New Member Information
Supporting Your Practice
Signing up quickly for the New Lawyer Mentoring Program will ensure that you have guidance and support as you begin your practice. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6367.
The Oregon New Lawyers Division (ONLD) encourages new lawyers to participate in bar activities and creates programs of value to new lawyers and law students. In addition, the new lawyers division promotes public awareness and access to the legal system. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6385.
The Lawyer to Lawyer Program can connect new members with experienced lawyers willing to offer informal advice at no charge. Resource lawyers are listed according to areas of expertise and geographic location. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6408.
OSB Sections provide members with opportunities to develop and improve skills alongside other attorneys who practice in the same area, from Administrative Law to Workers’ Compensation. The bar also has numerous committees, task forces and other volunteer opportunities. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6384.
New members can meet their MCLE requirements through the many CLE events sponsored by the CLE Seminars Department. Credits are available in a variety of formats live, online, audio, or video and cover a wide range of topics and practice areas. For more information, visit the CLE Seminars page online or call the OSB CLE Service Center at (503) 431-6413 or toll-free in Oregon at (800) 452-8260, ext. 413.
New lawyers with ethics questions, or seeking ethics opinions, may visit online or call the Ethics Helpline at (503) 431-6475.
OSB Legal Publications are top-rated legal resources written by and for Oregon lawyers, and are a great way to start research. The Legal Publications library contains about fifty titles that are available for purchase in print, as PDF downloads, or as part of the BarBooks™ online library. The books focus on Oregon cases, statutes, and administrative rules, and include forms, practice tips, legal tradition, caveats, queries, and much more. MS Word forms are also available for purchase on the Legal Publications bookstore. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6345.
The Membership Directory of the OSB is available as a fast online resource, available online.
The Bulletin is the bar's monthly magazine made real by members who serve as contributing writers. In addition to opinion pieces, profiles of Oregon lawyers and practice-oriented articles, the Bulletin also includes announcements, classified ads and bar news. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6436.
The Working with sections and committees of the bar, the Public Affairs program advises government officials, responds to issues affecting the justice system, proposes legislation for law improvement and advocates on the matters that affect the legal profession and the public it serves. For more information, visit online, contact pubaff@osbar.org or call (503) 431-6380.
The Oregon Attorney Assistance Program provides a wide range of free and confidential personal assistance to all Oregon lawyers. For more information, visit online or call (503) 226-1057.
The Professional Liability Fund (PLF) provides malpractice coverage, at a discount, to newly admitted lawyers in private practice. In addition, the PLF offers many free services to help you with your law practice. These services include confidential assistance setting up and improving your law office systems, a CLE specifically designed to meet new admittees’ first MCLE reporting requirements (Learning the Ropes), over 500 free forms and CLE programs, a practice management weekly blog, inPractice, and inBrief, a quarterly malpractice prevention publication. For more information about practice assistance, malpractice coverage, CLEs, or other services, visit online or call (503) 639-6911.
Protecting the Legal System
Members of the Board of Bar Examiners administer and grade the bar exam. The Board recommends admission policy and rule changes to the Oregon Supreme Court. In addition, the board recommends candidates to the Oregon Supreme Court for admission to the bar and coordinates character and fitness reviews of all applicants. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6310.
The Client Assistance Office reviews all inquiries and complaints from the public about OSB members. Inquiries and complaints are screened by the office so that only matters supported by sufficient evidence of misconduct are forwarded to Oregon State Bar Disciplinary Counsel for evaluation as grievances. The office also helps answer public questions about lawyers’ ethical obligations and assists lawyers and clients to address a client’s concerns that might avoid a complaint. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6332.
The bar aims to provide fair and efficient disposition in all disciplinary matters while protecting the public and the integrity of the legal profession. Screening of complaints and inquiries by the Client Assistance Office enables Disciplinary Counsel and the Regulatory Services department to focus resources on those matters where investigation and prosecution may be warranted. For more information, visit online or call (503) 620-0222.
The Client Security Fund reimburses clients who have suffered a loss of money or property through the dishonest conduct of lawyers. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6386.
The Fee Arbitration Program offers an inexpensive and informal mechanism to resolve fee disputes between Oregon lawyers and their clients, or between Oregon lawyers. Participation is voluntary. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6334.
Serving the Public
The Referral and Information department fields thousands of requests for lawyers each year. The Lawyer Referral Service, Modest Means, Military Assistance Panel and Problem Solvers programs are all part of the bar's legal information outreach initiative. Approximately 2,000 OSB members participate in the different referral programs. For more information, call (503) 431-6418.
The Oregon Law Foundation is an independent nonprofit that uses IOLTA interest to fund organizations in Oregon that provide legal services to people of lesser means, promote diversity in the legal profession, and educate the public about the law. Through a partnership between the OLF and banks, when lawyers use OLF Leadership Banks and Credit Unions for their IOLTA accounts, significantly more interest is generated to fund the OLF. Tips and information on opening an IOLTA is also available from the OLF website. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6323.
The Legal Service Program funds Oregon’s statewide system of free civil legal help for people with low income. Funds for the program come from state budgetary appropriations, pro hac vice fees, unclaimed lawyer trust account funds, and class action cy pres awards. The program also collaborates with other organizations to improve access to justice in Oregon through the Pro Bono Roll Call, Pro Bono Directory and other initiatives. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6323.
Our law-related public information programs provide Oregonians with the tools they need to understand laws, lawyers and the legal system. Summaries of various legal topics, videos, pamphlets and more are available on our public home page, visit online.
Electronic Tools
The bar's website features tools to assist you with the practice of law, including the Career Center, the Attorney’s Marketplace, online resources, current Rules, Regulations and Policies, downloadable forms, and voting in online elections. For more information, call (503) 431-6414.
Fastcase™ is an online legal research tool featuring Oregon case law, OSB ethics opinions, general statutes, and more. Fastcase™ is now available to every active member of the OSB and is included in annual membership fees. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6414.
Coming to an inbox near you, Bar News Online and BOG Updates are regular e-newsletters providing bar-related news and information. The Bar News features OSB election results, notice of upcoming events and important announcements.
BarBooks™ is an online library published by the Oregon State Bar Legal Publications program. With over fifty titles and updates throughout the year, it is the easiest way to access information written by Oregon lawyers about Oregon law. Over 6,000 lawyers in Oregon are using this online research tool. BarBooks is available to every active member of the OSB and is included in annual membership fees. For more information, visit online or call (503) 431-6415.