The mission of the Oregon State Bar is to serve the public interest by increasing access to justice, improving the quality of legal services, and promoting respect for the rule of law. Through training and educational programs, the State Bar of Oregon supports attorneys and the judiciary.
Established in 1935 by the Oregon Legislative Assembly, the Oregon State Bar (OSB) provides a variety of services to bar members and the public. regulates the practice of law, and licenses and disciplines lawyers.
As a public corporation, the Oregon State Bar (OSB) is an instrumentality of the Oregon Judicial Department. The OSB is funded by membership and program fees. With more than 15,000 active members of the Oregon State Bar (OSB), approximately 2,500 reside in a state other than Oregon. The OSB has an annual operating budget of $15 million.
The Oregon State Bar (OSB) is governed by an 18 member volunteer Board of Governors that oversees the activities of the OSB.
The OSB House of Delegates serves as the representative assembly of the membership which votes on proposed changes to rules, membership fees, and other matters.
The Oregon State Bar created several different programs to assist the public when they begin their search for an attorney. Those programs include the Lawyer Referral Service, Modest Means Program, Military Assistance Panel, and Problem Solvers.
The Oregon State Bar's Lawyer Referral Service ("LRS") helps individuals and businesses find a qualified attorney. When you call the LRS, a trained staff person will take down your information and figure out what type of attorney you might need.
The service will then select a qualified attorney in the appropriate practice area and geographical location on a rotating basis. The attorney has agreed to provide an initial 30 minute consultation for $35. During the consultation, the attorney and potential client can discuss the legal problem and decide whether additional services are needed.
Read more about the Lawyer Referral Service managed by the Oregon State Bar.
The Oregon State Bar (OSB) Sections give attorneys the opportunity to gain more specialized information about a specialty practice area of the law. The sections give attorneys a chance to influence changes in the legislature and community. Members of the section enjoy meetings, Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs, and access to publications. Attorneys take on leadership roles by joining the executive committee through an election at the annual meeting. The activities of the Executive Committee are administered under the general oversight of the OSB Board of Governors. The sections of the Oregon State Bar include:
This video by the Oregon State Bar on the New Lawyer Mentoring program was published on May 13, 2011. Learn more about the mandatory mentoring program launched by the OSB to guide new lawyers through the challenging transition from student to practitioner.
At Lawyer Legion, we created this directory of Oregon Attorneys. Start by selecting a county below.