Your annual membership fee, as approved by the Board of Governors, comprises three separate funds:

The General Fund includes funding for member services, public services and all general bar operations. The 2006 assessment is $447 for active members who have been in practice for over two years and $383 for active members who have been in practice for less than two years. This fee is prorated for all members admitted in 2006 based on the month of admission.

The financial impact statement presented to the House of Delegates describes the purpose of the $50 fee increase for 2006.

The Client Security Fund (CSF) makes monetary awards to clients who have lost money or property due to misappropriation or embezzlement by their lawyers. The 2006 CSF assessment is $5.00. This fee is not prorated for members admitted in 2006. Questions regarding the CSF should be directed to Sylvia Stevens, sstevens@osbar.org, or call OSB ext. 359.

The Affirmative Action Program (AAP) is designed to support the Oregon State Bar's mission by "striving to increase the diversity of the Oregon bench and bar to reflect the diversity of the people of Oregon, by educating attorneys about the cultural richness and diversity of the clients they serve, and by removing barriers to justice." The assessment is $30 for active members who have been in practice for over two years and $15 for active members who have been in practice for less than two years. Questions regarding the AAP should be directed to Stella Manabe, smanabe@osbar.org, OSB ext. 337.

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A request for forms does not constitute a request for transfer of status. Submitting a PLF exemption does not automatically transfer your status to inactive. For more PLF information visit their web site here.

Active To Inactive
To change status from active to inactive, you must complete a Request for Enrollment as an Inactive Member form and send your inactive dues payment with the form. The form and information can be found on our forms directory, http://www.osbar.org/forms.html, or call OSB ext. 452. A written confirmation of any request to change status should be mailed to you within one week of receipt of your request by the bar office.
You may call Vickie Fichtner, at OSB ext. 343, to initiate the process for any of the following status change requests:

Reinstatement
You must comply with the reinstatement rules of the Bar. See Title 8 of the Rules of Procedure in your OSB Membership Directory, or see the online version here.

Active Pro Bono
Active Pro Bono status is available to attorneys in good standing who agree to provide annually a minimum of 40 hours pro bono legal services to indigent clients through Oregon State Bar certified Pro Bono programs, but otherwise do not engage in the practice of law except volunteer service on the SPRB, a LPRC, the Disciplinary Board or as bar counsel. Active Pro Bono members may need to have professional liability coverage through the Professional Liability Fund or the certified pro bono program if their activities constitute the practice of law. Active Pro Bono members do not need to comply with MCLE.

Active Pro Bono form available here.

Active Emeritus
Active Emeritus status is available to attorneys in good standing admitted to practice law for the preceding forty years who limit their practice to pro bono service in OSB certified pro bono programs or volunteer service as bar counsel, a member of the SPRB, a LPRC or other Disciplinary Board. Active Emeritus members may need professional liability coverage through the Professional Liability Fund or the certified pro bono program if their activities constitute the practice of law. Active Emeritus members do not need to comply with MCLE.

Active Emeritus form available here.

Resignation
See Title 9 of the Rules of Procedure here, or in your Membership Directory. Download the PDF form and instructions from our form directory: http://www.osbar.org/forms.html.

Please note: Adobe Acrobat is required to use these files.

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Military, Peace Corps, Americorps or VISTA waivers
The annual membership fees and assessments may be waived for members in active military service, the Peace Corps, VISTA or other volunteer programs serving the national interest or the legal profession, and for which the member receives only a subsistence income, stipend or expense reimbursement that is the member’s principal source of income. Requests for waivers must be received by the date that membership fees and assessments are due each year. Waivers will not be granted unless the lawyer’s service encompasses the majority of a year except in the case of military waivers, which may be granted for less than a year under special circumstances such as a war of unknown duration. Waivers must be submitted annually. Please complete and submit this form to request this type of waiver. Questions should be directed to Cathi Pittman at cpittman@osbar.org, or call the bar office at ext. 302. You can find this form and many others at http://www.osbar.org/forms/forms.html.

Hardship
Exemptions for extreme hardship for annual membership fees will be approved only if both of the following conditions are met: (1) physical or mental disability, and (2) extreme financial hardship. Normally, a disability must extend for the entire period of the exemption and be supported by the applicant's receipt of benefits under a disability insurance plan. Please submit this form to request a hardship exemption. Exemptions must be submitted annually. Questions should be directed to Michelle Peterson at mpeterson@osbar.org, or call OSB extension 305.

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Your section membership renewal is automatically included on your fee statement. You may add or delete section memberships, but may not switch from one section to another once section membership has been processed. Members may join sections for 2006 through November 30, 2006. To join a section after the general billing time please indicate the section name you would like to join including their three digit billing code and send your check to the Oregon State Bar Accounting Department, PO Box 1689, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035. Be sure to include your bar number on all correspondence. Members can also add sections online. Click here to add sections now. Inactive members of the bar may become members of a section, with all the rights and responsibilities of section membership, except that an inactive member may not be a section officer.

The following chart includes information about the various section activities, the section dues, and the number of section members in 2005.