On 18 October 1930, Kaltenbrunner joined the Nazi Party as member number 300,179. In 1931, he was the "Bezirksredner" (district speaker) for the Nazi Party in Upper Austria. Kaltenbrunner joined the SS on 31 August 1931; his SS number was 13,039. He first became a "Rechtsberater" (legal consultant) for the party in 1929 and later held this same position for SS Abschnitt (Section) VIII beginning in 1932. That same year, he began working at his father's law practice and by 1933 was head of the National-Socialist Lawyers' League in Linz.