There are several routes to admission with the Oregon State Bar, primarily through the bar exam and reciprocity with most other states. Information follows on all manners of admission.
Please Note:
Admissions does not handle certain transactions. Links follow to assist you with these processes:
- Address Changes – OSB members seeking to update their contact information may do so via email, or mailing a form to the bar, or logging in to the website.
- Pro Hac Vice admission – Information is available here and forms are available here. Questions? Contact the Regulatory Services Coordinator, regsvcs@osbar.org, or 503-620-0222, ext. 343.
2020 February Exam
- Exam Dates: February 25-26, 2020
- Deadlines: November 15 (timely filing) & December 15 (late filing with $350 late fee).
- Location:
Holiday Inn - Portland Airport
8439 NE Columbia Boulevard Receive group discount at this link
2019 July Exam
All successful and eligible exam applicants will be sent a letter including information on the admission ceremony, bar membership, bar number, the New Lawyer Mentoring Program and other relevant information. The admissions ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. in Smith Auditorium on the Willamette University campus in Salem, Oregon.
Successful applicants who can not attend the ceremony may be sworn-in separately, though not before October 4.
(Willamette Campus Map) (Oath of Office)
Please contact the office of the Board of Bar Examiners with any questions.
Some lawyers may be admitted without taking the bar examination. Each of these alternate routes has specific requirements which must be satisfied. Applicants are encouraged to review these rules carefully. Applicants for admission via an alternate route must still demonstrate good moral character pursuant to ORS 9.220.
Qualifying jurisdictions for reciprocity with Oregon
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District Of Columbia
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virgin Islands
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Mandatory CLE Requirements for Reciprocity Admission
All applicants for Reciprocity Admission must take 15 credit hours of continuing legal education as approved by the Board.
Mandatory Subjects: At least two (2) credit hours must cover Legal Ethics (Oregon Code of Professional Responsibility) Four (4) credit hours must cover introductory Civil Procedure (Oregon State Court and United States District Court of Oregon local rules) At least three (3) hours must cover Oregon State Court civil procedure, emphasizing the unique aspects. Not more than one hour can be on United States District Court of Oregon local rules.
Elective Subjects: Nine (9) of the credit hours must be taken in one or more of the following subject fields emphasizing Oregon law, provided the credit hours have been accredited by the Oregon State Bar Minimum Continuing Legal Education Administrator. Oregon Administrative Law, Oregon Constitutional Law, Contracts, Corporations, Criminal Law and Procedure, Decendent's Estates, Oregon Domestic Relations, Employment Law, Evidence, Local Federal Court Practice and Procedure, Legal and Equitable Remedies, Oregon Legislation, Partnerships, Oregon Court Practice and Procedure, Real Property, Torts, Trusts, U.C.C. II - Sales, U.C.C. III - Negotiable Instruments/Commercial Paper, U.C.C. IX - Secured Transactions.
Applicants for Admission
Pursuant to RFA 6.10, as part of an applicant’s character and fitness review, each applicants name must be published at least 45 days prior to admission. In compliance with this rule, below are lists of applicants who applied for admission. The Board of Bar Examiners requests that members examine this list and bring to the board’s attention in a signed letter any information that might influence the board in considering the moral character of any applicant for admission. Send correspondence to Admissions Department, Oregon State Board of Bar Examiners, P.O. Box 231935, Tigard, OR 97281-1935.
Reciprocity
The following names will expire on December 6, 2019:
Andrea J. Clare, Karolina Sylvia Southard, Kristin Ella Russell, Luke Joseph Campbell, Nicole A. Mermelli, Scarlett Amantha Van Syoc, Steven Baum, Susanna Marie Carlson, Trent Ramsay Taylor, Tyler L. Jones.
The following names will expire on December 27, 2019:
Aliza B. Kaplan, Andrew Gabel, Bradley Park Thoreson, Caitlin J. Forsyth, Daniel F. Newman, Douglas Hodder, Elizabeth Ann Weden, Gretchen Ingrid Korb-Nice, Jaclyn M. Ford, Jesse Cobb Stewart, Karen Lee Farkas, Kayleigh Eve Lindemuth, Rachel J. Goldfarb, Regan A. Parker, Robert Edward Tree, Teva Fir Sempel, Timothy R. Douglass.
House Counsel
The following names will expire on December 6, 2019:
Andrea J. Clare, Karolina Sylvia Southard, Kristin Ella Russell, Luke Joseph Campbell, Nicole A. Mermelli, Scarlett Amantha Van Syoc, Steven Baum, Susanna Marie Carlson, Trent Ramsay Taylor, Tyler L. Jones, Anne Choi Goodwin, Kevin Lee Brady, Morgan Lee Woolley.
UBE Transfer Score
The following names will expire on December 6, 2019:
Eileen Pepple, Eli Goldmann, Ellyar Barazesh, Jennifer S. McAnaney Swajkoski, Jonathan Zaworski, Karine Gialella, Marie Ann Loiseau
The following names will expire on December 27, 2019:
Catherine E. Sutton, Grover C. Peters III, Jose Luis Bustillos Varela, Myla Edith Sepulveda, Peter Sabian,Timothy Edward Sweeney.
Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) Transfer Information
MCLE Requirements for UBE Applicants (following admission):
MCLE Rule 1.8 provides that a person is a new admittee from the date of initial admission as an active member of the Oregon State Bar through the end of his or her first reporting period.
MCLE Rule 3.3(b) provides that new admittees shall complete 15 credit hours of accredited CLE activity in the first reporting period after admission as an active member, including two credit hours in ethics, and ten credit hours in practical skills. One of the ethics credit hours must be devoted to Oregon ethics and professionalism and four of the ten credits in practical skills must be devoted to Oregon practice and procedure. New admittees must also complete a three credit hour OSB-approved introductory course in access to justice. The MCLE Program Manager may waive the practical skills requirement for a new admittee who has practiced law in another jurisdiction for three consecutive years immediately prior to the member’s admission in Oregon, in which event the new admittee must complete ten hours in other areas. After a new admittee’s first reporting period, the requirements in Rule 3.2(a) shall apply.
Application Forms
General Forms
-
Address Change Form
[1 page] -
Certificate of Graduation
[1 page] -
Supreme Court Certificate Order Form
[1 page]
Oath Form
- Please note: The Oath must be filed with the Supreme Court. Please do not send this form to the Oregon State Bar as it may delay your date of admission. Please send to: Oregon Supreme Court, 1163 State St. Salem, OR 97301.
-
Oath form
[1 page]
-
Registration form
[1 page]
Reciprocity Forms
Testing Accomodations
-
Any applicant requesting testing accommodations must submit accurate and fully complete request forms (on the forms provided by the Board) and file them with the Board no later than April 15th for the July bar exam and November 15th for the subsequent February bar exam. RFA 5.10.
-
Testing Accommodations Info Package and Forms
[54 pages: 9 forms are included along with directions]
Staff Contacts
Admissions Director
twood@osbar.org, (503) 620-0222 ext. 310
Vickie Hansen
Admissions Coordinator
vhansen@osbar.org, (503) 620-0222 ext. 419
Sarah Haugstad
Admissions Specialist
shaugstad@osbar.org, (503) 620-0222 ext. 364
Sergio Hernandez
Admissions Specialist
shernandez@osbar.org, (503) 620-0222 ext. 405
Board of Bar Examiners
| Hon. Franco Lucero, Angela M | Chairperson | |
| Ms. Perini-Abbott, Joanna T | Vice Chair | |
| Mr. Bofferding, Todd E | Member | |
| Mr. Isaak, Misha | Member | |
| Ms. Kaufman, Lissa K | Member | |
| Ms. Matthews, Kendra M | Member | |
| McLeod-Skinner, Cassandra C | Member | |
| Hon. Skye, Kelly | Member | |
| Mr. Slauson, Michael J | Member | |
| Ms. Tuttle, Stephanie J | Member | |
| Mr. Warren, Ernest | Member | |
| Ms. Wong, Caroline M | Member | |
| Green, Randall | Public Member | |
| Kolbell, Richard | Public Member | |
| Ms. Nordyke, Vanessa A | BOG Contact |