The Oregon State Bar Legal Services Program funds an integrated, statewide system of civil legal aid organizations, enabling low-income Oregonians to address critical legal issues directly affecting their families, homes, income, jobs, and access to vital services such as education and health care. To meet these needs, legal aid providers operate offices in 17 communities together providing service to all 36 counties in Oregon.
The Legal Services Program was created by the Oregon Legislature in 1996 to oversee state funding of legal service providers, to develop Standards and Guidelines for those providers, and to create a Legal Services Program Committee. ORS 9.572
In 1998, Oregon became one of the first states to form an integrated statewide network of legal aid providers, when the OSB Board of Governors approved the initial Oregon Legal Services Program Standards and Guidelines.
In March 2022, the State of Oregon approved funding for universal legal representation for those with immigration legal needs through Senate Bill 1543. SB 1543 directs the Bar to fund and oversee the delivery of immigration legal services and to develop a set of standards and guidelines to promote high-quality and competent legal representation.
To fund an integrated, statewide system of legal services centered on the needs of the client community as identified in the Mission Statement of the OSB Civil Legal Services Task Force Final Report, May 1996; and
To use its oversight authority to work with Providers to ensure that the delivery of services is efficient and effective in providing a full spectrum of high-quality legal services to low-income Oregonians.
To work to eliminate barriers to the efficient and effective delivery of legal services caused by maintaining legal and physical separation between providers of general legal services to low-income Oregonians in the same geographical area, while maintaining Providers’ ability to offer the broadest range of legal services required to serve the needs of clients.
The Standards and Guidelines apply to all programs receiving funding from the Legal Services Program. The Standards and Guidelines cover a range of factors to enhance effective and accountable use of public funds for civil legal aid in Oregon. Some of these key areas include:
Governing Structure of the Legal Services Program:The Standards and Guidelines provide a framework for funded Providers to maintain an integrated delivery system that provides relatively equal levels of high-quality client representation throughout the state. Notably, these Standards integrate and reference other benchmarks for high-quality civil legal aid service delivery, such as ABA Standards for the Provision of Civil Legal Aid and the Oregon Code of Professional Responsibility.
The Standards create objectives for providers as follows:
The funded providers must meet guidelines regarding provider structure, use of funds, client eligibility, priority setting, grievance processing, and avoidance of competition with the private bar. The providers must also create mechanisms for cooperation among themselves and other programs providing services to low-income Oregonians.
In 2022, the Standards and Guidelines were updated to incorporate the Immigration Practice and Performance Standards and Guidelines to specifically guide OSB’s Immigration Legal Services Program providers.
The Legal Services Program uses the framework described in the Standards and Guideline to oversee the Providers.
The periodic accountability process provides the Legal Services Program with information about the work of legal services providers. The process focuses on the effectiveness of the providers in meeting the needs of individual clients and the larger client community and in developing and using resources. The goals of the review are to ensure compliance with the Standards and Guidelines; to ensure accountability to clients, the public, and funders; and to assist with each provider’s self-assessment and improvement.
The process has three components:
Recent Accountability Reports are available in the Reports section.
Each legal aid provider files an annual report detailing its activities in the previous year. The annual report contains the following information:
OSB Legal Services Program Complaint Process: The following complaints will be addressed by the OSB Legal Services Program Committee through the Director of the Legal Services Program:
Ethics or malpractice complaints will be forwarded to the appropriate discipline department at the Oregon State Bar.
If you have a complaint, please fill out the form and email it to legalservicesprogram@osbar.org (preferred) or mail it to Oregon State Bar Legal Services Program, PO Box 231935, Tigard, OR 97281-1935.
The Legal Services Program Committee will not review or respond to a complaint unless they receive a complaint form outlining the nature of the complaint in writing. If you have any questions, either email legalservicesprogram@osbar.org (preferred) or call (503) 620- 0222 or (800) 452-8260 and ask to speak to the Legal Services Program.
State Budgetary Appropriations: Beginning in 1977, a portion of civil legal aid's funding came from state court filing fees. In 2011, the legislature continued funding for civil legal aid but disconnected funding from fluctuating court filings. As of 2019, the State of Oregon provides a budgetary appropriation the Legal Services Program to fund legal aid in Oregon.
One-time Appropriations: In 2007-2009, 2009-2011, 2015-2017, and 2023-25 biennia, the Legal Services Program received additional funding from the State of Oregon through one-time general fund appropriations.
Unclaimed Lawyer Trust Account Funds: The Oregon State Bar manages the receipt and distribution of Unclaimed Lawyer Trust Account funds appropriated to the Legal Services Program per ORS 98.386(2).
Pro Hac Vice Fees: Out-of-state lawyers pay a fee to appear in Oregon courts. These fees go to the Legal Services Program to fund legal aid per ORS 9.241.
Cy-Près Awards: At least half of funds from Oregon class action settlements and judgments that are either unclaimed or unpayable are forwarded to the Legal Services Program to fund legal aid per ORCP 32 O.
Oregon Senate Bill 1543: For the 2022-2023 biennia the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was directed to provide funds for use by the Immigration Legal Service Program “to provide legal services to individuals on immigration matters and related matters.” In 2023, the Immigration Legal Services Program received additional funding from the State of Oregon through a one-time general fund appropriation
Beyond funds from the Legal Services Program, providers have 80 sources of funding including federal and state grants and revenue from private foundations. Examples include a grant from The Oregon Housing and Community Services to provide legal assistance for homeowners facing foreclosure, funds from an Oregon Department of Justice grant to serve victims of domestic violence, grants from United Way to provide services to low-income clients and generous contributions from private lawyers through the Campaign for Equal Justice.
Oregonians have a long history of working together to support access to justice; this collaboration is sometimes referred to as the Oregon Access to Justice Coalition. Partners have included Governors, Chief Justices, Judges, Attorneys General, legislators, state and local bar groups, members of Oregon’s corporate community, private lawyers, the Campaign for Equal Justice, the Oregon Law Foundation, and legal service providers. In addition to the OSB Legal Services Program, below are a few of the bar groups and nonprofits that are part of Oregon’s Access to Justice Coalition.
OSB Pro Bono Program: The Legal Services Program includes the Pro Bono Program. Legal Services Program staff work to support a statewide culture of pro bono and greater participation by the private bar. OSB’s Pro Bono Program helps certify pro bono programs and also manages the Free Legal Answer program.
Oregon Law Foundation: The OLF is a nonprofit with the mission to support access to justice in Oregon by obtaining and distributing funds to provide legal services to persons of lesser means. The OLF’s primary source of revenue is the interest on lawyer trust accounts (IOLTA). The OLF works to educate banks on the importance of supportive interest rates on IOLTA accounts. The private bar also plays a crucial role in getting banks to raise interest rates. The OLF works closely with the OSB and CEJ to achieve its mission.
Campaign for Equal Justice: CEJ is a nonprofit established in 1991 to help with the mission of ensuring that equal access to justice becomes a reality for all residents of Oregon. CEJ takes a strategic approach to solving the shortage of legal services by educating lawyers and the public about the need and by working to increase resources for legal aid through grants, state and federal support, and by direct fundraising from private lawyers. CEJ works closely with the OLF and OSB to achieve its mission.
Lawyers at four nonprofits cooperate to provide legal services throughout the state with offices in Albany, Bend, Klamath Falls, Newport, Pendleton, Portland, Roseburg, Coos Bay, Grants Pass, Hillsboro, McMinnville, Ontario, Salem, St. Helens, Woodburn, Eugene, and Medford.
1971 Statewide Legal Aid Feasibility Study
1996 OSB Civil Legal Services Task Force Final Report
2003 Legal Services Task Force Report
2004 Legal Services Task Force Report
2013 Summary of Legal Aid Strategic Planning Process, Findings, and Recommendations
2014 CEJ Task Force on Legal Aid Funding Report
2010 Legal Services Program Achievements and Results
2012 Legal Services Program Achievements and Results
2015 Legal Services Program Accountability Analysis
2018 Legal Services Program Accountability Analysis
2020 Legal Services Program 2020 Accountability Update
2021 Legal Services Program Accountability Review
Legal Services Program Committee
Christine Zenthoefer
Legal Content and Community Outreach Strategist
czenthoefer@osbar.org
(503) 431-6359
Joanna Knee
Access to Justice Program Coordinator
jknee@osbar.org
(503) 431-6385
Keren Farkas
Chief Access to Justice Officer and Director of Legal Services Program
kfarkas@osbar.org
(503) 431-6323
Leland Baxter-Neal
Legal Content and Community Outreach Strategist
lbaxter-neal@osbar.org
(503) 431-6353
Sam Palmer-Simon
Assistant Director of the Legal Services Program and Immigration Legal Services Program Manager
spalmer-simon@osbar.org
(503) 431-6407
Oregon State Bar Legal Services Program
legalservicesprogram@osbar.org
PO Box 231935
Tigard, OR
97281-1935