Attorneys › Massachusetts
Massachusetts attorney license lookup
Search the Board of Bar Overseers and see a lawyer's status, bbo number, and standing. Every result is checked against the official board.
Opens the Board of Bar Overseers search in a new tab. In-page results are being wired up; the board's own record is the source either way.
Sample result
BBO number
12345678
Admitted
Nov 2004
Standing
Good standing
Discipline
None on file
This is an example of what a result looks like, not a real record. Use the search above to look up a real attorney.
Monitor this license
We email you if the status changes, the license lapses, or discipline is filed. $19 a month, cancel anytime.
What each status means
- Eligible to practice
- Dues are paid, any required CLE is current, and no suspension is in effect. This is what you want to see before you hire.
- Not eligible
- The license exists but the lawyer cannot practice right now, usually for unpaid dues or a missed CLE deadline. It can often be cured within days.
- Suspended or disbarred
- The bar has taken disciplinary action. The order is public, and the record links to it.
Verifying a Massachusetts attorney
- Licensing authority
- The Board of Bar Overseers registers and disciplines Massachusetts lawyers under the Supreme Judicial Court.
- BBO number
- A Board of Bar Overseers registration number.
- Renewal
- Annual registration. Massachusetts has no mandatory ongoing continuing legal education requirement, though newly admitted lawyers take a one-time professionalism course.
- Disciplinary history
- Public. The Board posts discipline and status shows on the attorney record.
Common questions
How do I know a Massachusetts lawyer is really licensed?
Match the name to an active record on the Board of Bar Overseers with a status of eligible to practice. A lawyer who cannot be found on the board's roll is not licensed in Massachusetts, whatever a website says.
What does "not eligible" mean if the license still exists?
The lawyer is on the roll but barred from practicing today, most often for unpaid dues or a lapsed requirement. It is not the same as discipline, and it is usually temporary.
Can I see if a lawyer has been disciplined?
Public. The Board posts discipline and status shows on the attorney record. Where an order exists, the board links to it from the record.
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