The Oregon State Bar was formed in 1935 by the Oregon State Legislature. It was established to license, regulate and discipline its members as well as to provide a number of important services to its members and the public at large. The State Bar is a public corporation (employs over 80 staff members and a $8.3 million annual budget) entirely from membership dues and fees.

       Membership to the bar is a requirement for those that want to practice law in Oregon.

Location and Contact Information

       The State Bar is located at 16037 SW Upper Boones Ferry Rd Tigard, OR 97224. The main telephone number is (503) 620-0222 and Fax: (503) 684-1366. The main e-mail is info@osbar.org.

Membership

       The Bar has over 12,500 active members, with over 1900 of those active members working in other states and over 6500 members in private practice. It is not known how many attorneys practice bankruptcy in Oregon.

       For members, the Oregon State Bar has available a number of services and resources. They include seminars in the different field of law, a career center, judicial vacancies, resources for online legal research and a voluntary fee arbitration program.

Public Resources

       An important source that the State Bar has made available to the public, is whether the attorney that is presently handling your bankruptcy case or is planning to handle your case is an active member of the Oregon state Bar and if he/she has any disciplinary actions on their record.

       Go to the Online Membership Directory and type in the attorneys last name and if necessary the first name. This will allow you to know whether the attorney is an active member of the Oregon State Bar and/or has any disciplinary actions taken against him or her.

Bankruptcy Information

       The State bar also has a section that is titled "Bankruptcy, Debit and Credit". Within this section is a list of helpful web sites and articles pertaining to your Oregon Bankruptcy.

       In conclusion, the web site of the Oregon State Bar is considered way above standard, as compared to other state bar web sites in other states. The web site is informative, well designed and easy to use, a plus for those looking for correct information fast.

Written by Jack Garchar