Re: DC bar waiving in Forum

[Anonymous User]

I am barred in another state and waived in to the dc bar (sworn in on december 2014). Now I am getting a membership due bill for 2014 for like $250 dollars. I do not practice in D.C. (clerking in another state). My next gig is in d.c. (federal government). So my question is how is that they are charging me full membership price for 2014 when I was sworn in in december of 2014 (i.e. only one month). Any advice on how to handle this? this is so absurd to me I am thinking this can't be right.

[XxSpyKEx]

Why didn't you just wait till January to swear in? You really gotta look up the membership dues rules before swearing in. In Cali, I managed to avoid ever paying active dues by waiting till December to swear in and submitting my inactive request before February of the following year (so essentially allowing me to technically practice for free in Cali for 3 months, if I had wanted to lol). I don't know the rules for DC, but if it doesn't do pro-rated dues for the year, you might have to pay the $250 (which is actually quite cheap relative to other jurisdictions).

[seizmaar]

Why are you waiving into DC in the first place? I was under the impression there was no need to be DC barred to do federal work. You just need to be a member of some bar. But if I'm wrong about this it would be good to know.

[Anonymous User]

Why didn't you just wait till January to swear in? You really gotta look up the membership dues rules before swearing in. In Cali, I managed to avoid ever paying active dues by waiting till December to swear in and submitting my inactive request before February of the following year (so essentially allowing me to technically practice for free in Cali for 3 months, if I had wanted to lol). I don't know the rules for DC, but if it doesn't do pro-rated dues for the year, you might have to pay the $250 (which is actually quite cheap relative to other jurisdictions).

I know. I wasn't aware they would have such a ridiculous rule lol I am going to call and see if there is a way around it.

[Desert Fox]

u already paid 1000 bucks for no reason. Why not another 250.

[Anonymous User]

Why are you waiving into DC in the first place? I was under the impression there was no need to be DC barred to do federal work. You just need to be a member of some bar. But if I'm wrong about this it would be good to know.

Well I was doing a 2 year clerkship and was looking to switch from NY Firm to DC so I had already started the process a year ago. However, I landed a gov't gig in d.c. that was too good to pass up so now I am stuck with a D.C. bar I don't need and this ridiculous $250 fee for one month smh.

[Anonymous User]

u already paid 1000 bucks for no reason. Why not another 250.

I know smh. Atleast D.C. does not have any CLE so I might just go inactive in NY and pay the D.C. membership

[Desert Fox]

u already paid 1000 bucks for no reason. Why not another 250.

I know smh. Atleast D.C. does not have any CLE so I might just go inactive in NY and pay the D.C. membership

Good idea actually.

[Anonymous User]

Depending on your agency, you might be able to get it reimbursed when you start (as long as you go inactive in your other state).

[XxSpyKEx]

u already paid 1000 bucks for no reason. Why not another 250.

I know smh. Atleast D.C. does not have any CLE so I might just go inactive in NY and pay the D.C. membership

Does NY even have inactive status? I was under the impression that you're basically stuck paying $400 every couple years (or retiring your NY bar membership).

EDIT- NY definitely does not have inactive status:

Retirement as an Alternative to Payment of Registration Fee or Resignation
There is an alternative to either payment of the required biennial registration fee or voluntary resignation from the bar that applies in a limited number of cases, namely, certification that the attorney has retired from the active practice of law. New York does not recognize an “inactive” status at its bar. All attorneys must register biennially and, except for those who certify that they have retired, must pay the required fee (Judiciary Law § 468-a[4]). An attorney may certify that he or she is retired from the practice of law when, other than the performance of legal services without compensation, he or she does not practice law in any respect, in any jurisdiction, and does not intend ever to engage in acts that constitute the practice of law (22 NYCRR 118.1[g]). For those attorneys who have not retired, the failure to register and pay the required fee constitutes conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice and must be reported to the appropriate Appellate Division for disciplinary action (Judiciary Law § 468-a[5]). The answers to frequently asked questions about attorney registration may be found on the pages of the Unified Court System.

If an attorney has retired from the active practice of law in New York and in all other jurisdictions in which he or she is admitted to practice, he or she may certify on the attorney registration form sent by the Office of Court Administration that he or she is retired from the practice of law. As a retired attorney, he or she will no longer incur the obligations of paying the biennial attorney registration fee or obtaining the requisite number of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits. In the event that the retired attorney chooses to resume the practice of law in the future, he or she must contact the attorney registration section of the Office of Court Administration, inform it of the change in status, pay the attorney registration fee, and satisfy the CLE requirements on a prospective basis. If a person registers as a retired attorney, he or she may still perform legal services without compensation (22 NYCRR 118.1[g]) and his or her only obligation will be to complete and file the biennial registration form with the Office of Court Administration.

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/courts/ad ... tion.shtml

[Anonymous User]

u already paid 1000 bucks for no reason. Why not another 250.

I know smh. Atleast D.C. does not have any CLE so I might just go inactive in NY and pay the D.C. membership

Does NY even have inactive status? I was under the impression that you're basically stuck paying $400 every couple years (or retiring your NY bar membership).

I was just looking this up and I saw that NY does not have inactive status. So you have to pay your dues, you just won't have to do your CLE's if you do not practice in NY (atleast from what I saw doing quick search). Well maybe I will go inactive in d.c. and pay NY dues because I have seen that D.C. as an inactive option.

[XxSpyKEx]

u already paid 1000 bucks for no reason. Why not another 250.

I know smh. Atleast D.C. does not have any CLE so I might just go inactive in NY and pay the D.C. membership

Does NY even have inactive status? I was under the impression that you're basically stuck paying $400 every couple years (or retiring your NY bar membership).

I was just looking this up and I saw that NY does not have inactive status. So you have to pay your dues, you just won't have to do your CLE's if you do not practice in NY (atleast from what I saw doing quick search). Well maybe I will go inactive in d.c. and pay NY dues because I have seen that D.C. as an inactive option.

You definitely don't need to do CLE if you don't practice in NY. I have NY barred friends who have never done a single CLE.