All attorneys in Michigan are required, that's true. But, it is only a requirement to practice in 32 states. There is a Voluntary Bar Assoc. in some states.
But, my point was that just because you're court appointed doesn't mean you're less qualified. Having said that, their are certain Bar requirements to remain in good standing. In Texas, during the time span I posted, doing your due diligence as a court appointed, was a requirement of all members. That was a long time ago and most certainly could be different now. I think we're in agreement.
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Per Google:
Types of state bar associationsEdit
Admission to a state's bar is not necessarily the same as membership in that state's bar association. There are two kinds of state bar associations:
Mandatory (integrated) barEdit
Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia require membership in the state's bar association to practice law there.[41] This arrangement is called having a mandatory, unified, or integrated bar.
For example, the State Bar of Texas is an agency of the judiciary and is under the administrative control of the Texas Supreme Court,[42] and is composed of those persons licensed to practice law in Texas; each such person is required by law to join the State Bar by registering with the clerk of the Texas Supreme Court.[43]
Voluntary and private bar associationsEdit
A voluntary bar association is a private organization of lawyers. Each may have social, educational, and lobbying functions, but does not regulate the practice of law or admit lawyers to practice or discipline lawyers. An example of this is the New York State Bar Association.
There is a statewide voluntary bar association in each of the eighteen states that have no mandatory or integrated bar association. There are also many voluntary bar associations organized by geographic area (e.g., Chicago Bar Association), interest group or practice area (e.g., Federal Communications Bar Association), or ethnic or identity community (e.g., Hispanic National Bar Association).
The American Bar Association (ABA) is a nationwide voluntary bar association with the largest membership in the United States. The National Bar Association was formed in 1925 to focus on the interests of African-American lawyers after they were denied membership by the ABA.[44]
