Cameron Miranda
Former US President Bill Clinton was admitted to the bar in Arkansas and the US Supreme Court bar. However, in 1999, he was found in contempt of court for intentionally false testimony in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee. He was fined $90,000 and his Arkansas law license was suspended. To avoid disbarment, Clinton agreed to a five-year suspension and a $25,000 fine. In 2001, his US Supreme Court law license was also suspended, and he opted to resign from the Supreme Court bar, surrendering his license.
Barack and Michelle Obama, also former US President and First Lady, obtained licenses to practice law in Illinois in 1991 and 1989, respectively. Both Obamas are currently listed as not authorized to practice law in Illinois, with Barack listed as voluntarily retired and Michelle as voluntarily inactive. These status changes are common for lawyers who do not intend to continue practising law, and neither of the Obamas has faced disciplinary proceedings or criminal charges.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Bill Clinton | Resigned from practicing law before the U.S. Supreme Court |
| Hillary Clinton | No information found |
| Barack Obama | Voluntarily retired and not authorized to practice law |
| Michelle Obama | Voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law |
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What You'll Learn
Bill Clinton's law license suspension
Bill Clinton's law license was suspended for five years in 2001, following the Monica Lewinsky scandal. In a related case before the Arkansas State Supreme Court, Clinton was fined $25,000 and his Arkansas law license was suspended. Clinton also faced disbarment before the U.S. Supreme Court, but instead of facing any penalties, he opted to resign from the court's practice.
The suspension of Clinton's law license was the result of a deal struck with Robert Ray, the Whitewater prosecutor, to avoid prosecution when he left office. This agreement also brought an end to the Lewinsky investigation, in which Clinton could have faced charges for contempt.
While Clinton became eligible to seek reinstatement of his license to practice law in 2006, as of 2013, he had not applied to do so.
As for the Obamas, neither Barack nor Michelle has ever been the subject of attorney disciplinary proceedings in Illinois. Both allowed their licenses to go on inactive status since they were not actively practicing law anymore. They could return to active status and practice law if they desired.
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Barack Obama's retired status
There have been many false claims circulating on social media that former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama were stripped of their licenses to practice law for disciplinary reasons. These claims are entirely false. Barack Obama was admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association on December 17, 1991, and while he is no longer authorized to practice law, his entry states that he is "retired and not authorized to practice law or provide pro bono services". The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (IARDC) website confirms that neither Barack nor Michelle Obama has ever been the subject of disciplinary proceedings in Illinois.
Barack Obama's last registered year as a lawyer was 2008, the year he was elected President of the United States. As President, he did not require an active law license. Since leaving the White House, Obama has not returned to practicing law, and instead focuses on other projects, such as the Obama Foundation, which seeks to "advance equity and opportunity for all". Obama is also an author, having penned three bestselling books, and has produced several TV shows and podcasts through his production company, Higher Ground Productions.
Obama's status as a retired lawyer does not preclude him from returning to active status and practicing law if he so chooses. However, given his current pursuits and status as a former President, it is unlikely that he will do so.
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Michelle Obama's inactive status
There have been many false claims circulating on social media that Michelle Obama surrendered her license to practice law due to disciplinary reasons. However, this is not true. Michelle Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1988 and was admitted as a lawyer by the Supreme Court of Illinois on May 12, 1989. She joined Sidley Austin, a corporate law firm in Chicago, after graduating. In 1994, while working for the Public Allies project in Chicago, Obama voluntarily had her license placed on "inactive" status.
Michelle Obama's Illinois registration status is "Voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law," and she was last registered in 1993. It is important to note that a lawyer who has surrendered their license no longer has a license, while a lawyer who has gone on inactive status still holds a valid license but is not currently engaged in any professional activities that require it to be active. Michelle Obama could return to active status and practice law if she desired.
The difference in bar fees is one reason why a lawyer may choose to switch to inactive status. Being an active status lawyer costs more money than being inactive, and it requires one to do Continuing Legal Education classes, unless one is in certain jobs for which the CLE requirements are waived. It is also pretty easy to switch back to active status.
There is also a requirement to pay an annual fee to maintain an active license. Prior to June 5, 2012, the Obamas would have been required to pay an annual fee of $289 (now $342), and take classes to satisfy the state’s Minimum Continuing Legal Education requirement, in order to keep their licenses active. Lawyers on retirement status, however, don’t have to pay an annual fee or take classes. And lawyers on inactive status also don’t have to take classes, but they do have to pay an annual fee of $105.
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Clinton v. Jones
The case was filed on May 6, 1994, by former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones, who sued President Bill Clinton and former Arkansas State Police Officer Danny Ferguson for sexual harassment. Jones claimed that on May 8, 1991, Clinton, then Governor of Arkansas, had propositioned her.
Clinton initially requested to dismiss the case on the grounds of presidential immunity, which was approved on July 21, 1994. However, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled in favor of Jones, stating that the President is subject to the same laws as all other members of society. On April 1, 1998, the District Court granted summary judgment to Clinton, as Jones could not prove that she was injured personally or in her career.
The case took an unexpected turn with the testimony of Monica Lewinsky, who denied having a sexual relationship with Clinton. However, recorded conversations between Lewinsky and her friend, Linda Tripp, revealed an affair with Clinton, leading to the Lewinsky scandal and criminal charges against the President.
On April 12, 1999, Clinton was found in contempt of court for "intentionally false" testimony and was fined $90,000. This led to the suspension of his Arkansas law license in April 2000, and subsequently, a five-year suspension of his US Supreme Court law license in January 2001. Rather than facing disbarment, Clinton opted to resign from the Supreme Court Bar and surrender his license.
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The Obamas' law licenses misinformation
Misinformation about the Obamas and their law licenses has been circulating for years. Posts on social media platforms like Facebook claim that former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama were stripped of their licenses to practice law due to disciplinary reasons or malpractice. These allegations include claims that Barack Obama surrendered his license to escape charges of lying on his bar application, and that Michelle Obama voluntarily surrendered her license in the face of insurance fraud charges.
However, these rumors are entirely false. Neither Barack nor Michelle Obama has ever faced attorney disciplinary proceedings in Illinois or had their licenses revoked. Instead, their licenses are listed as "retired" and "inactive," respectively, because they simply chose to stop practicing law and no longer need active licenses. As such, neither of them has been disbarred, and both could return to active status and practice law if they so desired.
Similarly, there have been false rumors about the Clintons and their law licenses. While it is true that Bill Clinton temporarily lost his license to practice law in 2001, this was not due to misconduct or disbarment. Instead, he was facing a sexual harassment lawsuit and was fined and given a five-year suspension. He became eligible for reinstatement in 2006 but chose not to apply. Hillary Clinton's Arkansas law license also lapsed in 2002, but this was due to her failure to complete a continuing education requirement, not because of any professional misconduct or disbarment.
In summary, neither the Obamas nor the Clintons have had their law licenses revoked or been disbarred. In all cases, the individuals chose to let their licenses become inactive or retired because they were no longer actively practicing law and did not need them for their current roles. Any claims to the contrary are false and based on misinformation.
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Frequently asked questions
No. Barack Obama elected to assume retired status and Michelle Obama elected to assume inactive status. Both could return to active status and practice law if they wanted to.
No. Barack Obama is listed as "voluntarily retired and not authorized to practice law" and Michelle Obama is listed as "voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law."
Yes. Bill Clinton resigned from practicing law before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was also fined $25,000 and his Arkansas law license was suspended for five years.
