Cecily Zamora
There have been many false claims on social media that former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama surrendered their law licenses to avoid disciplinary action. These claims are false. Both Barack and Michelle Obama had their licenses placed on voluntarily inactive status and are not authorized to practice law. Barack Obama was admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association on December 17, 1991, and his last registered year was 2008. Michelle Obama was admitted to the Illinois bar on May 12, 1989, and was last registered in 1993. Neither of the Obamas was irrevocably stripped of their law licenses, and they remain in good standing with the Illinois Bar Association.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Barack Obama's law license status | Voluntarily retired and not authorized to practice law |
| Michelle Obama's law license status | Voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law |
| Reason for status change | No need for an active law license for their work |
| Disciplinary proceedings against the Obamas | None |
| Annual fee for active license | $342 |
| Annual fee for inactive license | $105 |
| Year Barack Obama was admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association | 1991 |
| Year Michelle Obama was admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association | 1989 |
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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. Prior to his career in politics, he worked as a civil rights lawyer at the firm formerly known as Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland.
In February 2007, four days after announcing his presidential candidacy, Obama chose to have his law license placed on "voluntarily inactive" status. After becoming president, he changed his status to "voluntarily retired.
Obama's license status has been the subject of misinformation on social media, with claims that he "surrendered his license back in 2008 in order to escape charges he lied on his bar application". However, these claims are false. No public disciplinary proceedings have ever been brought against Obama, and he could practice law again if he chose to do so.
A search on the website of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois shows that Obama is listed as "voluntarily retired and not authorized to practice law". His last registered year was 2008, the year he was elected president.
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Michelle Obama's law license status
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. Michelle Obama requested in 1994 that her license be placed on "inactive" status while she was working for the Public Allies project in Chicago.
Michelle Obama's Illinois registration status is "Voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law," according to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois. She was last registered in 1993. No public disciplinary proceedings have ever been brought against her, according to a court official.
Michelle Obama did not "surrender" her law license; rather, she requested that it be placed on "inactive" status. A lawyer who has surrendered their law license has given it up and is no longer licensed, whereas a lawyer who has gone inactive still has a valid law license but is not currently engaged in any professional activities that require it to be active.
Michelle Obama, like her husband, is still listed as an Honorary Member of the Illinois State Bar Association. She could practice law again if she wanted to.
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The Obamas' reasons for giving up their licenses
There are several reasons why the Obamas gave up their law licenses. Firstly, they wanted to avoid the requirement to take continuing education classes and pay annual fees. By voluntarily inactivating their licenses, they no longer needed to comply with the state's Minimum Continuing Legal Education requirement and could avoid paying hundreds of dollars in annual fees.
Secondly, neither Barack nor Michelle Obama needed an active law license for the work they were engaged in. Barack Obama, after becoming President in 2009, had no need for an active law license, so he chose to change his license status to "voluntarily retired." Michelle Obama, prior to becoming First Lady, held a position with the University of Chicago Hospitals as legal counsel, a role that likely did not require an active law license for her to qualify.
It is important to note that the Obamas were not stripped of their law licenses through any disciplinary action or criminal charges. There is no evidence to support claims that they surrendered their licenses to escape charges or avoid disciplinary actions. In fact, a court official and the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of Illinois confirmed that no public disciplinary proceedings have ever been brought against the Obamas.
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The Obamas' disciplinary records
Barack Obama was admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association on December 17, 1991, and his registration status is listed as "retired" and "not authorized to practice law or provide pro bono services". His last registered year was 2008, the year he was elected president. Under "Public Record of Discipline and Pending Proceedings", it states "None".
Michelle Obama was admitted to the Illinois bar on May 12, 1989, and her registration status is listed as "voluntarily inactive" and "not authorized to practice law". Her last registered year was 1993. Like her husband, under "Public Record of Discipline and Pending Proceedings", it states "None".
James Grogan, deputy administrator and chief counsel for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois, confirmed that the Obamas were "never the subject of any public disciplinary proceedings". The Illinois State Bar Association continues to list the Obamas as honorary members.
The false claims circulating online suggest 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 claims have been debunked by fact-checking organisations such as Snopes, FactCheck.org, and PolitiFact, which confirmed that there have never been any disciplinary actions against the former president or his wife.
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The Obamas' eligibility to practice law again
Barack and Michelle Obama are no longer authorised to practice law, with their licenses listed as "voluntarily retired" and "voluntarily inactive", respectively. However, this does not mean they surrendered their licenses to avoid ethics charges or disciplinary action, as has been falsely claimed on social media. Instead, the Obamas chose to change their registration status voluntarily, with Barack Obama doing so after announcing his candidacy for president in 2007 and Michelle Obama making the change earlier, in 1993. Both remain in good standing with the Illinois Bar Association, which continues to list them as honorary members.
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 "may not practice law based upon their Illinois license or hold themselves out as being so authorised". However, this does not mean that the Obamas are ineligible to practice law again. By voluntarily inactivating their licenses, they have avoided the requirement to take continuing education classes and pay annual fees. They could reactivate their licenses in the future if they wished to practice law again.
There have been no public disciplinary proceedings against either of the Obamas, contrary to false rumours circulated online. These rumours often allege that the Obamas surrendered their licenses to avoid charges or criminal prosecution, with some claiming that Barack lied on his bar application and that Michelle was involved in insurance fraud. However, these claims have been repeatedly fact-checked and debunked by organisations including Snopes, FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, and Reuters.
In conclusion, while the Obamas are not currently authorised to practice law due to their inactive and retired license statuses, they are not ineligible to do so and could choose to reactivate their licenses in the future. The false claims circulating online about the reasons for the Obamas' license status changes have been repeatedly debunked by fact-checking organisations.
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Frequently asked questions
No, neither Barack nor Michelle Obama surrendered their law licenses. They both chose to change their registration status to "voluntarily inactive" and "voluntarily retired" respectively. This means that they are not authorized to practice law but they have not surrendered their licenses.
No. There is no evidence that the Obamas were subject to any disciplinary proceedings. James Grogan, deputy administrator and chief counsel for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois, confirmed that the Obamas were "never the subject of any public disciplinary proceedings."
Barack Obama chose to change his status to "inactive" after announcing his candidacy for president in 2007 and changed it to "retired" after becoming president in 2009. Michelle Obama last registered in 1993, the same year she left her position as an associate attorney at the law firm Sidley Austin. Both Obamas likely chose to change their registration status to avoid having to take continuing education classes and pay annual fees.
Yes, both Barack and Michelle Obama could practice law again if they chose to do so.
