Jane Dotson
There have been several claims that former First Lady Michelle Obama surrendered her law license in 1993 after a federal judge gave her the ultimatum of surrendering her license or standing trial for insurance fraud. However, these claims are false. A spokesperson for the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (IARDC) confirmed that neither Michelle nor Barack Obama has ever been the subject of attorney disciplinary proceedings in Illinois.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of claim | June 5, 2012 |
| Source of claim | |
| Claim | Michelle Obama surrendered her law license in 1993 after a Federal Judge gave her the choice between surrendering her license or standing trial for insurance fraud |
| Fact | The claim is false. |
| Fact Checker | FactCheck.org, Snopes, PolitiFact, Reuters, AFP |
| Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of Illinois (ARDC) | There have never been any disciplinary actions against Michelle Obama. |
| ARDC Website | Michelle Obama is on "voluntarily inactive" status and not authorized to practice law. |
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What You'll Learn
Michelle Obama's law license status
There are several rumours circulating regarding Michelle Obama's law license status. Some sources claim that Michelle Obama "voluntarily surrendered" her law license in 1993 after a federal judge gave her the choice between surrendering her license or standing trial for insurance fraud. However, these claims are false.
Michelle Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1988 and was admitted as a lawyer by the Supreme Court of Illinois on May 12, 1989. She joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she met her husband, Barack Obama. In 1994, while working for the Public Allies project in Chicago, Michelle Obama voluntarily had her law license placed on "inactive" status. This means that she still holds a valid law license but is not currently engaged in any professional activities that require it to be active.
According to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois, Michelle Obama is listed as "voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law." This status allows her to avoid the requirement to take continuing education classes and pay hundreds of dollars in annual fees. If she chooses to, she can reactivate her license and practice law again.
There have never been any disciplinary actions or proceedings against Michelle Obama. Claims that she went on inactive status to avoid disbarment or any other form of misconduct are false. The ARDC would have brought up any disciplinary problems with the court, and changing her registration status would not prevent them from taking action.
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False claims about Michelle Obama
Several false claims have been made about former US First Lady Michelle Obama and her law license. One such claim, which has been circulated on Facebook, alleges that Michelle Obama "voluntarily surrendered" her law license in 1993 after a federal judge presented her with the choice between surrendering her license or standing trial for insurance fraud. This claim has been proven false by several fact-checking organisations, including Snopes, FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, and Reuters.
The Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of Illinois (ARDC) has confirmed that there have never been any disciplinary actions taken against Michelle Obama. A search of the ARDC database shows that Michelle Obama was admitted to the Illinois bar on May 12, 1989, and was last registered in 1993. Her current Illinois registration status is listed as "voluntarily inactive" and she is not authorised to practise law. However, according to the ARDC, this does not indicate any wrongdoing. Prior to November 1, 1999, an Illinois Supreme Court rule required active lawyers who wanted to change their registration status to do so by petitioning the court.
James Grogan, deputy administrator and chief counsel for the ARDC, has stated that the Obamas were "never the subject of any public disciplinary proceedings." Furthermore, the ARDC has confirmed that even if Michelle Obama had changed her registration status to inactive, this would not have prevented them from bringing a case against her. Michelle Obama could return to practising law if she decided to do so.
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The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission
The ARDC's new mission statement is: "The ARDC preserves and advances the integrity of the legal profession through attorney registration and education, public outreach, restorative services, and, when necessary, attorney discipline." This revised mission statement shifts the ARDC's focus from primarily discipline to a more balanced approach designed to assist lawyers in practising.
The ARDC's strategic plan reflects the organisation's efforts to remain a vital resource for both lawyers and the public. It outlines a path forward that is grounded in three key areas of focus: evolving and enhancing the ARDC's programs, services, and reputation; elevating confidence in the legal profession; and building an innovative and adaptive organisation.
The ARDC's website contains a wealth of information, including an online learning portal with free continuing legal education (CLE) courses and an annual report. The annual report provides comprehensive statistics concerning the ARDC's registration activities, disciplinary caseload, financial condition, and progress on various initiatives.
In 2024, the ARDC received 4,706 requests for investigation concerning 3,352 lawyers and filed 46 formal disciplinary complaints. The ARDC also offers a PMBR Self-Assessment Program, which Illinois lawyers who do not maintain malpractice insurance are required to complete.
The ARDC is funded by an annual registration fee of $385 paid by Illinois attorneys. This fee has not been raised since 2015. A portion of the fee is allocated to various entities that service Illinois lawyers and the public, such as the Lawyers Trust Fund, the Client Protection Program, and the Supreme Court's Commission on Professionalism.
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The Obamas' law careers
There have been rumours circulating that Michelle and Barack Obama surrendered their law licenses to escape ethics charges and avoid disciplinary proceedings. These rumours are false.
Michelle Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1988 and joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she later met her husband. She was admitted to the Illinois bar on May 12, 1989, and was last registered in 1993. She is currently listed as “voluntarily inactive" and is not authorized to practise law. This does not mean that she surrendered her license, but rather that she chose to inactivate it, thereby avoiding the requirement to take continuing education classes and pay annual fees.
Barack Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991 and was admitted as a lawyer by the Supreme Court of Illinois on December 17, 1991. He was a Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 1996 and a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004, during which time he taught three courses per year. He was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review in 1990. He surrendered his law license in 2008, the year he was first elected to the White House, and is listed as “voluntarily retired" and not authorized to practise law.
Both of the Obamas could return to practising law if they decided to do so.
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Michelle Obama's maiden name
There is no evidence that Michelle Obama committed insurance fraud. However, there have been claims on Facebook that she "voluntarily surrendered her law license in 1993 after a Federal Judge gave her the choice between surrendering her license or standing trial for insurance fraud". These claims are false, according to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of Illinois, which states that there have never been any disciplinary actions against Michelle or her husband Barack Obama.
Michelle Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1988 and joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she later met her husband. After a few years, she decided that her true calling was working with people to serve their communities and their neighbours. She has since been involved in various initiatives to improve health for all Americans, including planting the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn and announcing the modernized Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Michelle Obama did not commit insurance fraud.
Michelle Obama surrendered her law license in 1993 and is on "voluntarily inactive" status, meaning she is not authorized to practice law. However, there were no disciplinary actions or proceedings against her.
No, Michelle Obama did not go on inactive status to avoid a trial for insurance fraud. There were no disciplinary actions or proceedings against her.
No, there is no evidence that Michelle Obama surrendered her law license due to misconduct.
Yes, Michelle Obama can return to active status and practice law if she chooses to.
