How to Attend Massachusetts Bar Association Conferences and Events

The Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA) runs annual conferences and other events that members and other legal professionals can attend, and the basic path is: find the event on massbar.org, check whether it is still open, then register through the event page. The main catch is availability — some events fill up, and the MBA's own site shows at least one recent conference marked "SOLD OUT." Registration is handled per event, so there is no single sign-up that covers everything.

What kinds of events the MBA runs

The MBA's homepage highlights a mix of large annual conferences and ongoing programs:

• 2026 Health Law Conference — hosted by the MBA's Health Law Section, held in person at the Massachusetts Bar Association. The site describes it as a chance for health care attorneys across the commonwealth to reconnect and discuss current issues.
• 35th Annual Family Law Conference — hosted by the Family Law Section Council, returning to the Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster. This one is listed as SOLD OUT.
• MBA Innocence and Conviction Integrity Initiatives — resources for volunteers, prosecutorial Conviction Integrity Programs, and a "Timeline of Progress."
• Volunteer programs such as Dial-A-Lawyer and Mock Trial.

So "attending an MBA event" can mean a paid annual conference, a free member benefit session, or a volunteer program — the registration route differs by type.

How to register for a conference

1. Find the event. Start on massbar.org and look for the event listing or the "Resources / view all" area, which links to upcoming MBA events and the weekly eJournal newsletter.
2. Open the event page. Each conference has its own page with the date, format, and location.
3. Check status before planning. The Family Law Conference page states it is sold out, so confirm availability before making travel arrangements.
4. Register. The Health Law Conference page includes a Register link. Follow that to complete sign-up.
5. Note the format and venue. The Health Law Conference is in person at the Massachusetts Bar Association; the Family Law Conference is at the Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster.

Example: registering for the Health Law Conference

You open the 2026 Health Law Conference listing, confirm the date (Thursday, Oct. 8) and that it is in person at the MBA, then use the Register link on that page. If the page instead shows a sold-out notice, you would need to look for a waitlist or a future session rather than registering directly.

What to check before you commit

Finding upcoming events

The homepage's "Resources — view all" link and the eJournal, the MBA's weekly newsletter, are the two places the site points to for upcoming MBA events and member news. The eJournal is described as carrying information about upcoming MBA events, members in the news, and more. If you want a recurring reminder rather than checking manually, the newsletter is the intended channel.

A note on member benefits

Some MBA offerings are free to members and are worth knowing about if you are attending events anyway:

• Decisis — a legal research database, described as free and unlimited for MBA members.
• Smokeball Bill — trust and billing software, free for MBA members, with the site valuing the subscription at $588 per user per year.
• My Bar Access — the MBA's member social networking tool.

These are member benefits rather than conference registrations, but they appear alongside event listings and are often promoted to the same audience.

Common snags

• Assuming every event is open. The Family Law Conference shows that popular events can sell out; verify status first.
• Looking for one central registration. Registration is per event, not a single account-wide sign-up.
• Missing the format change. The Health Law Conference is explicitly in person, so plan travel accordingly.
• Overlooking the newsletter. The eJournal is the site's stated way to keep up with upcoming events, so it is easy to miss new listings without it.