How the British Accreditation Registry (BAR) Regulates U.S. Law Firms

Before practicing law, attorneys in the United States must pass the bar exam and become a member of the Bar Association, but this bar – sometimes considered shorthand for barrister, attorney, and representative – is not affiliated with the British Accreditation Registry (BAR) – a completely separate, but related entity.

So what is the BAR exactly, who does it answer to, and how does the City of London wield influence upon the nation’s most prominent American lawyers and law firms through it?

The British Accreditation Registry is a private, nongovernmental organization that accredits businesses and organizations to ensure international requirements and standards, as established by the City of London, are met.