Gavin Howe
There have been claims that Michelle Obama lost her license to practice law due to disciplinary reasons or misconduct proceedings. 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. She joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she met her husband, Barack Obama. In 1994, while working for the Public Allies project in Chicago, Michelle voluntarily chose to place her law license on inactive status. According to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of Illinois, there have never been any disciplinary actions against Michelle Obama, and she could return to practicing law if she decides to.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for Michelle Obama's loss of license | Michelle Obama is listed as :"voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law" in Illinois. |
| Date of license loss | Michelle Obama was last registered in 1993 or 1994. |
| Reasoning behind false claims | A now-amended Illinois Supreme Court rule required active lawyers to petition the court if they wanted to change their status before 1999. This resulted in Michelle Obama's license status being listed as "court-ordered inactive status", which was misinterpreted. |
| Truth of false claims | There is no truth to the claims that Michelle Obama surrendered her license to avoid disciplinary action or criminal charges. |
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What You'll Learn
Michelle Obama's law license status
There are several rumours circulating regarding Michelle Obama's law license status. Some sources claim that she "voluntarily surrendered" her license in 1993 to avoid disciplinary action or criminal prosecution. 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. A few years later, in 1994, she voluntarily chose to place her license on "inactive" status while working for the Public Allies project in Chicago. 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.
According to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois, Michelle Obama is listed as "voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law." This status is common for lawyers who do not appear in court or counsel clients and do not expect to return to practice in the near future. It allows them to avoid the costs and requirements associated with maintaining an active license, such as annual fees and continuing legal education classes.
It is important to note that reactivating an inactive law license is a straightforward procedure, and Michelle Obama could choose to practice law again if she wished to do so.
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Reasons for surrendering her license
There are several reasons why Michelle Obama might have surrendered her license to practice law. Firstly, it is important to note that Michelle Obama voluntarily changed her registration status to inactive, meaning she is not authorized to practice law based on her Illinois license.
One reason for this decision could be a change in career path. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1988, Michelle Obama joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she met her husband, Barack Obama. However, after a few years, she decided that her true calling was in community service. She left the law firm and went on to pursue a career in public service, working as an assistant commissioner in Chicago's City Hall and later becoming the founding executive director of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service. This shift in career focus could have been a factor in her decision to voluntarily surrender her law license.
Another possible reason for surrendering her license could be the avoidance of potential disciplinary actions. There have been claims on social media that Michelle Obama voluntarily surrendered her license in 1993 to avoid standing trial for insurance fraud. However, these claims have been fact-checked and deemed false. The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (IARDC) has confirmed that neither Barack nor Michelle Obama has ever been the subject of attorney disciplinary proceedings in Illinois.
It is worth noting that Michelle Obama could return to practicing law if she chooses to. According to the Illinois Supreme Court rules, an attorney who has voluntarily changed their status to inactive can later request to be transferred back to active status. This indicates that Michelle Obama's decision to surrender her license might have been influenced by her current priorities and commitments, rather than any legal or disciplinary issues.
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False accusations of insurance fraud
In the case of Michelle Obama, there were false claims that she "voluntarily surrendered" her law license in 1993 due to insurance fraud. These allegations were spread through chain emails and social media posts during and after the 2008 U.S. presidential election. The accusations stated that Michelle Obama chose to surrender her license rather than stand trial for insurance fraud. However, these claims have been thoroughly debunked by fact-checking organizations.
It is important to note that neither Michelle Obama nor her husband, Barack Obama, has ever been the subject of attorney disciplinary proceedings in Illinois. The confusion regarding Michelle Obama's license status arose from the terminology used on the online registration record, which listed her as "on court-ordered inactive status." This wording was a result of an Illinois Supreme Court rule that required active lawyers to petition the court for any voluntary transfer to inactive status before November 1, 1999.
The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (IARDC) website confirms that Michelle Obama is listed as "voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law." This status is not due to any disciplinary actions or criminal charges but rather a voluntary choice, which is common for lawyers who do not need a bar card or intend to practice law. It is worth mentioning that reactivating an inactive law license is typically a straightforward process, and both Barack and Michelle Obama could return to active status if they desired.
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The option to return to active status
Michelle Obama's law license is currently listed as "'voluntarily inactive' and she is 'not authorized to practice law'. However, she and her husband Barack Obama could return to practicing law if they decide to do so.
Michelle Obama would have to file a motion with the Illinois Supreme Court requesting to be transferred back to active status. She would only have to pay the registration fee for the year she requested to return to active status.
Barack Obama would have to submit a written or online notification stating that he intended to return to active status. He would also have to pay the registration fee for each year that he was retired.
The Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of Illinois notes that there have never been any disciplinary actions against the former president or his wife.
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The Obamas' law careers
Barack Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991, where he excelled as a student, graduating magna cum laude and becoming the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. He was admitted as a lawyer by the Supreme Court of Illinois on December 17, 1991. After law school, he returned to Chicago and worked as a civil rights lawyer at the firm then known as Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland. In 1993, he also began working as a constitutional law lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School. Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996 and then to the United States Senate in 2004. During his time in the Senate, he co-sponsored bipartisan legislation on issues such as controlling conventional weapons and promoting greater public accountability in the use of federal funding.
In February 2007, Obama announced his presidential campaign and voluntarily elected to have his law license placed on "inactive" status. After becoming president in 2008, he changed his status to "retired" in February 2009.
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 then joined Sidley & Austin, a corporate law firm in Chicago, where she met her future husband, Barack Obama. In 1994, while working for the Public Allies project in Chicago, Michelle voluntarily had her law license placed on "inactive" status. She later worked in the Chicago mayor's office, at the University of Chicago, and at the University of Chicago Medical Center. As First Lady, she led initiatives such as Let's Move!, aiming to end childhood obesity, and Reach Higher, which helped students access and train for new job opportunities.
It is important to note that neither Barack nor Michelle Obama had their law licenses revoked or surrendered their licenses due to disciplinary actions or criminal charges, as some sources may claim. They both chose to voluntarily change their registration status to inactive or retired, which means they are not authorized to practice law based on their Illinois licenses.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Michelle Obama did not lose her license due to misconduct. She voluntarily changed her registration status to inactive in 1993 or 1994 and is therefore not authorized to practice law in Illinois. However, she could return to active status if she desired.
Michelle Obama decided to pursue a different career path, working with people to serve their communities and neighbors. She served as assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago's City Hall and founded the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service.
Yes, Michelle Obama could return to practicing law if she decided to. She would have to file a motion with the Illinois Supreme Court requesting to be transferred back to active status.
