36 USC § 70503 - Membership

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t36/s70503"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "36 USC § 70503 - Membership"
title_number: 36
title_name: "PATRIOTIC AND NATIONAL OBSERVANCES, CEREMONIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS"
section_number: "70503"
section_name: "Membership"
chapter_number: 705
chapter_name: "THE FOUNDATION OF THE FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION"
part_number: "B"
part_name: "Organizations"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1352; Pub. L. 119–57, § 3, Dec. 12, 2025, 139 Stat. 711.)"
---


# § 70503. Membership

**(a)** **Eligibility.—** Except as provided in this chapter, eligibility for membership in the corporation and the rights and privileges of members are as provided in the bylaws.

**(b)** **Grounds for Disqualification.—** An individual may not be a member, director, or officer of the corporation if the individual—

**(1)** is a member of, or advocates the principles of, an organization believing in, or working for, the overthrow of the United States Government by force or violence; or

**(2)** refuses to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1352; Pub. L. 119–57, § 3, Dec. 12, 2025, 139 Stat. 711.)

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 70503(a) | 36:576(a). | Aug. 24, 1954, ch. 911, §§ 6, 16, 68 Stat. 798, 800. |
| 70503(b) | 36:576(b). |  |
| 70503(c) | 36:586. |  |

In subsection (a), the words “the persons listed in ” and “hereafter” are omitted as obsolete.

In subsection (b), the words “has one vote” are substituted for “may cast one vote” for consistency in the revised title.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2025— added subsec. (a), redesignated subsec. (c) as (b), and struck out former subsecs. (a) and (b) which read as follows:

“(a) .—The members of the corporation are—

“(1) the members of the National Council of the Federal Bar Association, a nonprofit corporation incorporated in the District of Columbia, during their term of membership on that Council; and

“(2) other individuals the corporation provides for in the bylaws or otherwise.

“(b) .—Each member has one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the members.”