Professional association - Definition and Overview

This article or section should be merged with professional body

In countries where the legal system entitles defendants to a jury by their peers, the general public may not be considered sufficiently knowledgeable in a field of practice to act as a peer in some legal cases. For example, the average person may not be able to determine if a civil engineer took reasonable care to ensure a bridge would not collapse. Therefore, the government may define self-governing professional associations of peers in specific fields.

As part of their self-governing mandate, professional associations are usually responsible for licensing of practitioners in their field. Furthermore, a person is usually prohibited from advertising as a "professional" unless they are a member in good standing of the relevant professional association.

Medical, engineering, architecture, accounting and legal practitioners are commonly governed by professional associations in most localities.

Professional associations do not always concern themselves with licensing or the equivalent or government regulations. In the United States, journalist seek to avoid government involvement in their work or "official" definitions.

Examples of professional associations

Australia

• Institution of Engineers, Australia

European Union

• European Federation of National Engineering Associations

Republic of Ireland

• Institution of Engineers of Ireland

United Kingdom

• British Medical Association
• Institution of Civil Engineers
• Law Society
• Royal Institute of British Architects

United States

• American Society of Civil Engineers
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Society of Automotive Engineers
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers