Michigan State Bar Defeats Challenge to Dues, Membership Terms

An attorney challenging the constitutionality of the Michigan State Bar’s structure and mandatory dues requirement must take her claim to a higher court, a Michigan federal court said.

Lucille Taylor claimed the Michigan Bar’s required membership to practice law criteria and annual dues violated her free speech and association rights. She said the organization’s conditions forced her to pay for and associate herself with positions on public issues she didn’t necessarily agree with.

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan complimented both sides’ filings in the case, saying it “would be most interesting to wade into the ...