Gavin Howe
There have been many false claims that former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama surrendered their licenses to practice law to escape disciplinary action and charges. However, this is not true. Both Barack and Michelle Obama are not currently authorized to practice law in Illinois, but that is because 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 so desired.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Barack Obama's Illinois registration status | Retired - not authorized to practice law or provide pro bono services |
| Barack Obama's last registered year | 2008 |
| Barack Obama's public record of discipline and pending proceedings | None |
| Michelle Obama's Illinois registration status | Voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law |
| Michelle Obama's last registered year | 1993 |
| Michelle Obama's public record of discipline and pending proceedings | None |
| Reason for the Obamas' change in registration status | Not mentioned |
| The Obamas' law licenses surrendered to avoid pending disciplinary actions | False |
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What You'll Learn
Barack Obama's law license status
Barack Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991 and was admitted as a lawyer by the Supreme Court of Illinois on December 17, 1991. He worked as a civil rights lawyer at the firm formerly known as Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland before being elected to the Illinois state Senate in 1996.
In February 2007, four days after announcing his candidacy for the presidency, Obama chose to have his law license placed on "voluntarily inactive" status. After becoming president, he changed his status to "voluntarily retired."
According to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois, lawyers who voluntarily change their registration status to inactive or retired are not authorized to practice law based on their Illinois license. As a result, Obama is currently listed as "retired" and "not authorized to practice law or provide pro bono services."
There have been rumours and misinformation circulating that Obama surrendered his law license to escape charges of lying on his bar application. However, these claims are false. A court official and the deputy administrator and chief counsel for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois have both confirmed that no public disciplinary proceedings have ever been brought against Obama.
Obama could return to practicing law if he decides to. He would need to submit a written or online notification stating his intention to return to active status and pay the registration fee for each year that he was retired.
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Michelle Obama's law license status
There has been much speculation about the status of Michelle Obama's law license. Several sources claim that Michelle Obama surrendered her law license in 1993 to avoid disciplinary action. However, these claims are false.
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. Following her graduation, she joined Sidley Austin, a corporate law firm in Chicago. In 1994, while working for the Public Allies project in Chicago, Obama voluntarily had her license placed on "inactive" status. This means that she still holds a valid law license but is not currently engaged in any professional activities that require it to be active.
A spokesperson for the Illinois ARDC confirmed that neither Barack nor Michelle Obama has ever been the subject of attorney disciplinary proceedings in Illinois. The online registration record used to list Michelle Obama as being "on court-ordered inactive status," but this was not due to any wrongdoing. Before 1999, an Illinois Supreme Court rule required active lawyers who wanted to change their registration status to petition the court.
Michelle Obama's license status is "voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law." This is a common choice for lawyers who do not need an active license, such as those who do not appear in court or counsel clients other than their employers. It is also more cost-effective to be on inactive status, as active lawyers must pay higher annual fees and take Continuing Legal Education classes to maintain their licenses.
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The Obamas' law licenses and disciplinary proceedings
Barack and Michelle Obama are both lawyers by profession. Barack Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991 and was admitted as a lawyer by the Supreme Court of Illinois on December 17, 1991. He worked as a civil rights lawyer at the firm formerly known as Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland before being elected to the Illinois state Senate in 1996. 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.
The Obamas do not currently hold active licenses to practice law. Barack Obama is listed as "voluntarily retired and not authorized to practice law," while Michelle Obama is listed as "voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law." The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (IARDC) website confirms that neither Barack nor Michelle Obama has ever been the subject of attorney disciplinary proceedings in Illinois.
There have been false claims circulating on social media that the Obamas surrendered their law licenses due to disciplinary reasons. These claims allege that Barack Obama surrendered his license to escape charges of lying on his bar application, while Michelle Obama surrendered hers to avoid standing trial for insurance fraud. However, these allegations are false, and the IARDC website confirms that there are no disciplinary proceedings or pending actions against the Obamas.
It is important to note that the Obamas could return to active status and practice law if they desired. President Obama would need to submit a notification of his intention to return to active status and pay the registration fee for each year that he was retired. Michelle Obama would have to file a motion with the Illinois Supreme Court requesting to be transferred back to active status and pay the registration fee for the year she requests to return.
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The Obamas' law licenses and social media misinformation
Former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama are both qualified lawyers. Barack Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991 and was admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association on December 17, 1991. Michelle Obama was admitted to the bar on May 12, 1989.
However, neither of the Obamas currently holds an active license to practice law. Barack Obama is listed as "voluntarily retired and not authorized to practice law," while Michelle Obama is listed as "voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law." This means that both could return to active status and practice law if they desired.
There have been several false claims and rumors on social media, particularly on Facebook, Twitter, and in chain emails, that the Obamas surrendered their law licenses to escape charges or avoid disciplinary actions. These claims have been fact-checked and debunked by organizations such as Reuters, Snopes, and FactCheck.org. The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (IARDC) website confirms that neither Barack nor Michelle Obama has ever been the subject of attorney disciplinary proceedings in Illinois.
In addition, there have been false claims on social media that former President Obama signed a law in 2012 or 2013, known as HR 4310 or the National Defense Authorization Act, that allowed the media to "purposely lie to the American people" and legalized the use of propaganda by the government. These claims have also been fact-checked and debunked by organizations such as Politifact, AP News, and Snopes. The law in question, the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act, removed restrictions on news programs funded by the US government and did not make it legal for the media to purposely spread misinformation.
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The Obamas' law licenses and the Illinois State Bar Association
The Illinois State Bar Association was formed in 1877 by 88 lawyers from 37 counties who met in the Sangamon County Courthouse in Springfield. The association has played a role in the adoption of several laws and statutes in Illinois, including the Civil Practice Act of 1933, the Criminal Code of 1961, and the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963.
Barack Obama was admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association on December 17, 1991, after graduating from Harvard Law School earlier that year. He worked as a civil rights lawyer at the firm formerly known as Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland before being elected to the Illinois state Senate in 1996. In 2007, four days after announcing his presidential campaign, Obama voluntarily elected to have his law license placed on "inactive" status. His Illinois registration status is now listed as “Retired - not authorized to practice law or provide pro bono services,” with his last registered year being 2008, the year he was elected president.
Michelle Obama, who also obtained a law license in Illinois, is listed as “Voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law,” with her last registered year being 1993. This is common for lawyers who don't need a bar card, such as those who don't appear in court or counsel clients other than their employer. Neither Barack nor Michelle Obama has ever been the subject of attorney disciplinary proceedings in Illinois, and both could return to active status and practice law if they desired.
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Frequently asked questions
No, neither Barack Obama nor Michelle Obama is currently authorized to practice law in Illinois. Barack Obama is listed as "voluntarily retired and not authorized to practice law", while Michelle Obama is listed as "voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law".
No, this is a false claim. There have never been any disciplinary actions against the former president or his wife.
The Obamas haven't stated the exact reason for changing their license status. However, it's common for lawyers who don't intend to practice law to go on inactive status, which also saves them the annual fee and classes required to maintain an active license.
Yes, both Barack and Michelle Obama could return to active status and practice law if they desired.
No, Michelle Obama did not hold a position as legal counsel at the University of Chicago Hospitals. She worked there as the Executive Director for Community Affairs and then Vice President for Community and External Affairs. None of her job duties required her to have an active law license.
