Kara Sears
There have been several claims that former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama had their law licenses revoked or surrendered them to avoid disciplinary action. However, these claims are false. Both Barack and Michelle Obama graduated from Harvard Law School and were admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court of Illinois in 1991 and 1989, respectively. In 2007, after announcing his presidential candidacy, Barack Obama chose to have his law license placed on voluntarily inactive status, and after becoming president, he changed it to retired. Michelle Obama voluntarily placed her license on inactive status in 1994 while working for the Public Allies project in Chicago. According to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois, neither of the Obamas has ever been the subject of any public disciplinary proceedings. They could return to active status and practice law if they desired.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for inactive status | No longer required an active law license for work |
| Barack Obama's status | Retired |
| Michelle Obama's status | Inactive |
| Disciplinary proceedings | No record of any disciplinary proceedings against either Barack or Michelle Obama |
| Possibility of returning to active status | Both could return to active status if they desired |
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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. Before entering 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 voluntarily chose to have his law license placed on "inactive" status. After becoming president, he changed his status to "voluntarily retired."
According to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) of the Supreme Court of Illinois, lawyers who voluntarily change their registration status to inactive or retired are no longer permitted to practice law based on their Illinois license.
Obama was last registered in 2008, and he would need to submit a written or online notification stating his intention to return to active status if he wanted to practice law again. He would also have to pay the registration fee for each year that he was retired.
Contrary to some rumours, Barack Obama did not surrender his law license due to disciplinary issues or to escape charges of lying on his bar application. The ARDC confirmed that neither Barack nor Michelle Obama has ever been the subject of attorney disciplinary proceedings in Illinois.
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Michelle Obama's law license status
There have been several claims and speculations about Michelle Obama's law license status. Some social media posts and comments have alleged that she surrendered her license to avoid disciplinary actions or criminal charges. However, these claims are false and based on misinterpretations of information.
Michelle Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1988 and was admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court of Illinois on May 12, 1989. She joined the Chicago-based corporate law firm Sidley Austin after graduation. In 1994, while working for the Public Allies project in Chicago, she voluntarily chose to place her law license on "inactive" status. This means she still holds a valid law license but is not actively engaged in the legal profession.
According to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) of the Supreme Court of Illinois, lawyers who voluntarily change their registration status to inactive "may not practice law based upon their Illinois license or hold themselves out as being so authorized." However, this does not indicate any disciplinary issues or wrongdoing. In fact, James Grogan, deputy administrator and chief counsel for the ARDC, confirmed that the Obamas were "never the subject of any public disciplinary proceedings."
Michelle Obama could reactivate her law license and return to practising law if she desired.
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Reasons for the Obamas' law license status changes
Barack and Michelle Obama, both Harvard Law School graduates, have not practised law for many years. Barack Obama worked as a civil rights lawyer before entering Illinois state politics in 1996. Michelle Obama joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin after graduating, but a few years later, in 1994, she moved to the Public Allies project in Chicago.
The Obamas' law licenses were never revoked or surrendered. Instead, they chose to change their registration status to "inactive" and, later, in Barack's case, "retired". This means they are not currently authorized to practise law in Illinois.
There is no evidence that the Obamas were subject to any disciplinary proceedings or criminal charges that led to them being stripped of their licenses. Claims that Michelle Obama went on inactive status to avoid disbarment or criminal prosecution are false. The Illinois State Bar Association continues to list the Obamas as honorary members.
The Obamas have not publicly stated why they chose to change the status of their licenses. However, it is fairly common for lawyers who do not intend to continue practising law to go on inactive status. In addition, maintaining an active law license requires paying an annual fee and taking classes to satisfy the Minimum Continuing Legal Education requirement.
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The Obamas' law careers
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. Before entering 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 voluntarily chose to have his law license placed on "inactive" status. After becoming president, he changed his status to "voluntarily retired".
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 the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she later met her husband. A few years later, in 1994, while working for the Public Allies project in Chicago, she voluntarily chose to have her license placed on "inactive" status.
Both Obamas no longer hold active licenses to practice law, but they were not forced to surrender their licenses over any disciplinary proceedings. James Grogan, deputy administrator and chief counsel for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois, affirmed that the Obamas were "never the subject of any public disciplinary proceedings". The Illinois State Bar Association continues to list them as Honorary Members.
There have been false claims that the Obamas surrendered their licenses to avoid disciplinary actions or criminal prosecution. These claims are based on misreadings of information about license status and misinterpretations. The Obamas could return to active status and practice law if they desired.
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The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission
The ARDC is funded by an annual registration fee of $385 paid by Illinois attorneys. This fee can be waived for lawyers facing economic hardship. Portions of the fee are also allocated to other entities that service Illinois lawyers and the public, such as the Lawyers Trust Fund, the Lawyers' Assistance Program, and the Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.
In 2024, the ARDC received 4,706 requests for investigations into 3,352 lawyers. As a result, the ARDC filed 46 formal disciplinary complaints, and 33 disciplinary and regulatory proceedings were carried out in the Illinois Supreme Court.
The ARDC has been the subject of public interest due to its association with the Obamas' law licenses. Contrary to rumours, neither Barack nor Michelle Obama has ever been the subject of attorney disciplinary proceedings in Illinois. Both Obamas voluntarily chose to change the status of their licenses. Barack Obama elected to assume retired status, while Michelle Obama chose inactive status. This means they are not currently authorized to practice law in Illinois, but they could return to active status if desired.
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Frequently asked questions
No. The Obamas voluntarily chose to change the status of their licenses to "inactive" and "retired" respectively.
The Obamas have not publicly stated the reasons behind their decision to change their license status. However, it is speculated that they did so because they no longer needed active law licenses for the work they were engaged in.
Yes, according to James Grogan, deputy administrator and chief counsel for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois, the Obamas could return to practicing law if they decide to.
No, the Obamas were never the subject of any public disciplinary proceedings, according to Grogan and the online public registration records of the ARDC.
