FAQs - Lawyers

1. How do I become a member of the PBA? 
Call the Member Service Center, 800-932-0311, for an application or click here to start the process.

2. What are PBA member dues?
Click here for the current schedule of PBA member dues.

3. What are the benefits of PBA membership? Click here for the latest information on the many benefits and services our members receive from the PBA.

4. Does Pennsylvania have reciprocity with ___________________ jurisdiction?
Please contact the Board of Law Examiners of the Supreme Court at either 717-231-3350 or www.pabarexam.org.

5. Where can I get a Certificate of Good Standing (usually needed to "waive in" to another state)?
Go to the Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System website.

6. How do I know if a fellow attorney is in good standing in Pennsylvania?
Call the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania at 717-231-3380 or go to their website.

7. How do I obtain guidance as to my ethical obligations as a lawyer?
Any PBA member with an ethical question concerning his or her own prospective conduct may call the PBA Ethics Hotline at 800-932-0311, ext. 2214, or 717-238-6715 or submit a written request for an ethics opinion to [email protected]. These services are not available to the general public or to lawyers who are not members of the PBA. In addition, ethics opinions issued by the PBA Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee may be accessed by PBA members by clicking here to log in and access the ethics opinions.

8. How do I obtain contact information on the various Pennsylvania Supreme Court-related agencies?
Click here to see the current listing of these agencies and their contact information, as listed in the current edition of the PBA Lawyers Directory.

9. How I obtain admission to the bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania? Contact the Board of Law Examiners of the Supreme Court at 717-231-3350 or go to their website.

10. Where do I get information on upcoming bar exams or bar exam results?
Contact the Board of Law Examiners of the Supreme Court at 717-231-3350 or go to their website.

11. How do I file a complaint against a judge or magisterial district judge?
Direct your complaint to the Judicial Conduct Board, 601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 3500, P.O. Box 62525, Harrisburg, Pa. 17120-0901; telephone 717-234-7911. Click here for more information.

12. How do I check on the number of CLE credits I have this year?
Contact the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board at either 717-231-3250 or 800-497-2253 or through their website.

13. In which CLE compliance group am I?
Contact the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board at either 717-231-3250 or 800-497-2253 or through their website.

14. How do I get a course approved for CLE credit?
Contact the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board at either 717-231-3250 or 800-497-2253 or through their website.

15. How do I find out what CLE courses are currently being offered?
Contact the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board at either 717-231-3250 or 800-497-2253 or through their website.

16. How do I know if a fellow attorney is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?
Call the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania at 717-231-3380 or go to their website.

17. What is the Pennsylvania IOLTA (Interest on Lawyer Trust Account) program?
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania amended the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct effective Sept. 1, 1996, to require that lawyers place fiduciary funds entrusted to them as a result of the practice of law into interest bearing status to benefit the owner(s) of the funds, or for qualified funds to benefit the IOLTA program. The lawyer's bank transfers the interest earned on IOLTA accounts to the IOLTA Board, which distributes IOLTA funds for the delivery of civil legal assistance to the poor and disadvantaged, educational legal clinical programs and internships administered by law schools, the administration of justice, and for the administration and development of the IOLTA program. For more information, contact the Pennsylvania IOLTA Board at 601 Commonwealth Ave, Suite 2400, P.O. Box 62445, Harrisburg, Pa. 17106-2445; phone: 717-238-2001 or toll free 888-724-6582; fax: 717-238-2003; email; website.

18. How can I get in touch with a Pennsylvania law school?
Click here for a list of Pennsylvania law schools.

19. How do I contact the American Bar Association?
ABA contact information is listed on their website.

20. How do I contact my county bar association?
Click here for Pennsylvania county bar association contact information.

21. What is the PBA’s free legal research program, Fastcase, and how do I find out more about it?
The PBA offers free access to the online legal research platform Fastcase to members. Click here for more information. For lawyers who are not PBA members, we encourage you to find out more about Fastcase and all the other PBA benefits. Ready to be a member today? Join now!

22. How do I file a complaint against a fellow attorney?
Contact the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania at one of the following numbers:
      If the attorney practices in Philadelphia County, call 215-560-6296
      In the rest of Eastern Pennsylvania, call 610-650-8210
      In Central Pennsylvania, call 717-772-8572
      In Western Pennsylvania, call 412-565-3173
For more information, go to the Disciplinary Board website.

23. What kind of insurance coverage is available to PBA members?
Call USI Affinity at 800-265-2876 or go to their website.

24. As a PBA member, how do I keep my email address current with the association?
If your email address has changed, click here and then on your name to reach your member dashboard and enter your new email address in PBA's records.

25. As a PBA member, how do I keep my mailing address current with the association?
If your mailing address has changed, click here and then on your name to reach your member dashboard and enter your new mailing address in PBA's records.

26. Are conference rooms available for use at PBA headquarters?
The PBA has conference rooms available to members at no cost. Conference rooms are available to non-member attorneys for a fee. All conferences must be for law-related matters. Click here for more information.

27. Does the website contain translations for clients who speak only Spanish or another language?
(¿El sitio web contiene traducciones para clientes que hablan español único idioma u otro?)
For those seeking translation of public content on the PBA website to Spanish or another language, an option is to use the free Google Translate program at http://translate.google.com/#auto|es|. Click here for more information. (Para aquellos que buscan la traducción de contenidos públicos en la página web de PBA al español u otro idioma, una opción es utilizar el programa gratuito de Google Translate en http://translate.google.com/#auto|es|. Haga clic aquí para obtener más información.)