OSB List Serve FAQs and Guidelines

If you have a question that is not answered here, please email memberservices@osbar.org or call 503-620-0222.

If you are a student or non-member of the Oregon State Bar you will not have access to the member login area. To make changes to your list serve settings please contact the Member Services Department at memberservices@osbar.org or call 503-620-0222.

General List Serve Questions

How can I tell if my section has a list serve?

To check if a section you are a member of has a list serve, first access the member login page, then select List Serve Preferences under the Manage Your Profile tab. This page lists all list serves you can access. If a section you are a member of doesn’t appear on the list then the section doesn’t have a list serve.

Why was I added to this list?
All group or section members are added to list serves automatically. To unsubscribe, change your email address, or modify your list serve settings, access the member login page, then select List Serve Preferences under the Manage Your Profile tab.

Who receives list serve messages?
If you post a message to the list serve you are sending that post to all of the members on the list. If you wish to comment to a list serve post you can respond to the sender only using the 'Reply' button. To post your response to the entire list you must use the 'Reply All' button.

Please use caution when discussing cases. List serve messages are not casual conversation, and may be viewed by opposing counsel or judges if they are list members or otherwise request access. Pressing delete does not mean that the data has been permanently deleted. Posts to the list are also subject to disclosure under the Oregon Public Record Law, ORS Chapter 192 et seq.

How do I change or update the email account I use on the list serve?
To unsubscribe, change your email address, or modify your list serve settings, access the member login page, then select List Serve Preferences under the Manage Your Profile tab. Next select the list you would like to make changes to and select "edit" on the bottom right. Make any of the changes you'd like and be sure to click "save" next to the pencil on the bottom right. A pop up window will let you know your changes were successfully changed.

Note that if you change your primary email address with the OSB your list serve email address will also automatically change to the new email address associated with your bar record unless you have designated an alternate address.

How do I find previous list serve posts?
The Oregon State Bar does not keep an archive of list serve posts. We encourage those who want to have an archive to start their own. Below are instructions for various commonly used email types.

Gmail: Gmail uses a "Label" system instead of folders to filter email. To begin, open an email you would like to have filtered and click on the little icon at the top that looks like a pencil. This will allow you label the email either by selecting a label you have already made or by creating a new label. For example, if you would like all of your Estate Planning List Serve emails filtered into a folder labeled "list serve" you should choose or create a label called "list serve." Next, click on the gear-shaped icon located on the top-right of your email (the word "Settings" should appear if you hover your cursor over it). Choose "Settings" from the pull-down menu, then click on the "Filters" tab at the top. Click "Create a New Filter" and type the list serve's name into the "Subject" field. In our example, you would need to type [estate] into the "Subject" field. Click "Create Filter With This Search" and check the box next to "Skip the Inbox" and the one next to "Apply the Label..." then choose the correct label from the pull-down menu.

Outlook: In Outlook go to "Tools" and then select "Rules and Alerts." Next, select "New Rule...". In Step 1 select "Move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder." In Step 2 change the underlined words to the list name (ex: [buslaw] or [consu]). Select the folder to which you wish to have the messages automatically moved.

Posting Messages

How do I post a message to a list serve?

To post a message you need to send an email addressed to the list serve. The end of each list serve address is @forums.osbar.org. You must put the list name before the @ symbol. For example, Business Law is buslaw@forums.osbar.org, House of Delegates is hod@forums.osbar.org. The list name appears in brackets at the beginning of the subject line of each list serve post.

Visit the Manage Your Profile tab on your dashboard and use the List Serve Preference link to view a list of list serves you can access. You must be a group member to participate in any bar list serve.

How do I respond to a posted message if I receive the digest format?
If you receive list messages via digest format and want to post a response please don’t respond to the digest email. Instead, copy and paste the question or email you want to respond to in a blank email then type your response above the original question. Use the original poster’s subject line.

Can I send attachments?
No, the OSB lists block attachments for security reasons. As an alternative, you may want to copy and paste the text of the attachment into the body of the email or post your attachment on a website and then send a link to the material.

Was my message distributed to the other list serve participants?
If you received a copy of your email then your message was successfully posted to the list.

Problems with List Serve Messages

Why am I not receiving list serve messages?

There are four common reasons for not receiving messages:

It is between midnight and 5:00 a.m. during the bar's nightly system update. Messages sent to the list serve during this time will be delivered when the system is finished updating.

Your section membership may have expired. Section membership runs on a calendar year. You can verify your current memberships by accessing the member login and clicking on Member Dashboard, then 5 Year Member History, then Sections. To join a section go to https://ebiz.osbar.org/ebusiness/ProductCatalog/Sections.aspx.

Your email address on file with the bar is incorrect. To verify the email address on file, access the member login, under the top left Manage Your Profile tab, select Change Your Preferences under the List Serve header. Next, select the list you are not receiving messages from and click “edit” on the bottom right. If changes are necessary be sure to click “save” next to the pencil on the bottom right before exiting the page. A pop up window will let you know your changes were successfully saved.

Your spam filter may be catching list serve posts. Check your spam filter or contact your email provider to white list the domain: forums.osbar.org.

If you continue to experience difficulty, contact us at memberservices@osbar.org, or 503-620-0222.

Why are symbols and/or strange characters appearing in my posts?
This is the result of coding differences between the sender's and recipient's software. Most often you will see some form of question mark in place of an apostrophe or other symbol/mark. Sending your list serve posts in plain text email format should eliminate this problem.

Why am I unable to send a list serve message?
There are three common reasons you may not be able to post:

You are no longer an active member of the list. OSB list serves are closed which means you must be a member of the group or section that sponsors the list in order to participate. To verify the list serves you have access to, go to the member login, under the top left Manage Your Profile tab, select Change Your Preferences under the List Serve header. The list serves you are a member of will appear in a separate pop up page.

You are using an email address that does not match your list serve registration. You can only post to the list from the email account registered for that particular list. To verify or change your list serve email address, access the member login, under the top left Manage Your Profile tab, select Change Your Preferences under the List Serve header. Next, select the list you are trying to post a message to and click “edit” on the bottom right. If changes are necessary be sure to click “save” next to the pencil on the bottom right before exiting the page. A pop up window will let you know your changes were successfully saved.

Your message has an attachment. You need to delete all attachments, which may include your signature line, logos, and other images. After doing so, try sending your message again.

If you continue to experience difficulty, contact us at memberservices@osbar.org, or 503-620-0222.

Making Changes to Your List Serve(s)

How do I unsubscribe from a list serve?

To unsubscribe, change your email address, or modify your list serve settings, access the member login page, then select List Serve Preferences under the Manage Your Profile tab.

Am I required to use the same email account for all of the OSB list serves I participate on?
No, you can use different email accounts for different lists, but keep in mind you can only post from the email account registered for a particular list.

How do I change to digest format?
To modify your list serve message format, access the member login, under the top left Manage Your Profile tab, select Change Your Preferences under the List Serve header.Next, select the list you are trying to modify and click “edit” on the bottom right. Be sure to click “save” next to the pencil on the bottom right before exiting the page after you have made the necessary change. A pop up window will let you know your changes were successfully saved.

Digest format is a plain text email sent once a day with all of the messages posted the prior day. For frequently used lists this is a nice alternative to receiving every message as posted throughout the day.

Considerations

Get permission to forward a message. Always ask the original sender before forwarding a message from a list serve to someone who is not a member of the list.

Only send messages such as "thanks for the information" or "me too" to individual posters -- not to the entire list. Do this by hitting Reply instead of Reply to All.

When you will be out of the office for an extended period of time, consider changing your list serve setting to digest mode so that other posters do not receive your out-of-office response.

Include a subject line related to the topic of your post; if you reply to a message received in digest mode, edit the subject line of your response.

Avoid re-sending the entire message to which you are replying -- just use the relevant parts. Do not re-send a digest back to the list serve.

Use a signature tag that includes your name, affiliation, location, and email address. Please strive to be courteous and professional.

Guidelines

List serves are a limited public forum provided to allow discussion among OSB members of issues germane to the law, lawyers, the practice of law, the courts and judicial system, legal education or the Oregon State Bar.

Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner, or otherwise has the right to post such material.

Do not post any information that violates federal or state laws, including laws prohibiting discrimination in employment.

In the event that any posting is brought to the OSB's attention, and the OSB will take all appropriate action and reserve the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these guidelines. All such decisions shall be made without reference to the viewpoint or content of the posting so long as the content is germane to the law, lawyers, the practice of law, the courts and judicial system, legal education or the Oregon State Bar.

DISCLAIMER

All OSB list serves are provided as a service to members. The messages and opinions expressed on the list serves are those of the authors and are not the opinions of the OSB, OSB employees, or the OSB Board of Governors. OSB list serves are not moderated by the OSB or its staff. The OSB and its Sections are not responsible for the opinions or accuracy of information distributed through the lists.

Any content attributed to the Oregon State Bar or the Board of Governors will be labelled to indicate its source or attribution. Any content attributed to the Oregon State Bar or the Board of Governors must be approved by the bar’s CEO or the CEO’s designee.

The OSB makes no warranties regarding the accuracy or correctness of the information provided on the list serves and accepts no liability for damages of any kind resulting from reliance on the information provided on this service. By posting, the posting member warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the posting member grants the OSB and members of the list the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information posted. Posts to the list are subject to disclosure under the Oregon Public Record Law, ORS Chapter 192 et seq.