The Norwegian Bar Association
The Bar Association makes extensive efforts to promote due process protection and the principles of the rule of law, and it is the most important arena for its members’ engagement in criminal justice issues and the development of the law.
The Bar Association is concerned with developing good systems and solutions that can help lawyers in their day-to-day practice. We provide advice on an individual basis about establishing and running a legal practice and about relevant changes to the regulatory framework.
We work every day to draw attention to the contribution lawyers make to value creation in society, to recruit new talents to the profession and to support lawyers’ professional development and social fellowship.
The Norwegian Bar Association has worked since 1908 to boost the respect and trust that lawyers depend on, and that mean that lawyers can be proud to practise their profession.
The title Member of the Norwegian Bar Association (MNA) is a hallmark of quality that shows that a lawyer belongs to a proud professional community. Lawyers apply stringent requirements as regards their professional and ethical standards – and they must meet these requirements themselves.
Membership of the Bar Association is voluntary, but more than 90% of all Norwegian lawyers are members.
Requirements of our members
The Norwegian Bar Association wishes to safeguard the public’s interests and the reputation of lawyers by helping to ensure that all our members maintain high professional and ethical standards. Our members must therefore take continuous further education that is approved by the association.
In Norway, all practicing lawyers are bound by the Norwegian Code of Conduct for Lawyers, which has been drawn up by the Bar Association.
The Code of Conduct for Lawyers is enforced through the disciplinary system. The Bar Association’s Disciplinary Committee (Advokatforeningens disiplinærutvalg) deals with complaints about fees and complaints concerning breaches of the Code of Conduct. The decisions of the Disciplinary Committee (disiplinærutvalget) can be appealed to the publicly appointed Disciplinary Board (Disiplinærnemnden).
Read more about the Norwegian Code of Conduct
Our elected officers
More than 400 lawyers serve as elected officers of the Norwegian Bar Association. They find the association to be an effective, influential and pleasant arena for their engagement. Many of them sit on various committees, where they represent a professional resource and point of reference for the rest of the legal profession. The Norwegian Bar Association also issues between 60 and 80 consultation submissions every year, thereby making its mark on future legislation.
Contact persons in the Norwegian Bar Association
Merete Smith, Secretary General,
Baard Amundsen, Public Relations Manager,