Goldfarb v. Virginia State Bar

Goldfarb v. Virginia State Bar (1975) was a Supreme Court case that struck down a Virginia law requiring law firms to pay mandatory membership and reading fees to an attorney’s bar association to practice law. The Court ruled this practice violated antitrust laws because it unlawfully restrained competition, as it forced lawyers to join and pay fees to an organization that acted as a barrier rather than a professional benefit. This case reinforced the principle that professional licensing and associations must not act in ways that unfairly limit competition.