What is MOBAR (mobar.org) and who is it for?

Updated

MOBAR (mobar.org) is the official website of The Missouri Bar, the statewide bar association for Missouri lawyers. It serves three broad audiences: Missouri-licensed attorneys (who use it for membership, continuing legal education, and practice resources), law students and people preparing for a Missouri practice, and members of the public looking for a lawyer, legal guides, or a way to raise a concern about an attorney. If you are not a Missouri lawyer, a prospective lawyer, or someone with a Missouri legal matter, most of the site will not apply to you — but the public-facing sections still may.

Who the site is built for

Audience What they come for
Missouri attorneys Member portal, MCLE compliance and reporting, fees, practice management tools, ethics opinions, member benefits
Law students / future lawyers Law student resources, admission-related rules, leadership and involvement programs
The public Official lawyer directory, legal guides and forms, filing a complaint, fee dispute resolution, arbitrator/neutral search
Teachers and reporters Education outreach, press resources, judicial performance reviews

What lawyers get from mobar.org

The site organizes member tools under a few recurring entry points visible in the navigation:

  • My Profile – your member account.
  • My MCLE – continuing legal education compliance and reporting, with a dedicated MCLE section covering how to report, program sponsors, and FAQs.
  • My Fees – your bar fees.
  • Member Portal – the hub for member services.
  • Fastcase sign-in – legal research access through the member portal.
  • No-cost trust accounting and billing software – the site states it partners with Smokeball to offer all Missouri lawyers trust account software at no cost.
  • Practice management – resources grouped by stage: open, build, manage, protect, and wind down a practice, plus checklists, charts, white papers, and a practice resource library.
  • Lawyer directory and LawyerSearch – directory tools, along with MAI & MACH search and a neutrals list sign-up.
  • Jobs for Missouri Lawyers and Dispute Resolution.
  • Lawyers' Assistance Program (MOLAP) and well-being resources, including legal ethics opinions.

The site also carries news and events: MoBarNews, publications like the Journal of The Missouri Bar, conferences (Solo & Small Firm, DWI Law & Science, Family Law, Annual Meeting), committee meetings, and notices. A current example from the homepage is that The Missouri Bar elected its 2026–2027 officers, with Jennifer M. Crompton of St. Louis sworn in as president, and registration open for a virtual Annual Meeting on Oct. 5–9 in mid-day time blocks.

What the public gets from mobar.org

The "For the Public" section is the part non-lawyers should use:

  • Official Directory of Lawyers / Find a Lawyer – look up Missouri attorneys.
  • Legal Guides & Forms – general legal information and forms.
  • Problem with a Lawyer – routes for the Client Security Fund, fee dispute resolution, and filing a complaint.
  • For Reporters – press-facing resources.
  • Judicial Performance Reviews and Search for Arbitrators/Neutrals.

How to decide if you should use it

  • You're a Missouri attorney: yes — this is where you handle MCLE, fees, your profile, and member benefits. Start with the Member Portal, then My MCLE and My Fees.
  • You're a law student or planning a Missouri practice: use the Law Student Resources and the admission-related rules (Rule 8.10 admission without examination, Rule 8.105 limited admission for in-house counsel, Rule 6.06 return to active status).
  • You have a Missouri legal issue: use Find a Lawyer, Legal Guides & Forms, or the complaint and fee dispute routes depending on your situation.
  • You're outside Missouri or have no Missouri legal matter: the member tools won't be relevant; only the general public resources might be.

Practical notes

Some areas require signing in — the member portal, Fastcase, My MCLE, and My Fees are behind authentication, so expect to need an account for those. The site does not publish pricing for membership or fees on the pages referenced here, so check the relevant section directly rather than assuming cost or free access. The no-cost software offer is specifically described as trust accounting and billing software for Missouri lawyers through a Smokeball partnership; treat that as the scope stated, not a blanket free-software claim.