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74-594: It is the " licensing and regulatory agency for attorneys in the State of Alabama, subject to Rules of the Alabama Supreme Court " and "has jurisdiction over the conduct of all attorneys and is charged with stimulating interest in improving the administration of justice ." The bar also administers the state bar examination for those seeking to be admitted to the bar in Alabama. The governing body of

148-472: A $ 626,000 build-out of that floor and renovations for the first and second floors. The State Bar Center features various public recognitions of lawyers, judges and non-lawyers illustrating dedicated service to the profession, judicial excellence and the public service character of the legal profession. It is decorated with original works of art created by such prominent Alabama artists as Jake Waggoner, Barbara Gallagher, Russ Baxley, Roger Brown, and Nall, to cite

222-649: A business leading to an additional 1.4% of national income going to the top 10% of earners. A 2019 National Bureau of Economic Research paper found that occupational licensing contributed to an average welfare loss of 12 percent. The empirical work on the effects of licensing on employment levels or growth rates, but the existing estimates suggest that they could be large. Kleiner (2006) examined employment growth rates in states and occupations with stronger versus weaker occupational licensing requirements. Specifically, he compares employment growth between 1990 and 2000 of occupations that are licensed in some states to

296-600: A cheaper but (allegedly) sub-standard service. Organizations such as the American Medical Association were explicitly set up to restrict the number of practitioners. However, libertarians like Milton Friedman have argued that this process is counterproductive as it seriously restricts the number of active professionals working in society and thus unnecessarily inhibits the working of a free enterprise economy. A 2011 U.S. study estimated that occupational licenses result in 2.8 million fewer jobs, and cost

370-471: A debt-free bar headquarters building with paid-for furnishings. The original building contained six offices, a library, an assembly room, and a membership file room, plus a print shop added in 1969. By 1980, the bar had outgrown the Dexter Avenue headquarters. Another building was purchased and furnished, again with donations by bar members. The building, located at 1019 South Perry Street, across from

444-593: A few examples. The annual budget of the Association is approximately $ 6   million. No tax dollars are used to support bar activities. All practicing attorneys pay an annual license fee, which goes into a special trust fund. From this trust fund the Legislature makes an appropriation for the use of the Alabama State Bar. Licensure Occupational licensing , also called licensure ,

518-462: A judicial function under state law in administering the supreme court's rules and is subject to its oversight. For this reason, the Board of Bar Commissioners is an arm of the court. As an arm of the court, the commission's employees are non-merit employees, as are employees of the judicial branch, fulfilling responsibilities entrusted to the commission by the supreme court. Membership in the state bar

592-520: A jurisdiction with more stringent licensing. This can be particularly burdensome on families where one spouse has no choice with regard to location of work (such as military servicemembers), when the second spouse is in a licensed profession. These problems can be avoided by harmonizing laws across jurisdictions, or with reciprocity agreements where licenses from one jurisdiction are recognized in others. With occupational licensing varying by state, another channel through which licensing can affect employment

666-466: A lifelong privilege, but increasingly nowadays, it requires periodic review by peers and renewal. It is very common for license renewal to depend, at least in part, on academia . In the United Kingdom such regular upgrading of skills is often termed continuous professional development , or CPD. In many professions this is fast becoming a standard, mandatory and annual requirement. For example, in

740-515: A means of excluding competition. Licensure restricts entry into professional careers in medicine , nursing , law , business , pharmacy , psychology , social work , teaching , engineering , surveying , and architecture . Advocates claim that licensure protects the consumer through the application of professional, educational and/or ethical standards of practice. Economist Milton Friedman opposed this practice, believing that licensure effectively raises professional salary by placing limits on

814-514: A more recent study from 2009 found the opposite. To distinguish various forms of regulation, there are three forms of government regulation of occupations: In contrast to government regulation, voluntary professional certification can be used to demonstrate competence without the harmful economic effects of legalized occupational barriers. Examples of professional associations and trade associations that provide voluntary professional certification in various fields include: Research funded by

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888-407: A much wider range of professions, such as florists and hairdressers. Some studies find consumers are more responsive to reviews than to occupational licensing status. Licensing creates a regulatory barrier to entry into licensed occupations. Licensing advocates argue that it protects the public interest by keeping incompetent and unscrupulous individuals from working with the public. However, there

962-425: A natural experiment. It finds that this policy change increased the propensity to work as self-employed substantially. Because it restricts employment, licensing can also lead to higher prices for services faced by consumers . While it is not possible to precisely estimate the effects of substantially reducing occupational licensing at the present time, both theory and the available evidence suggest that such

1036-521: A number of cases at different stages of licensing reduces employment, but does not result in better services. For example, Kleiner and Kudrle (2000) find that occupational licensing of dentists does not lead to improved measured dental outcomes of patients, but is associated with higher prices of certain services, likely because there are fewer dentists. In the case of midwifery, the introduction of occupation licensing led to substantial reductions in maternal mortality. Many professions involving risk to

1110-991: A particular profession or to obtain a privilege such as to drive a car or truck. Many other privileges and professions require a license, generally from the state or provincial government, in order to ensure that the public will not be harmed by the incompetence of the practitioners, and to limit supply to incumbent practitioners and thus increase wages. Examples of professions that require licensure in some jurisdictions include: actuary , architect , certified public accountant , electrician , engineering , general contractors , financial analyst , geologists , hedge fund manager, insurance agent , interior design , investment banker , licensed professional counselor , nurse , physical therapist , plumber , private investigator , psychologist , landscape architect , lawyer , nutritionist , physician , real estate broker , speech-language pathologist , school counselor , social worker , stockbroker , surveyor , and teacher . Licensure

1184-420: A particular political jurisdiction where the pass rate is low because both the economic and shame costs may be high. Conversely, efforts can be made at interstate reciprocity, so that a license or a certification earned in one federated state or province qualifies the holder to practice in any of the other states or provinces of the federation , which can lower the overall cost and burden of adequately staffing

1258-567: A premises be licensed to oversee unlicensed practitioners, permitting of the business overall, random health and safety inspections, general consumer protection laws, and deregulation in favor of voluntary professional certification schemes or free market mechanisms such as customer review sites. Traditionally, occupations in the crafts professions and in the liberal professions organize their respective industries in guilds and chambers in European countries like Germany and Austria. One of

1332-498: A reduction could translate into significantly higher employment, better job matches, and improved customer satisfaction . Low-income consumers, in particular, would benefit because reduced barriers to entry would reduce the prices of services provided. Without doing a detailed analysis at the occupation-by-occupation and state level, economists cannot say which occupations can be justified based on quality-consideration, though studies have been conducted they have found at least in

1406-498: A variety of substantive law fields. The sections can and do have sub-committees which tackle specialized single legal issues that may be part of the overall Section jurisdiction. Standing Committees and Task Forces have smaller memberships, and generally focus on specific assignments or narrower issues. The Alabama State Bar is headquartered at 415 Dexter Avenue in Montgomery. In 1964, pledges and donations by bar members made for

1480-461: Is a form of government regulation requiring a license to pursue a particular profession or vocation for compensation. It is related to occupational closure . Some claim higher public support for the licensing of professions whose activities could be a health or safety threat to the public, such as practicing medicine, and doctors require occupational licenses in most developed countries . However, some jurisdictions also require licenses for

1554-402: Is already strongly encouraged within the medical profession. One simple theory of occupational licensing envisions a costless supply of unbiased , capable gatekeepers , and enforcers . The gatekeepers screen entrants to the occupation, barring those whose skills or character suggest a tendency toward low-quality output. The enforcers monitor incumbents and discipline those whose performance

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1628-408: Is also a member of this body. All officers are elected to serve one-year terms. The president serves for one association year which begins at the close of the annual meeting (held each year in mid-July). The president and their designee are the official spokesperson in expressing policy of the association as determined by the Board of Bar Commissioners. Unless otherwise provided, the president appoints

1702-416: Is below standard with punishments that may include revocation of the license needed to practise. Assuming that entry and performance are controlled in these ways, the quality of service in the profession will almost automatically be maintained at or above standards that are set by the gatekeeper to the profession . Within this approach, only those who have the funds to invest in training and the ability to do

1776-432: Is dedicated to promoting the professional responsibility and competence of its members, improving the administration of justice and increasing the public understanding of and respect for the law. The values that guide the state bar are: Trust, Integrity and Service. The ASB has long served a dual role as an advocate for the profession and for the public. Often it is difficult to separate these two responsibilities, but during

1850-450: Is little evidence that it affects the overall quality of services provided to customers by members of the regulated occupation. It can also harm consumers by raising prices and reducing innovation by new market entrants, and may slow overall economic growth. Some occupational licensing can violate competition law due to anti-competitive practices . Alternatives to individual licensing include only requiring that at least one person on

1924-583: Is not available through commercial publishers. These units also sponsor conferences, seminars and institutes, monitor legislation, conduct studies and may make policy recommendations to the Board of Bar Commissioners. Sections range in size from approximately 20 members to more than 1,000 members. Each section draws its membership from lawyers or judges with common professional interests. They operate much like "mini bar associations" with their own officers, dues schedule and committees. They address professional development, improvement of laws and continuing education in

1998-449: Is open to lawyers admitted to practice and in good standing before the bar of Alabama as well as to members of the profession in good standing in any other state. Approximately 25 percent of all ASB members, not counting law students, are 36 years of age or younger. The Alabama State Bar's influence today stems from both the number and diversity of its membership. Association members represent all lawyers admitted to practice in Alabama. At

2072-521: Is similar to professional certification , and sometimes synonymous (such as in the case with teacher licensure/certification); however, certification is an employment qualification and not a legal requirement for practicing a profession. In many cases, an individual must complete certain steps, such as training, acquiring an academic degree in a particular area of study, and/or passing an exam , before becoming eligible to receive their license. There are various resources available to assist professionals with

2146-406: Is through reduced mobility. The patchwork of regulations raises the cost of cross-state mobility for workers in these occupations. This will result in slower adjustment costs to regional economic shocks which can result in higher unemployment . A 1983 study found that some occupational licensing schemes tended to exclude minorities and disadvantaged populations from entering such trades. However,

2220-416: Is well understood that occupational licensing can serve as a barrier to occupational entry resulting in reduced employment , monopoly rents for workers in the occupation, and higher prices for consumers. Kleiner and Krueger (2010 and 2013) show that after controlling for education, labor market experience, occupation, and other controls, licensing is associated with a 15 to 18 percent wage premium in

2294-576: The UK medical licensing system has largely been a response to public and government unease about a series of recent and well-publicised cases of alleged medical incompetence, including the Harold Shipman case, the Alder Hey organs scandal and those involving David Southall , Rodney Ledward and Richard Neale. Such cases of medical malpractice in the 1990s are widely considered to have inspired

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2368-500: The professionalization process by which trades have transformed themselves into true professions, licensing fast became the method of choice in obtaining the occupational closure required by barring competition from entry to the rites and privileges of a professional group. This was initially the preferred route of regulation whether for physicians, lawyers, the clergy, accountants, bankers, scientists or architects. However, licensing has given way to membership of professional bodies, as

2442-435: The supply of specific occupations. "It is hard to regard altruistic concern for their customers as the primary motive behind their determined efforts to get legal power to decide who may be a plumber." Restricting entry by licensing is arguably a convenient and effective method of maintaining the high standards, high status and elite privileges of a profession as well as acting to eliminate competition from those who provide

2516-573: The EU enacted Directive 2005/36/EC , which "enables the free movement of professionals" across Member States, by allowing licensed workers to have their professional qualifications recognised by other countries in the bloc. The European Commission records occupational licensing restrictions across the EU on its Regulated Professions Database . The subsequent 'Proportionality Directive' passed in 2018 requires national governments to assess whether new barriers to practice are proportionate to achieve objectives in

2590-632: The European Commission in 2016 estimated that around 22% of workers in the European Union were affected by occupational licensing. This varied significantly between member states, with Germany having the highest proportion (33%) affected, and Denmark the lowest (14%). The same paper also found the 'Health and Social Work' sector generally had the most licensing, but in general there was "considerably large variation" in which professions were licensed in different member states. In 2005,

2664-529: The Governor's Mansion, was the home of the bar's Center for Professional Responsibility. In the fall of 1992, work was completed on a $ 3.5   million addition to the bar headquarters building. Member donations covered a little more than a third of the cost. The addition provided 32,000 square feet (3,000 m), including space for the Center for Professional Responsibility. The original headquarters building

2738-731: The Hall of the House of Representatives for organizing the State Bar Association. At this conference, ending January 20, 1879, the constitution and by-laws of the Alabama State Bar Association were adopted and officers elected to serve until the first annual meeting set for the first Tuesday in December 1879. W. L. Bragg of Montgomery was elected the first president of the Alabama State Bar Association. Thus,

2812-573: The US, educators are subject to state re-certification requirements in order to continue teaching. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, enacted to improve performance in US schools, has led to an intensification of license requirements for both beginning and experienced educators. In the case of UK medical practitioners , the government has recently proposed that they should all be legally required to produce formal proof, every five years, that they are upgrading their standard of practise. This tightening of

2886-422: The bar of Alabama are members of a private incorporated association." State bar members are officers of the court irrespective of the fact that the state bar was created under the aegis of legislation. The state bar is self-funded through license fees and dues paid by its members. Although the bar is subject to certain legislative controls relating to its fiscal operations, the Board of Bar Commissioners exercises

2960-572: The chairs and members of standing committees and task forces of the ASB. The president-elect serves a term of one association year and performs such other duties as the president may assign, or the duties of the president, should the president become disabled and unable to perform the duties of office. The association's current structure includes 21 specialized substantive law sections, 23 standing committees and five task forces. These groups publish material dealing with their field of expertise, much of which

3034-421: The completion of these steps. Professional associations are often a tremendous resource to individuals looking to obtain a special level of certification or licensure. Upon the successful attainment of a license, individuals append an acronym to their name, such as CPA ( Certified Public Accountant ) or LPD and PI ( Private Detective and Investigator ) PE ( Professional Engineer ). In places, licensure may still be

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3108-400: The difference in growth rates between these sets of states of fully licensed and fully unlicensed occupations. This estimate implies that a licensed occupation that grew at a 10 percent rate between 1990 and 2000 would have grown at a 12 percent rate if it were unregulated. For Germany, a study exploits the deregulation of occupational licenses called Meister for 53 occupations in 2004 as

3182-701: The economy $ 203 billion per year. The number of jobs requiring a professional licensed represents an increasing fraction of the workforce, from 5% in 1950 to 22% in 2010s. Critics say that low-income consumers, who pay higher prices than required for the level of quality they might require, and low-income job seekers, are disproportionately affected. In the United States, critics have pointed out that (as of 2018) only 60 professions are licensed by all 50 states, but about 1100 by at least one state, including tour guides, bartenders, and interior designers. If many professions are functioning satisfactorily unlicensed in

3256-481: The first board of examiners and adopted rules regulating requirements for admission to practice law and governing the conduct of attorneys in Alabama. In 1923, the legislature passed legislation integrating the Alabama State Bar Association with state government. Integration made membership in a traditionally voluntary association mandatory, thereby allowing the Alabama Supreme Court to better regulate

3330-404: The government to tighten professional control of medical practitioners and monitor the quality of their practice for their entire working life. One qualification for life is no longer deemed sufficient. Consequently, medical licenses can now be withdrawn when evidence of serious malpractice emerges. Currently, though such reviews of CPD are entirely voluntary, some form of professional development

3404-400: The imposition of fines, improved screening to prevent expelled practitioners from re-entering the occupation, or requiring all incumbents to put up capital that would be forfeited upon loss of the license. To offset the possibility that incumbents could shift to other occupations with little loss of income, entry requirements could be tightened to limit supply and create monopoly rents within

3478-523: The labor market. This estimate may partially reflect a premium for higher unmeasured human capital, but it is also consistent and likely in large part due to rents. A 2016 paper studying occupational licensing in the European Union estimated a wage premium of 4%, with significant variation across professions. A study from the Mercatus Center showed that occupational licensing can lead to greater income inequality, with each step needed to open

3552-442: The last few decades with the growing complexity of society and our legal system, the ASB's public role has gained both emphasis and breadth. Since its creation as an integrated bar association, the ASB has initiated programs addressing a wide range of public concerns; from merit selection of judges to securing adequate funding for representing indigent defendants; from ensuring that non-lawyers sit on disciplinary panels to encouraging

3626-436: The legal profession. The state bar's enabling legislation appears in §§34-3-1 through 88, Code of Alabama (1975). Under this chapter and rules of the supreme court, the state bar serves a dual role. First, the state bar is the licensing and regulatory agency for lawyers in Alabama. The state bar protects the public by ensuring that lawyers who are granted licenses are not only minimally competent to practice law but also abide by

3700-655: The licensed occupation ( rent-seeking ). The threat of losing these monopoly rents could, in principle, give incentives to incumbents to maintain quality standards . This may also result in some increases in human capital investments in order to attain additional requirements. The rents could also motivate potential entrants to invest in high levels of training in order to gain admittance. This suggests that licensing can raise quality within an industry by restricting supply, raising labor wages, and raising output prices. Increasing prices may signal either enhanced quality due to perceived or actual skill enhancements or restrictions on

3774-489: The majority of states, this implies to critics that the licensing is unnecessary for consumer protection. The administrations of both President Obama and President Trump have tried to pressure state and local authorities to reduce overly burdensome licensing requirements. Excessive requirements include requiring hair braiders to have a full cosmetology license and learn about many unrelated tasks, and requiring casket salespersons to be full licensed funeral directors. It

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3848-459: The most important changes in licensing has been the 2004 reform in Germany, where workers in 53 of 94 crafts professions were not required to be licensed anymore in order to start a business. In 2020, 12 of these deregulated professions reinstated the licensing requirement. In the United States and Canada, licensing (the term registration is sometimes used) is usually required by law to work in

3922-695: The new requirements) is the norm when occupations seek to become licensed , incumbent workers are usually supportive of the regulation process. In the absence of grandfathering, lower-skilled workers in the occupation may have to seek alternative employment. For example, if sales skills are the key to both providing licensed sales of heart monitors and the non-licensed selling of shoes or cars , then individuals may shift between these lines of work with little loss of income. Under these circumstances, meaningful discipline for license holders may require deliberate steps to ensure that loss of license entails significant financial loss. Such additional steps could include

3996-420: The present time, the Board of Bar Commissioners is composed of 72 members. A simple representational formula allows many diverse associations of lawyers within the state to be represented in this forum. The executive council is composed of the president, president-elect, vice president, secretary/executive director, and three members-at-large chosen from the Board of Bar Commissioners. The immediate past president

4070-685: The profession in all regions. For example, high demand and low supply for nurses or for teachers , in any particular region, can be alleviated if the red tape is reduced, as long as that reduction does not truly harm competence and preparedness. The effect of not reducing that administrative burden has been measured by a 2017 analysis that found that occupational licensing in different American states reduced between-state migration of individuals in professions with divergent licensing by 36 percent relative to members of other occupations, while workers in nationally licensed occupations showed no evidence of reduced interstate migration. A 2020 follow up study by

4144-460: The profession's ethical standards. Second, the state bar is a private association with responsibilities largely of a service nature, e.g. education, publications and improvement of the administration of justice. These activities benefit the legal profession as well as the general public. The state bar is unlike a traditional state agency which ordinarily operates under the executive branch of government. The Supreme Court has duly noted that "members of

4218-412: The public do not require professional licenses. For example, chefs are generally unlicensed, though opening a restaurant may require permits, inspection, and employee training or instructional signage. Becoming a brain surgeon typically only requires a medical license; the substantial additional training and experience required to perform this operation competently is managed by the hospitals who employ

4292-487: The public interest. In the United States , licensing has been among the fastest-growing labor market institutions. The figure shows the growth of occupational licensing relative to the decline of union membership since the 1950s. By 2008 occupational licensing in the U.S. had grown to 29 percent of the workforce, up from below five percent in the 1950s. In contrast, unions represented as much as 33 percent of

4366-442: The public might also be restricted by licensure, including a barber , cosmetologist , or massage therapist . Occupations that bring a person into the home might also be screened through licensure, including a chauffeur , landscape architect , or arborist . Individuals practicing a profession in one jurisdiction where no license is required, or where licensing requirements are more lax, face problems with employment when moving to

4440-476: The responsibility of adopting a code of legal ethics for the bar, the first code of legal ethics in the country. The Alabama Code of Ethics was adopted by the bar at its annual meeting in 1887 and was the foundation of the canons of ethics adopted by the American Bar Association. The state bar, as a voluntary body, continued in its efforts toward the improvement of the legal profession, but it

4514-415: The same authors found that "the magnitude of the effect can only account for a small part of the overall decline in [interstate migration] seen in recent decades." "People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices." Adam Smith , The Wealth of Nations Historically, in

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4588-474: The same occupations that are not licensed in other states. In order to account for differential growth rates between states, he also compared the growth rate of occupations that are either fully licensed or fully unlicensed in both sets of states. Using a " difference-in-difference " regression analysis , Kleiner found that partially licensed occupations had a 20 percent lower growth rate in states with licensing relative to states without licensing and relative to

4662-493: The standards of the new entrants. Individuals who attempt to enter the occupation in the future will need to balance the economic rents of the field's increased monopoly power against the greater difficulty of meeting the entrance requirements. Once an occupation is regulated, members of that occupation in a geographic or political jurisdiction can implement tougher statutes or examination pass rates and may gain relative to those who have easier requirements by further restricting

4736-428: The state bar is a board of commissioners. The board is composed of at least one elected representative from each of Alabama's 41 judicial circuits. One additional commissioner is elected for each 300 members of the state bar in a circuit "who maintain their principal office in the circuit as of March of each year, subject to the requirement that no circuit is entitled to more than ten Commissioners." The Alabama State Bar

4810-402: The state bar was founded and on February 12, 1879, an Act incorporating the Alabama State Bar Association was approved by the governor. On December 4, 1879, the first annual meeting of the bar was held in Montgomery and E. W. Pettus of Dallas County was elected president. At the suggestion of Thomas Goode Jones of Montgomery, at the annual meeting in 1881, a committee was created and charged with

4884-435: The supply of labor and obtaining economic rents for incumbents ( credentialism and educational inflation ). Restrictions would include raising the pass rate on licensing exams, imposing higher general and specific requirements, and implementing tougher residency requirements that limit new arrivals in the area from qualifying for a license. Moreover, individuals who have finished schooling in the occupation may decide not to go to

4958-422: The supply of regulated workers. State-regulated occupations can use political institutions to restrict supply and raise the wages of licensed practitioners. There is assumed to be a once-and-for-all income gain that accrues to current members of the occupation who are "grandfathered" in, and do not have to meet the newly established standard. Generally, workers who are "grandfathered" are not required to ever meet

5032-470: The surgeons. Restrictions to employment without licensure can prevent people with criminal records or severe mental health issues from working in occupations that require public trust. Occupations of or affected by the gambling industry, may be restricted by licensure, such as a racing secretary in horseracing , or people in the boxing , mixed martial arts , and professional wrestling industry. People whose occupations put them in physical contact with

5106-417: The third floor, and is available for use by bar committees and sections. Attorneys may use this facility for client teleconferences and tele-depositions for a reasonable charge. A major refurbishment of the first and second floors of the facility was completed in 2002 with the addition of more parking across the street from the bar center. In 2008, additional office space was created on the third floor as part of

5180-567: The use of mediation as an alternative method of dispute resolution. State Bar positions play an influential role in determining public and social policy in state and national forums. The Alabama State Bar is composed principally of practicing attorneys, judges, law teachers, and non-practicing lawyers who are business executives, government officials, court administrators and so forth. It represents practitioners in specialized areas of law, as well as affiliated, law-related organizations and groups with special interests or needs. The state bar serves as

5254-421: The voice of the legal practitioner in Alabama. It proposes model rules of professional responsibility (which govern the daily business and ethical practice of lawyers) for adoption by the supreme court. A meeting prior to the formation of a bar association of Alabama was held in Montgomery on December 13, 1878. Afterwards, on January 15, 1879, delegates from the bar of each county met at a preliminary conference in

5328-422: The work are able to enter the occupation. Introducing economics to this otherwise mechanical model by noting that a key discipline on incumbents—the threat of revoking one's license—may not mean much if incumbents can easily re-enter the profession, such as by moving to a new firm, or by shifting to an alternative occupation with little loss of income. Since grandfathering (i.e., allowing current workers to bypass

5402-402: Was also refurbished and included an office for the state bar president and three conference rooms that are used by state bar committees or can be reserved for use by state bar members. A portion of the previously unoccupied third floor of the bar addition was built out in 1999 to add office space for several of the bar's newest programs. Also, a state-of-the-art video conference room was added on

5476-567: Was not until August 9, 1923, that the efforts of the bar culminated in the approval of an Act of the Alabama Legislature providing for the organization, regulation and government of the Alabama State Bar, thereby creating an "integrated bar" as we now know it. As a result of this act, the first meeting of the Alabama State Bar Commission was held on January 8, 1924, when the Board of Commissioners appointed

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