Last year the Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) referred over 50,000 potential clients to member lawyers. In operation since 1971, LRS is a non-profit program that provides referrals statewide in every major area of law. Panelists agree to provide LRS-referred clients with an initial half-hour consultation for no more than $35. Registration forms can be found at http://www.osbar.org/forms#lrs.
The Modest Means Program is a reduced-fee referral panel designed to make Landlord-Tenant, Foreclosure, Family Law, and Criminal Defense legal services accessible to lower-income people who are ineligible to receive such help through legal aid. Attorneys who accept Modest Means referrals agree to charge no more than $35 for an initial half-hour consultation, and no more than $60, $80 or $100 per hour (depending upon the applicant's income and assets) for any additional services. These cases are exempt from any remittance to the OSB, and the lawyer retains the full fee. The registration form can be found at http://www.osbar.org/forms#lrs.
Thanks to a partnership with Oregon Housing and Community Services, Modest Means cases involving eviction defense include a $100 per hour subsidy, in addition to the sliding scale fee. The makes the fee $160, $180 or $200 per hour, for up to seven hours of work. As with all Modest Means Program cases, these referrals are exempt from any remittance to the bar. To further support this effort, the bar is offering a free CLE on eviction defense. Further guidance on FEDs can also be found through a search of your BarBooks account. To participate in this new subsidized program, see the detailed description and enrollment form found here. Once enrolled, we will also provide you with a sample fee agreement, which you can use for the subsidized cases if you so choose.
The Military Assistance Panel provides legal assistance to deployed military personnel and their families in Oregon. Lawyers volunteer to give at least one hour of advice and counseling to a client free of charge. Panelists help clients with the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and general legal issues such as Family Law, Consumer/Credit Law, Real Property/Landlord-Tenant Law and Estate Planning. Free CLE training on the SCRA is available to volunteer attorneys. The registration form can be found at http://www.osbar.org/forms#lrs.
This legal advice program features lawyers who volunteer to help younger Oregonians (ages 13-17) with their legal questions. Lawyers agree to provide a free 30-minute consultation, usually concerning family law issues, emancipation and other areas of law pertinent to teens and young adults. The registration form can be found at http://www.osbar.org/forms#lrs.
The Lawyer to Lawyer program connects lawyers working in unfamiliar practice areas with experienced lawyers willing to offer informal advice, over the phone, at no charge. And, if you want more time and are willing to pay for lunch, the Take Me To Lunch program allows for a longer conversation with the resource lawyer. Resource lawyers with experience to share are listed according to areas of expertise and geographic location (see registration form found at http://www.osbar.org/forms#lrs). Simply contact Referral & Information Services staff to request Lawyer to Lawyer and/or Take Me To Lunch resource attorney referrals. To register as a resource lawyer, please fill out the registration form and return it to RIS.