| Oregon State Bar Bulletin — JANUARY 2012 |
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2012 Law Library Values Available Online
A link to the 2012 schedule of suggested values for law libraries is now available on the bar’s home page at www.
osbar.org. This schedule has been prepared by the property tax division of the Oregon Department of Revenue. Owners of law libraries should declare the schedule values to the assessor.
Jan. 31 is Deadline Day at the
Oregon State Bar
Many different regulatory deadlines come at the beginning of a new year. Luckily, all of these deadlines are easy to remember because they all fall on the same day: Jan. 31.
Membership Fees for 2012 must be received in the bar office no later than 5 p.m. on Jan. 31 to avoid an increase in fees. Postmarks are not relevant.
Status changes for 2012 are also due Jan. 31. If you wish to change your status to or from “active” or “active pro bono,” you must meet this deadline to affect membership rates for 2012. More information on status changes can be found at www.osbar.org/fees/feeFAQ.html.
MCLE compliance reports for members whose reporting period ended Dec. 31, 2011, are due in the MCLE Office no later than 5 p.m. on Jan. 31 and may be submitted via fax or email.
IOLTA certification must be reported by Jan. 31 to remain in good standing with the bar. Information on why this is required and how to submit your certification can be found at www.osbar.org/IOLTA/faq.html.
You can find more information on which deadlines are relevant to you (as well as information on how to pay dues, file reports, etc.) on the new Member Dashboard of the bar’s website. Simply visit www.osbar.org and click on “Member Login” then enter your bar number and password to access up-to-date memberspecific information there.
Request for Comment on Proposed UTCR Changes
The Uniform Trial Court Rules committee met Oct. 14 to review proposals to amend the UTCR and to make preliminary recommendations to the chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. A description of the proposals and action taken by the committee is posted at: http://courts.oregon.gov/OJD/programs/utcr/utcrrules.page.
Proposals of special note include the following: new and amended rules addressing Oregon eCourt remote electronic access and electronic service; amended rules regarding termination of attorney client relationship, custody of biological evidence and certain family law procedures; and revised small claim forms.
The committee encourages all interested parties to submit comments on these proposals. Comments can be posted at the web address mentioned above, mailed to the UTCR Reporter at the Office of the State Court Administrator, Supreme Court Building, 1163 State St., Salem, OR 97301-2563, or emailed to utcr@ojd.state.or.us.
The committee will make final recommendations on these proposals at the next UTCR meeting on April 20, 9 a.m., Office of the State Court Administrator, Salem. Those proposals approved by the chief justice will become effective Aug. 1, 2012.
Help Make the Case for Access
to Justice
Oregon lawyers do their fair share — and more — to promote access to justice for all, but without statistics showing what lawyers already do, advocacy efforts in the community and legislature are often met with the question “why don’t the lawyers just take care of it?” The misperception that lawyers can solve the problem of access to justice all by themselves hurts efforts to secure adequate funding for legal services.
You can help make the case for access to justice by reporting your pro bono hours this year. Having concrete information that shows how much pro bono work Oregon lawyers already are doing increases the chances for stable funding for legal services. The data collected through pro bono reporting shows the number of attorneys performing pro bono service during a given time period, the number of hours served and details about financial contributions made to pro bono and legal services programs. This information facilitates recognition of contributing attorneys, enhancing the public image of the legal profession and improving the coordination of statewide pro bono delivery efforts. Please help make the case for Oregon lawyers by reporting your hours for 2011 at www.osbar.org/probono/reporting.html.
2012 OSB and ABA Houses of
Delegates Have Openings
Candidates are currently sought for the OSB and ABA Houses of Delegates elections. There are two open seats for the ABA House of Delegates and several openings in all regions for the OSB House of Delegates. The ABAs terms are for two years and the OSBs terms are for three years.
The deadline for filing a candidate statement is March 16, 2012. For more information and to print a copy of the candidates statement go to www.osbar.org and select House of Delegates, or contact Danielle Edwards, dedwards@osbar.org, (503) 620-0222 or (800) 452-8260, ext. 426.
Join a Federal Pro Bono
Attorney Pool
The OSB Federal Practice and Procedure Committee invites all active members to join the current pool of 94 attorneys statewide who perform pro bono work for the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. Their clients include low-income Oregonians, civic and charitable public organizations and other pro se litigants who may benefit from professional and competent legal representation.
If you would like more information about this program, please refer to http://ord.uscourts.gov/en/attorneys/pro-bono-service-opportunities. To apply, contact Nikole Munoz, pro bono panel administrator for the U.S. District Court, District of Oregon, at (503) 326-8014.
LRAP Applications for 2012
Due April 15
The OSB Loan Repayment Assistance Program uses forgivable loans to help lawyers working in public service pay their student debt. Lawyers who have benefitted from the program include public defenders, district attorneys and attorneys working for civil legal services providers. The program offers loans in any amount up to $5,000. Selected participants will receive the forgivable loans for three years, as long as they stay in qualifying employment.
For more information visit www. osbar.org/lrap or contact LRAP coordinator Catherine Petrecca at cpetrecca@osbar.org or at (503) 431-6355.