Oregon Legal Resources & Information

You can find a licensed Oregon attorney through the Oregon State Bar Lawyer Referral Service at osbar.org, local county bar associations, Justia's lawyer directory, or by searching for attorneys specializing in your legal area. The OSB also provides a list of certified specialists in specific practice areas.

To become a lawyer in Oregon, you must: (1) graduate from an ABA-accredited law school, (2) pass the Oregon bar examination (offered twice yearly), (3) demonstrate moral character and fitness to practice law, and (4) meet continuing legal education requirements. Oregon residency is not required for admission.

Yes. Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) and Oregon Law Center (OLC) provide free legal assistance to low-income Oregonians. Both organizations serve all 36 counties through regional offices. The Oregon State Bar also maintains a Pro Bono Program. Visit oregonlawhelp.org to connect with available services.

Oregon has two ABA-accredited law schools: the University of Oregon School of Law in Eugene (founded 1884) and Willamette University College of Law in Salem (founded 1883). Both offer Juris Doctor (JD) degrees and additional graduate law programs.

Oregon created the Licensed Paralegal (LP) program in 2023 to help meet civil legal needs. Licensed Paralegals perform limited-scope legal work in housing and family law under Oregon State Bar regulation. They must meet education and experience requirements and pass the paralegal entry exam, similar to the process for attorneys.

Oregon's state court system consists of: the Oregon Supreme Court (7 justices, highest court), Oregon Court of Appeals (13 judges, appellate level), Oregon Circuit Courts (137+ judges in 27 districts, trial level), and Oregon Tax Court (specialized tax jurisdiction). Federal courts include the U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Oregon residents can access free legal research resources through the State of Oregon Law Library (including FastCase), Oregon Legislative Information Search, and Oregon Legal Research websites. Attorneys can access the OSB BarBooks database. Law schools provide access to commercial databases like Westlaw and LexisNexis.

Oregon offers multiple ADR options including mediation, arbitration, conciliation, and settlement conferences. These are governed by Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 36 and are available through courts, private mediators, and organizations. The U.S. District Court for Oregon also provides ADR programs. The Oregon State Bar ADR Section promotes conflict resolution.

New attorneys admitted to the Oregon State Bar must complete 15 credit hours of continuing legal education (CLE) including 9 practical skills, 2 ethics, 1 mental health/substance use, and a 3-credit access to justice course. After initial admission, attorneys must complete 45 credits over a 3-year reporting period.

Visit the Oregon Judicial Department website at courts.oregon.gov for information about all state courts, judges, filing procedures, and court programs. Federal court information is available at ord.uscourts.gov for district court and orb.uscourts.gov for bankruptcy court. County court clerk offices also provide local court information.