OSB New Lawyer Mentoring Program Launches Spring 2011

The Oregon State Bar is poised to launch its New Lawyer Mentoring Program for incoming bar members beginning this spring. The mandatory program will provide new admittees with an experienced lawyer in their practice area to guide them through a flexible curriculum, and help them through the sometimes daunting first-year transition to the practice of law. In addition to helping connect participants to the larger legal community, mentors will share core skills and offer perspectives on the ethical and professional values that contribute to a rewarding legal career.

The program is loosely modeled on programs in Georgia and Utah, which have received accolades for giving all new bar members access to some of the meaningful one-one-one guidance often available in the large-firm environment. For more information on the program as it is being developed, click here.

High School Mock Trial Competition Needs Volunteers

Volunteers are needed to join the Classroom Law Project at a courthouse near you (Albany, Bend, Hillsboro, Medford, Portland, Oregon City and Pendleton) on Saturday, Feb. 27 (regionals) or at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland on Mar. 12-13 (state finals), to see students make their cases with passion and poise. Annually, more than 70 high school teams, totaling some 1,200 students, compete in mock trials at the regional, state and national levels.

This unforgettable experience for students depends on the participation of hundreds of attorneys, educators and other community representatives who serve as judges at the competition. Each round is scored by a panel of three judges, two from the legal field and one educator or community representative. If you are interested in being a part of this exciting event, please sign up online here. For more information call (503) 224-4424 or email office@classroomlaw.org. Also be sure to contact CLP if you are interested in helping your local team prepare for the competition as an attorney-coach.

Deadlines Approaching for Member Fees and MCLE Reports

There are two upcoming deadlines to be aware of. First, the 2011 membership fee payment deadline to avoid a fee increase is Jan. 31, 2011 at 5 p.m. PST. This includes payments made online. Payments made online must have the credit card approval date and time stamp to meet this deadline. Payments made by mail or in person must be received at the OSB office by this deadline.

Active member fees paid after Jan. 31 and by Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. PST will be $50 higher than originally assessed. Active member fees paid after Feb. 28 at 5 p.m.PST will increase by an additional $50. Missed your fee statement? We sent these by email on Nov. 18. You may print your fee statement here. No login is required.

The second deadline is for MCLE reporting. MCLE compliance reports are due at the OSB offices no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 31. Compliance Report forms are available in the member area of the bar’s website.

2011 Lawyer Directory Now Available for Download, Print on Demand

You probably noticed a change to the 2011 bar Resource Directory that came with your January issue of the Bulletin. The new version of the directory is similar to what was available previously with one notable exception: it does not include contact information for bar members. The leaner Resource Directory retains all of the other content while saving money and paper, furthering the bar’s sustainability goals.

The bar’s most current contact information for members is in the online directory, which is updated daily from our membership database. The online directory has already taken the place of the printed directory for many, if not most, members, which prompted our decision to stop mass-producing and mailing the expensive print directory. Still, we know that some of our members prefer paper so you have a few choices:

You can download the pdf here and keep it on your desktop or save it and take it with you on a flash drive or your laptop. We’ll place an updated version on the member home page each quarter so you can save the latest version. You can also upload or take the file to a print shop and order a printed copy, customized to your needs — 3-hole punched in a binder, coil bound, etc.

You can also order a copy from the bar, and we’ll print and mail it to you for $25. Place your order through the online bookstore with your VISA or MasterCard or call the OSB order desk (503)- -620-0222 ext. 350. Know that the online version of the directory will always be more accurate than any printed version; every 30 minutes, someone changes his or her contact information in the bar’s database. Every day the online version of the directory is updated to reflect those changes.

BarBooks Now Available at No Additional Cost

If you haven’t noticed yet, you now have access to BarBooks™ - the bar’s online library of legal publications — at no additional charge. Check it out here. With BarBooks, you have instant access to Oregon-specific information across a wide variety of topics. The books are searchable and you can bookmark pages of interest.

In Case You Missed It: We Need Your Email Address

A requirement to have an email address on file with the bar is in Bar Rule of Procedure 1.11, adopted by the Oregon Supreme Court in August. If you don’t have an email address or if you want to set one up specifically for bar correspondence, there are many free email providers on the web such as Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoo that you can use. Please provide your email address by logging into your account on the OSB website and clicking on “Communication Preferences,” then “Address Change.”

2011 Law Library Values Now Available Online

The 2011 schedule of suggested values for law libraries is now available at www.oregon.gov. This schedule has been prepared by the property tax division of the Oregon Department of Revenue. Owners of law libraries should declare the schedule values to the assessor.