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The North Carolina State Bar has 44 geographic subdivisions called “judicial district bars” (often also referred to as “district bars”). By statute, judicial district bars are coterminous with prosecutorial districts. See N.C. Gen. Stat. 84-19. Effective January 1, 2019, North Carolina’s prosecutorial districts were re-numbered by the General Assembly to eliminate letters from prosecutorial district designations (e.g., Prosecutorial Districts 11A and 15B). See N.C. Gen. Stat. 7A-60. However, the same changes were not made to the designations for district court and superior court districts. Consequently, the number designations for district court and superior court districts, with a few exceptions, do not match the number designations for prosecutorial districts and, a priori, the number designations for judicial district bars. Click here for a county/district comparison chart.

A member of the North Carolina State Bar staff is appointed as the Judicial District Bar Liaison. This employee plays an active role in ensuring that the governmental responsibilities delegated to the judicial district bars by the State Bar and by statute are performed competently and in accordance with the law and State Bar rules. Judicial district bar officers are encouraged to contact the liaison with questions or concerns about the activities of their judicial district bars.

The North Carolina State Bar is actively working to increase diversity in judicial district bar participation and leadership.

Programs and Services
Resources for Bar Leaders
Calendars
District Bar Information

For information, contact:
Ashley Ratliff, Judicial District Bar Liaison
The North Carolina State Bar 
217 E. Edenton St.
PO Box 25908
Raleigh, NC 27611
919-828-4620 ext 502
ARatliff@ncbar.gov

Programs & Services

Bar Leadership Institute Manual - The North Carolina Bar Association, in cooperation with the North Carolina Conference of Bar Presidents, conducts the Bar Leadership Institute at the Bar Center which focuses on effective leadership skills for presidents and presidents-elect of local, speciality and judicial district bars across North Carolina. 

In-Person Meetings or Presentations - The North Carolina State Bar recognizes the value of on-site visits and encourages you to schedule a visit with us. On-site visits provide free, personalized service to bar leaders and staff for all of North Carolina’s Judicial District Bars.

John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award - The John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award program honors current and retired members of the North Carolina State Bar throughout the state who have demonstrated exemplary service to the legal profession. Members of the Bar are encouraged to nominate colleagues who have demonstrated outstanding service to the profession. The nomination form is available here.

Resources for Bar Leaders

North Carolina State Bar’s Handbook for Officers of Judicial District Bars

Statutes Governing Judicial District Bar Activities

Retention Schedule for Judicial District Bar records

Rules and Regulations Governing Judicial District Bars

To view the regulations governing judicial district bars, please visit the Rules and Regulations page and refer to the following:

1A, .0800, Election and Appointment of State Bar Councilors
1A, .0900, Organization of the Judicial District Bars – District bars must adopt bylaws and submit bylaws to the State Bar Council for approval
1A, .1000, Model Bylaws
1B, .0200, Rules Governing Judicial District Grievance Committees 
1D, .0700, Fee Dispute Resolution

Model Bylaws

Although each judicial district bar must adopt bylaws, there is no requirement that they be the same as the model bylaws. However, the model bylaws are the product of a great deal of careful study and would probably suit the needs of most, if not all, of the judicial district bars. A full copy of the model bylaws is provided below, along with separate copies of sections that the State Bar strongly recommends judicial district bars consider adopting.

Organizations

ABA — Division of Bar Services

National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP)

Tools For Bar Leaders

NC-CLE Course Search

Calendars

American Bar Association (ABA) — Division of Bar Services

To view a schedule of the upcoming quarterly meeting, visit the State Bar's homepage.

Judicial District Bar Information

Judicial District Map (Judicial District Bars are coterminous with the prosecutorial districts of North Carolina, as defined by NC General Statute 7A-60.)

Judicial District Bar Officer’s Directory (To update information, contact Ashley Ratliff)

Judicial District Bar Councilor’s Directory

Legal Links

Essential Duties of District Bar Officers

1. Correspond with your district bar councilor(s) to advise of the district bar’s position on recent actions proposed by the State Bar Council

2. Review district bar bylaws, governing statutes, and governing rules and regulations (see attached governing statutes and rules and regulations)

3. Make sure a current copy of the district bar bylaws is on file with the executive director of the State Bar and with the office of the resident superior court judge for your district

4. Provide the names and addresses of all officers and members of the Board of Directors (if the bylaws provide for a BOD) to the executive director of the State Bar

5. Call and schedule annual and special meetings for purposes of:

  • Electing district bar officers

  • Electing State Bar Councilor(s), upon notification from State Bar that a councilor’s term has expired

  • Choosing candidates for submission to the Governor in filling district court judge vacancies

  • Any other official business of the district bar as may come up from time to time, suchas amendments of bylaws, imposition of or increase in dues, and other matters requiring formal action by the active members of the bar

  • Any other activities of the district bar, such as CLE, programs/speakers, and volunteer activities/outreach projects undertaken by the district bar

6. Appoint board of directors and committee members, as required by bylaws

7. Oversee committee responsibilities, including functions of the fee dispute resolution committee and local grievance committee (if any)

8. Update roster of district bar membership annually, as requested by State Bar (with assistance of the secretary/treasurer)

9. Assist State Bar in locating attorneys to serve as law practice trustees in the event of the death, disability, or disbarment of an attorney who has no partners or associates capable of winding down his or her law practice

10. Oversee collection of district bar dues by secretary/treasurer (if any are imposed)

11. Report to State Bar any judicial district bar member who is 12 months or more in arrears in payment of district bar dues

12. Oversee expenditures of district bar dues to ensure proper uses of dues

13. Make sure that the district bar provides an annual financial report to the executive director of the State Bar