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STATE BAR OF ARIZONA
PHOENIX, AZ · EIN 866000294 · Form 990 · FY2022 · Large ($10M-$50M) · www.azbar.org
revenue
$19.2M
expenses
$17.4M
net assets
$20.5M
employees
125
volunteers
1,716
mission · from form 990

REGULATES ACTIVE ATTORNEYS IN AZ & PROVIDES EDUCATION/DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LEGAL PROFESSION & PUBLIC.

profile · synthesized from sources

The State Bar of Arizona is an administrative agency of the Arizona Supreme Court that regulates the legal profession in Arizona. It oversees the conduct of lawyers, provides services to its members, and works to improve the administration of justice. The organization is governed by a Board of Governors.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2022

what they reported doing

Program narrative the organization filed with the IRS. Ordered by program spending.

  1. #1 primary $0
    COMPLIANCE - PURSUANT TO RULE 32 OF THE SUPREME COURT OF ARIZONA, THE STATE BAR IS CHARGED WITH ENSURING THE COMPETENCY OF LAWYERS. CONSISTENT WITH RULE 44, LEGAL SPECIALIZATION, THE STATE BAR ADMINISTERS A PROGRAM THROUGH THE BOARD OF LEGAL SPECIALIZATION IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LEGAL SERVICES. ADDITIONALLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 45, MANDATORY CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION, THE STATE BAR ENSURES ACTIVE MEMBERS COMPLETE REQUIRED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. THE STATE BAR ALSO ASSISTS IN PROCESSING PRO HAC VICE ADMISSIONS UNDER RULE 39 AND PROCESSES IN HOUSE COUNSEL REGISTRATIONS UNDER RULE 38.
  2. #2 $0
    PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - PURSUANT TO RULE 32 OF THE SUPREME COURT OF ARIZONA, THE STATE BAR IS TO CONDUCT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS REGARDING SUBSTANTIVE LAW, BEST PRACTICES, PROCEDURE AND ETHICS AND PROVIDE FORUMS FOR DISCUSSION REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND PRACTICE OF LAW. THE STATE BAR IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR FOSTERING IDEALS OF INTEGRITY, LEARNING, COMPETENCE, AND PUBLIC SERVICE AMONG ATTORNEYS AND SERVE THE PROFESSIONAL NEEDS OF ITS MEMBERS. THE STATE BAR FOSTERS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF ATTORNEYS THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE ON ADVISORY GROUPS, COMMITTEES, SECTIONS, AND TASK FORCES, AND BY PROVIDING CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION, PRACTICE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE, LEGAL RESOURCES AND VARIOUS OTHER MEMBER SERVICES.
named programs · 5 · from sources

what they call their work

Anti-Discrimination & Harassment Policy
A policy ensuring a professional and safe atmosphere free from discrimination and harassment for State Bar members, volunteers, and staff, and outlining procedures for reporting and investigating violations.
Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy
Establishes a professional and safe environment for members, staff, and volunteers; prohibits discrimination and harassment based on protected categories; outlines reporting, investigation, and disciplinary procedures
Communications Access Program
Manages controlled access to State Bar members for external organizations, balancing privacy with mission-aligned communication through publications, mailings, and digital platforms
Communications Access to Members Policy
A policy governing how various entities (commercial, non-profit, governmental, research) can access and communicate with State Bar members, balancing privacy with the mission of the Bar.
Member Benefit Partnerships
Contracts with organizations to provide benefits to Bar members, allowing limited, regulated access to members via traditional mail for one-time mailings per year
activities · 10 groups

what they do

  • Internal Equity Committee Development 11 activities
    • Addressing Social Justice, Bias, and Inclusion
      The organization established a Task Force on Social Justice, Bias and Inclusion to study and recommend programs, services, and initiatives related to these areas, and approved its report.
    • Adoption and implementation of anti-discrimination policies
      Adopted an Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy on April 19, 2024, and works to build processes and structures to eliminate bias in the legal profession and justice system.
    • Advance Access to Justice
      Advances approaches to increase access to legal services for all Arizona residents and encourages member participation in these initiatives.
    • Advance Access to Justice
      Advances approaches to increase access to legal services for all Arizona residents and encourages member participation in access to justice initiatives.
    • Advance Access to Justice
      Advances approaches to increase access to legal services for all Arizona residents and encourages member participation in access to justice initiatives.
    • Advancing access to legal services
      Advances approaches to increase access to legal services for all Arizona residents and encourages member participation in access to justice initiatives.
    • Advocating for Access to Justice and Equity in the Legal Profession
      The organization advances approaches to increase access to legal services for all Arizona residents, encourages member participation in access to justice initiatives, and works to eliminate bias in the legal profession and justice system.
    • Advocating for Access to Justice and Equity in the Legal Profession
      The organization advances approaches to increase access to legal services for all Arizona residents, encourages member participation in access to justice initiatives, and works to eliminate bias in the legal profession and justice system. This includes adopting anti-discrimination policies and establishing task forces to study and recommend programs related to social justice, bias, and inclusion.
    • Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession
      Works to build processes and structures to eliminate bias in the legal profession and justice system, including establishing a Task Force on Social Justice, Bias and Inclusion to recommend related programs and services.
    • Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession
      Works to build processes and structures to eliminate bias in the legal profession and justice system, including establishing a Task Force on Social Justice, Bias and Inclusion to recommend related programs and services.
    • Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession
      Works to build processes and structures to eliminate bias in the legal profession and justice system, including establishing a Task Force on Social Justice, Bias and Inclusion to recommend related programs and services.
  • Member Feedback and Benchmarking for Strategic Planning 11 activities
    • Conduct Member Surveys and Inform Strategy
      Conducts triennial member surveys to improve services and benefits, using the results to inform priority setting and resource allocation by the Board of Governors.
    • Conduct Member Surveys for Service Improvement
      Conducts a member survey every three years to gather feedback for improving services and benefits, using the results to inform priority setting and resource allocation by the Board of Governors.
    • Facilitate Research on Legal Profession Challenges
      Forms task forces to research approaches used by other bar associations in addressing challenges within the legal profession.
    • Form Task Forces for Legal Profession Challenges
      Forms task forces to research approaches used by other bar associations in addressing challenges within the legal profession.
    • Gathering Member Feedback for Organizational Improvement
      The organization conducts triennial member surveys to gather feedback, which is then used to inform priority setting and resource allocation by the Board of Governors, and forms task forces to research approaches used by other bar associations to address legal profession challenges.
    • Member Engagement and Governance
      The organization conducts annual Board of Governors elections and regularly surveys its members to gather feedback, which is then used to inform priority setting and resource allocation by the Board of Governors to improve services and benefits.
    • Organizational Governance and Member Engagement
      The organization conducts annual Board of Governors elections, forms task forces to research approaches used by other bar associations, and conducts triennial member surveys to improve services and inform priority setting and resource allocation.
    • Organizational Governance and Member Representation
      The organization conducts Board of Governors elections annually and uses member survey results to inform priority setting and resource allocation by the Board of Governors.
    • Strategic Planning and Policy Development
      The organization identifies strategic priorities focused on access to justice, competency, ethics, professionalism, and organizational excellence, and forms task forces to research approaches used by other bar associations.
    • Strategic priority setting and organizational planning
      Identified strategic priorities for 2015–2019 focused on access to justice, ethics, professionalism, and organizational excellence, and uses member survey results to inform Board of Governors’ priority setting and resource allocation.
    • Task Force Development for Best Practices
      The organization forms task forces to research approaches used by other bar associations to address challenges within the legal profession, contributing to organizational excellence and strategic planning.
  • Legal Profession Demographics & Diversity Research 11 activities
    • Conduct Research on Legal Profession Demographics and Experiences
      Produces demographic reports on its leadership and membership and conducts surveys on workplace diversity and inclusion experiences among active Bar members.
    • Conduct Surveys and Produce Reports
      Conducts triennial member surveys to improve services and benefits, uses survey results for priority setting, and produces demographic reports and surveys on workplace diversity and inclusion experiences within the legal profession.
    • Conducting Research on the Legal Profession
      The organization conducts research to understand and improve the legal profession, including producing demographic reports on leadership and membership and surveying members on workplace diversity and inclusion experiences. It also facilitates academic and educational research by managing member communications for approved surveys.
    • Conducting Research on the Legal Profession
      The organization facilitates academic and educational research by managing member communications for approved surveys, produces demographic reports on its leadership and membership, and conducts surveys on workplace diversity and inclusion experiences within the legal profession.
    • Conducting Research on the Legal Profession
      The organization facilitates academic and educational research by managing member communications for approved surveys, produced a demographic report on its leadership and membership, and conducted a survey on workplace diversity and inclusion experiences among its members.
    • Conducting Research on the Legal Profession
      The organization conducts research, including demographic reports on its leadership and membership, and surveys on workplace diversity and inclusion experiences, to understand and address challenges within the legal profession. It also facilitates academic and educational research by managing member communications for approved surveys.
    • Facilitate Academic and Educational Research
      Manages member communications for approved surveys that support the administration of justice or legal practice to facilitate academic and educational research.
    • Facilitate Legal Research
      Facilitates academic and educational research by managing member communications for approved surveys that support the administration of justice or legal practice.
    • Facilitating academic and legal research
      Facilitates academic and educational research by managing member communications for approved surveys supporting the administration of justice or legal practice, and produced a Demographic Report on the Leadership and Membership of the State Bar of Arizona in 2021.
    • Manage Member Communications for Approved Surveys
      Facilitates academic and educational research by managing member communications for approved surveys that support the administration of justice or legal practice.
    • Produce Demographic and Workplace Diversity Reports
      Produces demographic reports on its leadership and membership and conducts surveys on workplace diversity and inclusion experiences among active Bar members.
  • Judicial Leadership & Rule of Law Education 8 activities
    • Conduct Public Education on the Rule of Law
      Conducts public education initiatives about the rule of law and the role of courts and legal professionals in a democratic system.
    • Provide Public Education on the Rule of Law
      Conducts public education initiatives to inform about the rule of law and the role of courts and legal professionals in a democratic system.
    • Provide Public Education on the Rule of Law
      Conducts public education initiatives to inform the public about the rule of law and the role of courts and legal professionals in a democratic system.
    • Public Education on the Rule of Law
      The organization conducts public education initiatives to inform the public about the rule of law and the role of courts and legal professionals within a democratic system.
    • Public Education on the Rule of Law
      The organization conducts public education initiatives to inform the public about the rule of law and the roles of courts and legal professionals in a democratic system.
    • Public Education on the Rule of Law
      The organization conducts public education about the rule of law and the role of courts and legal professionals in a democratic system.
    • Public Education on the Rule of Law
      The organization conducts public education initiatives to inform the public about the rule of law and the vital role of courts and legal professionals within a democratic system.
    • Public education on legal system and rule of law
      Conducts public education about the rule of law and the role of courts and legal professionals in a democratic system.
  • Legal Membership Data Sharing 8 activities
    • Facilitate Access to Member Information
      Grants full access to its membership list to the Supreme Court of Arizona and provides one-time-use mailing lists to approved Arizona-based nonprofit legal organizations and member benefit partners.
    • Manage Member Lists
      Grants full and unrestricted access to its membership list to the Supreme Court of Arizona, provides access to member lists for Arizona-based nonprofit legal organizations aligned with its mission, and offers one-time-use mailing lists to member benefit partners.
    • Managing Member Information and Communications
      The organization grants full and unrestricted access to its membership list to the Supreme Court of Arizona, provides access to member lists for Arizona-based nonprofit legal organizations, and offers one-time-use mailing lists to member benefit partners.
    • Provide Access to Membership Lists
      Grants full access to its membership list to the Supreme Court of Arizona and provides access to Arizona-based nonprofit legal organizations and member benefit partners for approved purposes.
    • Providing Access to Member Lists
      The organization provides access to its membership lists to the Supreme Court of Arizona, to Arizona-based nonprofit legal organizations aligning with its mission, and to member benefit partners for one-time-use traditional mailing lists.
    • Providing Member List Access
      The organization grants full and unrestricted access to its membership list to the Supreme Court of Arizona, provides access to member lists for Arizona-based nonprofit legal organizations aligning with its mission, and offers one-time-use traditional mailing lists to member benefit partners.
    • Providing Member List Access
      The organization provides access to its membership list to the Supreme Court of Arizona, to Arizona-based nonprofit legal organizations aligned with its mission, and to member benefit partners for one-time-use traditional mailing lists.
    • Providing member list access for legal and public benefit purposes
      Grants full and unrestricted access to its membership list to the Supreme Court of Arizona, provides access to Arizona-based nonprofit legal organizations aligned with its mission and Rule 32, and supplies one-time-use mailing lists to contracted member benefit partners.
  • Professional Development & Certification Programs 7 activities
    • Promoting Professional Development and Member Wellness
      The organization supports member competency through continuing professional development programs, provides support for members to adapt to changes in the legal landscape, including AI, and supports the wellness of its legal professional members.
    • Support Member Competency and Wellness
      Provides support for members to adapt to changes in the legal landscape, including advancements in artificial intelligence, and supports their wellness through continuing professional development programs.
    • Support Member Competency and Wellness
      Provides continuing professional development programs and support for the wellness of legal professionals who are members of the State Bar, helping them adapt to changes in the legal landscape, including advancements in artificial intelligence.
    • Support Member Competency and Wellness
      Provides support for members to adapt to changes in the legal landscape, including advancements in artificial intelligence, and supports member competency through continuing professional development programs and wellness initiatives.
    • Supporting Member Competency and Professional Development
      The organization supports the competency of its members through continuing professional development programs, provides resources for members to adapt to changes in the legal landscape, including advancements in artificial intelligence, and supports the overall wellness of legal professionals who are members of the State Bar.
    • Supporting Member Competency and Wellness
      The organization supports the competency of its members through continuing professional development programs and provides resources for legal professionals to adapt to changes in the legal landscape, including advancements in artificial intelligence. It also supports the overall wellness of its legal professional members.
    • Supporting member competency and professional development
      Supports member competency through continuing professional development programs and provides support for members adapting to changes in the legal landscape, including advancements in artificial intelligence.
  • Board Elections Administration 2 activities
    • Conduct Board of Governors Elections
      Conducts annual elections for its Board of Governors, allowing members to participate in the governance of the organization.
    • Conduct Board of Governors Elections
      Conducts annual elections for its Board of Governors, ensuring member representation and organizational governance.
  • Meeting Minutes Publication & Archiving 2 activities
    • Produce Board of Governors Meeting Minutes
      Produces and publishes meeting minutes of the Board of Governors.
    • Publish Board of Governors Meeting Minutes
      Produces and publishes the meeting minutes of its Board of Governors.
  • Membership Survey Research 1 activity
    • Member engagement and service improvement through surveys
      Conducts a member survey every three years to improve services and benefits, and used a July 2022 survey on workplace diversity and inclusion that received 1,269 responses to inform initiatives.
  • Uncategorized 5 activities
    • Administering Board of Governors Elections
      The organization conducts elections for its Board of Governors annually, ensuring democratic representation within the bar association.
    • Conduct Board of Governors Elections
      Conducts annual elections for its Board of Governors, ensuring member participation in leadership selection.
    • Conducting governance elections and producing official records
      Conducts annual Board of Governors elections and produces official meeting minutes to ensure transparent governance.
    • Promoting legal professional wellness
      Supports the wellness of legal professionals who are members of the State Bar of Arizona.
    • Researching legal profession challenges through task forces
      Forms task forces to study approaches used by other bar associations in addressing challenges in the legal profession, including the establishment of the Task Force on Social Justice, Bias and Inclusion in 2020.
financials · form 990 · fy2022
revenue
Total revenue$19.18M
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$18.22M95%
Investment income$211K1%
Other revenue$749K
expenses
Total expenses$17.40M
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$9.98M
Grants paid out$487K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$25.67M
Cash$4.30M
Investments$10.85M
Liabilities$5.17M
Net assets$20.50M
Liquid reserves10.4 mo
2 years on record · 2020–2022 · YoY revenue +15.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2022

who runs it

paid leadership · 8
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
JOEL F ENGLAND CEO/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 55 $227K
MARET VESSELLA CHIEF BAR COUNSEL/DEPUTY E 55 $199K
LISA FONTES ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER 50 $196K
KATHY L GERHART CFO 55 $180K
LORI MAXWELL CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER 50 $180K
LISA PANAHI GENERAL COUNSEL 50 $172K
AMY REHM DEPUTY CHIEF BAR COUNSEL 50 $167K
ROBERTA TEPPER CHIEF MEMBER SERVICES OFFICER 50 $161K
board members · 17
  • ANNA C THOMASSON — PUBLIC GOVERNOR (THRU 6/22)
  • BENJAMIN P TAYLOR II — PRESIDENT-ELECT
  • CEDRIC R DAVE — PUBLIC GOVERNOR
  • D CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL — ELECTED GOVERNOR
  • DAVID B ROSENBAUM — DISTRICT GOVERNOR
  • DAVID K BYERS — AT-LARGE GOVERNOR
  • DENIS M FITZGIBBONS — ELECTED GOVERNOR
  • DIANDRA DAY BENALLY — ELECTED GOVERNOR
  • DOREEN MCPAUL — AT-LARGE GOVERNOR
  • ERIC M RUCHENSKY — ELECTED GOVERNOR
  • GAYA SHANMUGANATHA — YLD DIVISION PRESIDENT (THRU 6/22)
  • HECTOR M FIGUEROA — ELECTED GOVERNOR (THRU 6/22)
  • JENA DECKER XU — ELECTED GOVERNOR
  • JENNIFER R REBHOLZ — PRESIDENT (THRU 6/22)
  • JESSICA S SANCHEZ — PRESIDENT
  • JIMMIE DEE SMITH — ELECTED GOVERNOR
  • JOHN W MOODY — DISTRICT GOVERNOR
relationships · 5

who they work with

  • Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education Partner — Recognized as an Arizona non-profit legal organization eligible for access to State Bar members under mission-aligned criteria.
  • Council on Minorities and Women in the Law Partner — Supports the work of the Council on Minorities and Women in the Law as part of the State Bar’s diversity efforts.
  • Council on Persons with Disabilities in the Legal Profession Partner — Supports the work of the Council on Persons with Disabilities in the Legal Profession as part of the State Bar’s diversity efforts.
  • Supreme Court of Arizona Government — Grants full and unrestricted access to State Bar members.
  • University of Arizona Research Team Partner — Collaborated with the State Bar of Arizona to develop and analyze a survey on workplace diversity and inclusion experiences of Bar members.