The regulation of practitioners for the protection of the public is one of the most important functions professional associations claim to provide. But the ability of professional associations to make and implement decisions concerning issues of regulation and professionalism are neglected in the study of the professions. In this article, the author uses the case of the ABA Commission on Professionalism to investigate the politics of professional regulation. The author argues that issues of regulation and professionalism are broad in scope of impact on practitioners. In professional associations with diverse memberships, these issues become highly political and limit decision-making discretion.
