Oregon State Bar - Lawyer Referral Service

To contact the Lawyer Referral Service in Oregon, call between the normal office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday. You can also visit the website for the State Bar of Oregon to find the Online Referral Request Form.

Each year, the Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) in Oregon refers thousands of potential clients to the lawyers who participate in the program. The Lawyer Referral Service has been in operation since 1971.

The non-profit program provides referrals throughout the state in every major practice area. To ensure an equitable distribution of referrals among similarly situated panelists, referrals are made in rotation.

The attorneys who participate in the program provide LRS-referred clients with an initial half-hour consultation for no more than $35.

To be eligible to apply for participation in the Lawyer Referal Service (LRS) managed by the Oregon Bar, the lawyer must:

• Return the 2020-21 Lawyer Referral Service Registration Form;
• Be an active member of the Oregon State Bar in good standing;
• Have no formal disciplinary, protective, or custodianship proceedings pending.
• Have malpractice coverage with the Professional Liability Fund (PLF); and
• Be in private practice;

Attorneys who focus on certain practice areas of the law can apply to one or more Subject Matter Panels on the following topics: 

• Interstate/Independent Adoption
• Deportation
• Felony Defense 
• Criminal Law - PDSC Qualified 
• Criminal Law - Not PDSC Qualified
• Employment Law
• Immigration
• Department of Labor (DOL)- referred FMLA and FLSA

For the attorney, the Annual registration fees are $50 for those admitted in Oregon for less than 3 years and $100 for those admitted in Oregon for 3 years or more.

In addition to annual registration fees, the attorney must pay a 12% remittance fee on each LRS-referred matter in which the panelist earns and collects attorneys’ fees. The $35 initial consultation fee, if charged, is not subject to any remittance.

The attorney must agree to use the Oregon State Bar Fee Arbitration Program for any fee disputes with LRS-referred clients.

The Territory and Territory Composition for the Lawyer Referral Service in Oregon is listed as follows: 

• Downtown, SW and NW Portland - Downtown Portland, SW Portland, NW Portland
• NE and North Portland - North Portland, NE Portland
• SE Portland - SE Portland
• East Multnomah, Hood River and Wasco Counties - Bridal Veil, Corbett, Fairview, Gresham, Troutdale, Wood Village, Gresham, Hood River County, Wasco County
• South Washington County - Beaverton, Aloha, Tigard, Tualatin, King City, Durham
• North Washington and Yamhill Counties - Banks, Buxton, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Glenwood, Gales Creek, Gaston, Hillsboro, Manning, North Plains, Sherwood, Timber, Amity, Carlton, Dayton, Dundee, Lafayette, McMinnville, Newberg, Yamhill, Sheridan, Willamina
• North Clackamas County - Boring, Brightwood, Government Camp, Timberline Lodge, Rhododendron, Sandy, Welches, Zigzag, Happy Valley, Damascus, Milwaukie, Johnson City, Eagle Creek, Colton, Estacada, Clackamas
• West and South Clackamas - County Lake Oswego, Lake Grove, Rivergrove, Marylhurst, West Linn, Wilsonville, Beavercreek, Barlow, Canby, Gladstone, Molalla, Mulino, Oregon City
• North Coast & Columbia Counties - Clatsop County, Lincoln County, Tillamook County, Columbia County
• Marion - Polk Counties - Marion County, Polk County
• Linn - Benton Counties - Linn County, Benton County
• Lane County - Lane County
• South Coast and Douglas Counties - Coos County, Curry County, Douglas County
• Southern Oregon Counties - Jackson County, Josephine County, Klamath County, Lake County
• Central Oregon Counties - Crook County, Deschutes County, Grant County, Harney County, Jefferson County, Wheeler County
• Eastern Oregon Counties - Baker County, Gilliam County, Malheur County, Morrow County, Umatilla County, Sherman County, Union County, Wallowa County