Attention Oregon Attorneys: Potential change for well-being in law programs at the Oregon State Bar

In Oregon (like many states), the State Bar has Committees, which are appointed by the bar’s Board of Governors (BOG). It also has Sections which attorneys pay around $20-30/year to join and be involved in a community focused on a particular facet of law. The members of the Section vote on the Section’s leadership. (I’m currently Chair of the Indian Law Section.) 

The Quality of Life Committee spent time this year considering whether creating a Well-Being Section might be a better way to bring more attorneys to the ongoing work of creating and maintaining well-being in the profession. 

The Committee concluded that a Well-Being Section, working in close conjunction with the OAAP and the BOG, could do more to advance attorney well-being than the Committee could do on its own. Because of this, the Committee is recommending that the BOG sunset the Committee, while simultaneously creating a Well-Being Section, initially led by the current members of the QoL Committee. [Full disclosure: I voiced my opposition for this change — in part, because of the new costs. I was absent from the vote.]

In order to create any section, at least 200 legal practitioners must sign a petition expressing interest in the section.

What are the benefits of signing up for the new section?

• Join a strong network of legal professionals who value well-being.
• Access well-being mentors and speakers.
• Have your voice and perspective heard on programming and the direction of section resources.
• Receive discounts on registration fees for all section events.
• Advocate for cultural changes necessary to foster well-being and longevity in the legal profession.

If you are an attorney in Oregon who interested in joining the new section once it is created, I invite you to sign the petition here.