The Finnish Bar Association is an organization pertaining to public law, which is regulated by The Act on Advocates of 1958. The organization was preceded by a registered association with the same name. All members of both organizations are and always have been lawyers.

The Bar Association has about 1850 members, who are thus designated advocates (in Finnish: asianajaja; in Swedish: advokat). Law firms additionally employ about 600 associates. Of the advocates, about 130 are municipal public legal advisers. Legal aid offices also employ more than hundred legal advisers who are not members of the Bar Association.