The Oregon State Bar is a government agency in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulates the legal profession. The public corporation is part of the Oregon Judicial Department. Lawyers are required to join the OSB in order to practice law in Oregon.HistoryIn 1890, lawyers in Oregon established the Oregon State Bar Association. The group began using national standards pertaining to education and entrance examinations for admittance in 1922, and in 1941 began requiring a law degree. In 1935, the Oregon Legislative Assembly created the Oregon State Bar as a public corporation to regulate, license, discipline, and support those practicing law.In 1972, the organization joined a multi-state examination and started twice-yearly tests for admittance in 1976. Oregon signed agreements with neighboring Idaho and Washington to allow lawyers who passed the bar exam in any of the states to join the bar associations of any of the three states without taking an additional examination.DetailsOregon has an "integrated bar": all attorneys in Oregon are required to join the Oregon State Bar if they desire to practice law in Oregon. Membership fees and program fees from the 16,000 active members fund the entire $8.3 million budget of the agency. OSB has approximately 80 employees and is overseen by a Board of Governors. This 16 person board group along with the 20-member House of Delegates and the Oregon Supreme Court provide governance for the agency’s activities.OSB also administers a board on attorney discipline and the Board of Bar Examiners. Additionally, the bar makes recommendations for filing mid-term judicial vacancies in the courts of the Oregon Judicial Department. These recommendations are given to the Governor of Oregon who makes the final appointment decision.
