“The purposes of the Active Pro Bono licensure is to facilitate and encourage the provision of pro bono legal services to low-income Oregonians and volunteer service to the bar by licensees who otherwise may choose inactive status or even resign licensure with the bar, and by legal practitioners who move to Oregon.”
Active lawyers may transfer to pro bono status by completing and submitting an online application. They may request a future effective date within 30 days of the application, but the date must be prior to January 31 to receive the reduced fee.
Active Pro Bono status is available to lawyers in good standing who agree to provide pro bono legal services to indigent clients referred by pro bono programs certified under Section 12 of the Bar’s Bylaws. Pro Bono license holders are not authorized to provide legal services except under programs specified above or in volunteer service on the State Professional Responsibility Board, the Disciplinary Board, the Board of Bar Examiners, or as bar counsel.
There is a $150 annual pro bono license fee. Those who have already paid fees for the current year are not required to pay the pro bono fee until the following year. Between December 1 and January 31, the pro bono fee must be paid to complete your status change. For those with Active status, transfer requests submitted after January 31, require full active annual fees to be paid before the request is processed.
Inactive or Retired licensees who wish to transfer to active pro bono status may do so under Bar Rule 8.14 by completing and returning the BR 8.14 Reinstatement Form. There is no reinstatement fee required to complete this transfer.
Pro Bono license holders have no MCLE, IOLTA, or PLF obligations. They should contact the Professional Liability Fund accounting department at 503.924.1771 or remind@osbplf.org to notify the PLF of the transfer and complete any required exemptions forms.
Pro Bono practitioners will continue to receive the Bar Bulletin and access to Fastcase and Bar Books.
Pro Bono practitioners must apply for reinstatement to active status before they can practice law in Oregon except under the circumstances provided above. Please see our Reinstatement FAQs for more information regarding the process and the necessary forms.
Please email regsvcs@osbar.org if you have additional questions regarding status changes.