In 2023, Oregon created a new type of legal licensure to help meet the civil legal needs of Oregonians.
Similar to Nurse Practitioners in the medical profession, Licensed Paralegals (LPs) will be authorized to perform some limited-scope legal tasks previously available only from lawyers. The license is for designated legal work in housing and family law, the two areas of greatest unmet need by Oregonians.
We are now accepting LP applications. We will begin licensing in January 2024.
Licensed paralegals must meet specific requirements for education and experience, and will be subject to many of the same rules and regulatory requirements that currently apply to lawyers. The intent is to provide access to legal help for those who currently cannot afford a lawyer or who otherwise might go to court with no legal assistance. We look forward to welcoming these new providers into the bar and the legal profession.
Note: Several sets of rules for Licensed Paralegals were approved and adopted earlier this year. The OSB will send some amendments to the RLPs and ORPCs to the Oregon Supreme Court on July 11, 2023 for final consideration.