| The Utah State
Bar is an organization of Utah's 10,000 lawyers and judges. The history
of the Utah State Bar began in the early 1900's with the association of
several Utah lawyers hoping to improve communication within the legal
community and to find ways of serving the general public. In 1931 the
Utah Legislature recognized the need to foster those goals and designated
the Utah State Bar by statute to manage and regulate the legal profession
by licensing all persons who engage in the practice of law. In 1985, the
Utah State Constitution was amended to clarify that regulation of the
legal profession should be performed under the Judicial Branch of government
through the Utah Supreme Court, and the Bar was "perpetuated, created
and continued" to perform regulatory and public interest services
under the direction and control of the Supreme Court.
Today's Bar envisions its role as leading society in the creation
of a justice system that is understood, valued, respected and accessible
to all. Within that vision, we have established a mission of representing
lawyers in Utah and serving the public and the legal profession by
promoting justice, professional excellence, civility, ethics, respect
for and understanding of the law.
The membership of the Bar includes active and inactive lawyers, and
lawyers who reside within and outside the State of Utah. In order to
practice law in the State of Utah, it is necessary to be a member of
the Utah State Bar. The Utah State Bar maintains offices at 645 South
200 East in Salt Lake City, Utah in the Utah Law and Justice Center.
The Bar officers include a president and a president elect who are elected
from a commission of 11 lawyers, 2 public members, and several ex-officio
members. The Bar has an office staff with various responsibilities related
to the administration of the practice of law and providing services
to Bar members and to the public.
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