Membership Dues Schedule and Billing Policy

Schedule of Dues:

The CBA's annual membership period runs June-May. New members joining June-November need to submit full annual dues. New members joining December-March need to submit half the annual dues.
In computing the number of years of admission to practice, a member is deemed to have been admitted to practice on June 1 of the year of his/her first admission in any state.  Government and legal aid discounted rates are listed in parenthesis.  All members in practice less than ten years are automatically enrolled in our Young Lawyers Section (no extra fee required).

Period of Admission More Than But Less Than	Annual Dues
New Admission in Illinois is up to one year following admission date (applies only to those whose first admission state is Illinois and immediately follows admission date)	Complimentary
1 year to 2 years	$100 ($75)
2 years to 4 years	$150 ($113)
4 years to 6 years	$200 ($150)
6 years to 8 years	$250 ($188)
8 years to 10 years	$325 ($244)
10 years and over	$395 ($297)
Non-Resident Member*... $125 ($94)
Special Member**... $81 ($61)

*A non-resident member is one neither residing nor having an office in Cook County.
**Special members are attorneys not admitted in Illinois but are admitted to practice law and are in good standing in another state or foreign jurisdiction.
Note: Members with no business address are billed at their home address.

Dues include a $10 subscription to the CBA Record and all committee memberships. Dues are not deductible as charitable contributions but may be as a business expense. Approximately 6.5% of dues are lobbying costs which are not tax deductible. Dues are non-refundable.

Membership Dues Categories:

Attorney Members: Regular members and nonresident members (neither residing nor having an office in Cook County) are those admitted in Illinois, currently registered with ARDC as active, voluntarily inactive or retired.

Special Attorney Members: Attorneys not admitted in Illinois but admitted to practice law and in good standing in another US state or foreign jurisdiction. Those applying from a foreign jurisdiction are required to submit verification of professional legal certification. Annual dues $81.

Government/Legal Aid Attorneys: Members who are employed by government or legal aid agencies receive a 25% dues discount. Does not apply to judges.

New Admittees/New Lawyer: Up to one year free membership immediately following admission date for those whose first admission state is Illinois.

Student Membership: Open to law students who are enrolled at ABA accredited law schools or recent law school graduates who are preparing to take the bar exam and/or are awaiting results of the bar exam. Does not apply to licensed attorneys returning to school. Annual dues are $12 or a one time payment of $30 for the 3 year law school term.

Non Lawyer Associate Membership: Open to paralegals, law firm administrators and other non-lawyer professionals whose employment relates to the legal profession or the administration of justice. Does not apply to licensed attorneys or attorneys who are not authorized to practice law due to disciplinary actions. Annual dues $80.

Billing Policies:

 (1) Sustaining Members: Along with their regular membership dues, Sustaining members pay an additional $150 for the June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025 bar year to help support the CBA's 150th Anniversary celebration.

 (2) Government and Legal Aid Lawyer Discount: Dues are discounted 25% for members employed by government or legal aid agencies. Those using home address as billing address must include name of employer on remittance stub to receive discount. Discount does not apply to judges.

 (3) Dues Waiver/Reduction: Permanent dues waivers are granted to members who have accumulated 50 years of membership. Temporary dues waivers or reductions may be granted to members who are serving in the military, disabled, unemployed or experiencing financial hardship. Unemployed/Financial hardship dues are $50/yr.  Retired rates are also available for $75/yr.  Active military personnel receive waived dues for the year.   Email membership@chicagobar.org  with requests and call 312-554-2131 with questions.  

 (4) Suspension/Termination: Members whose accounts are in arrears over 60 days will receive suspension notices. If payment is not received within 30 days following the suspension notice, membership will be terminated, all privileges will be revoked, and reinstatement policies will apply. This applies to dues and any other outstanding charges.

 (5) Cancellation: Members wishing to resign or cancel membership are required to so indicate in writing (billing@chicagobar.org ) or by phone (312-554-2020) stating reason for resignation; if no notice is received, they will be considered dropped for non-payment of dues and subject to reinstatement policies and fees.

 (6) Voluntary Contributions:

a) The Chicago Bar Foundation. The CBF is your foundation and voluntary contributions from members like you are what makes the CBF's critical access to justice work possible. Charitable contributions to the CBF are tax-deductible and can be reported as qualifying contributions for purposes of IL Supreme Court Rule 756 when you complete your annual ARDC registration. A suggested donation is $25.

b) CBA 150th Anniversary Fund.  The CBA will turn 150 years old in 2024!  Help support the Association's plans to celebrate our missions of championing justice, building connections, and making an impact in the profession and the community at large.   A suggested donation is $25.

 (7) Dues Auto Pay Plan: Current members can use their preferred credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover) to pay dues automatically on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis. Simply choose your payment schedule, provide credit card information and the CBA will send you an email each time your installment is charged to your credit card at no additional cost. Special note: Dues auto pay applies to dues only. CLE Advantage fee, voluntary contributions and monthly CBA charges for seminars, etc. are not included in this plan.  To sign up for the Dues Auto Pay Plan, call 312-554-2020.

 (8) eStatement: Receive your CBA dues statement through email instead of hard copy. Your eStatement will be personalized with a link to our Web site, making it easier than ever for you to pay Association charges online. The eStatement program is eco friendly and helps the Association reduce its consumption of paper, printing, processing and postage costs. Sign up now.

 (9) Discrepancies: Discrepancies about dues and any other charges must be brought to the CBA's attention within 30 days of the statement date on which the original charge appeared. To report discrepancies, call CBA Membership Accounting at 312-554-2020.

 Questions? Email billing@chicagobar.org or call 312-554-2020.