Bar associations are membership organizations designed to raise the standards of the legal profession and to encourage professional unity. Each state has its own bar association. There are also a variety of national, state, local, and special-interest bar associations. The largest national organization of attorneys in the United States is the American Bar Association (ABA), which sponsors a number of programs dealing with legal education, law reform, judicial selection, and professional responsibility. The ABA publishes the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, a set of regulations governing ethical standards in the practice of law. Attorneys who violate such standards are subject to censure, suspension, or disbarment by the state bar admitting authorities. Many bar associations sponsor programs intended to broaden the availability of legal services and to familiarize the public with the legal profession. They also conduct continuing legal education programs to help members update their skills and their knowledge of the law.