The American Bar Association has overhauled its membership structure in a bid to reverse years of declining participation and falling revenue, with the changes going into effect May 1. The change is intended to simplify the complex dues structure, reduce costs for members, and make the association more relevant to attorneys through targeted content. The ABA hopes to have all members renewed under the new structure by September.

ABA leadership signed off on the overhaul last August amid mounting challenges. It has lost about 56,000 dues-paying members in the past 10 years and fewer than 200,000 of its approximately 424,000 members pay dues. Less than 13 percent of the nation’s lawyers are dues-paying members. The associations’ general budget declined by 22 percent between 2014 and 2018, and last year it projected an additional $15 million annual loss in dues revenue without making changes. The changes are expected to result in short-term financial losses that will recover in time with membership gains.