Any member of the Bar of the State of New York who resides in or maintains an office in Suffolk County, including any person who holds judicial office, may become an Active Member.

Associate Membership:

Any member of the Bar of the State of New York who neither resides in nor maintains an office in Suffolk County, and any member of the Bar of any other State, Territory, or District of Columbia may become an Associate Member.

Law Student Membership:

Any individual regularly enrolled, and in good standing, in a law school accredited by the American Bar Association or, who clerking is clerking pursuant to § 22NYCRR520.4, or is awaiting bar examination results or admission to the bar may become a Student Member.

Retired Membership:

Any member of the Bar of the State of New York who has certified pursuant to §468a, of the Judiciary Law that he or she has retired from the practice of law, may become a Retired Member, [but a full-time judge or justice of the Unified Court System of the State of New York, or of a court of any other state or of a Federal court, shall not be eligible to become a Retired Member].

Sustaining Membership:

Sustaining membership is available to any member of any of the above membership categories whom are willing, for the support of the general work of the Association, to pay such amount (as determined by the Board of Directors) in addition to their dues for their particular class. A member who elects to become a Sustaining Member in any year shall not be obligated to continue such membership in any subsequent year. Sustaining members shall have the same rights and privileges as pertain to the class of which they are a member.

Paralegal Membership:

Any person who is either a graduate of an ABA accredited paralegal program or who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, government agency. Corporation or other entity to provide legal services for which a supervising attorney is responsible may become a Paralegal Member upon written application. The individual’s application must include a letter of recommendation, or a completed Association recommendation form, from an attorney in good standing in the Association. The last sentence applies to any individual seeking Paralegal Membership. Paralegal membership is subject to any additional limitations as the Board of Directors may require.

Legal Administrator/Legal Secretary/Administrative Assistant Membership:

1. Any person who is qualified through education, training or work experience, employed or retained by a law office, government agency or other entity, or authorized by administrative, statutory or court authority to perform personnel and human resource work, management or law firm facilities, or law firm financial management and is responsible for overall non-attorney management, or
2. A professional legal secretary or administrative assistant who is employed with and sponsored for membership by an attorney member of the association, may become a Legal Administrator/Legal Secretary/Administrative Assistant upon written application. The individual’s application must include a letter of recommendation, or a completed Association recommendation form, from an attorney in good standing in the Association. Legal Administrator membership is subject to any additional limitations the Board of Directors may require.

Paralegal Student:

Any person who is currently enrolled in an ABA accredited paralegal program. Applicant must provide their anticipated date of graduation and a letter on the school's letterhead verifying enrollment.

Dues Information

¹ Calculations of your dues is predicated on your admission status as of June 1st, which is the commencement of the Association's fiscal year.

² A copy of your registration & retirement acknowledgment receipt from the Office of Court Administration must be forwarded to scba@scba.org to complete your application.

Dues are Prorated on a quarterly basis for new applicants only as follows: