The Oregon State Bar (OSB) was established in 1935 by the Oregon Legislative Assembly to license and discipline lawyers, regulate the practice of law, and provide a variety of services to bar members and the public. The bar is a public corporation and an instrumentality of the Oregon Judicial Department. It is funded entirely by membership and program fees, and does not receive any financial support in the form of taxpayer dollars from the states general fund. Membership is mandatory for lawyers who wish to practice law in Oregon.

The OSB has more than 16,000 active and inactive members. Of the approximately 12,500 active members, just over 6,500 work in private practice. In addition to private practice; Oregon lawyers work in government, corporate, or other business settings. More than 3,000 active members are women. Approximately 1,900 active members reside out-of-state.

A sixteen-member volunteer Board of Governors oversees the activities of the OSB. Twelve board members are lawyers, elected by geographic region by bar members. The remaining four volunteers are public (non-lawyer) members appointed by the Board of Governors based on their areas of interest and expertise.

The OSB House of Delegates serves as the representative assembly of the membership, voting on proposed changes to rules, dues, and policies. It is composed of more than 200 delegates. Elected delegates represent six geographic regions within the state, as well as a region composed of out-of-state members. Other delegates represent the bars sections and local bar associations. Six public members are appointed by the Board of Governors on a regional basis. The House meets annually, and may occasionally convene for a special meeting. The Oregon Supreme Court has authority over appointments to the Disciplinary Board, the Board of Bar Examiners. Each Board is composed of volunteer appointees and receives staff support from the Oregon State Bar.

An executive director oversees the bars approximately 80 staff members and $8.3 million annual budget.