In 1873, the St. Joseph County Bar Association ("SJCBA") was founded for the express purpose of furthering the practice of law and to establishing and maintaining a law library for the County Court House. During the intervening years, the purposes of the SJCBA have become more sophisticated, but the Association's commitment to justice and to community service has remained paramount. As stated in our bylaws:

The purpose of this Association shall be to advance the science of jurisprudence, promote the administration of justice, uphold the honor of the profession of law, to encourage cordial discourse and interaction among members of the bar and between the bench and bar of St. Joseph County and of the State of Indiana, and to correlate the various activities of this Association in the interest of the legal profession and the public which it serves.

The Association is governed by its Officers and a Board of Governors, which consists of 14 attorneys. Presently, the Association is led by five officers and nine members of the Board of Governors, all of whom volunteer their time, energy and efforts on behalf of the Association and its stated purposes. The Board of Governors meets once a month to discuss current legal issues in the community, to direct and grow the County Law Library, and to plot the future path for the Bar Association.

The Bar Association sponsors events for its members, including the arrangement of the continued legal education for St. Joseph and neighboring county attorneys, a monthly Newsletter, and social functions. In addition, the Bar Association offers the community a Lawyer Referral Service, and maintains the County Law Library. There are 600+ members, with new attorneys and paralegals joining throughout the year.

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