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Welcome to the Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association!
The FBA is the bridge between the federal bench and the bar in Oregon, and strives to promote professionalism, collegiality, and inclusiveness in the federal legal community. The Oregon chapter, which has nearly 350 members, is one of the largest in the country. Our membership reflects all facets of the federal legal community, and includes judges, academics, and civil and criminal practitioners.
Join the FBA
The Oregon Chapter seeks members to help improve our chapter and assume leadership positions. Membership includes a subscription to our newsletter For the District of Oregon, which gives news of events and publishes articles of interest to federal practitioners.
We welcome your participation and involvement in the Chapter. To join, contact any officer of the Oregon Chapter or visit the Federal Bar Association National website where you can join online. You can also download an application to print and mail back.
The annual membership fee varies depending on number of years in practice and offers a discounted rate for public sector attorneys, but ranges from $60 to $150 plus a $10 chapter fee. Law students can join for $25.
Get Involved
Celebration of Life for Honorable Malcolm F. Marsh
The Oregon Chapter of the FBA joins the Oregon legal community in mourning the passing of the Honorable Malcolm F. Marsh. We extend our sincere condolences to Judge Marsh’s family and loved ones.
Members of the legal community are welcome to attend a Celebration of Life for Judge Marsh, which will be held:
Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 2:00 pm:
Lake Grove Presbyterian Church
4040 Sunset Dr.
Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035
The FBA Annual Dinner is less than four weeks away!
April 25, 2025
The FBA Annual Dinner will occur on Friday, April 25, 2025. Click the button for more information!
Click Here For More Details
FBA Oregon Chapter Statement on the Rule of Law and Independent Judiciary
The Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association is excited to welcome members of Oregon’s federal legal community to gather at the Oregon FBA Annual Dinner on April 25, 2025. The dinner marks the long-awaited return of an event designed to celebrate professionalism, collegiality, and our Chapter’s commitment to the rule of law.
While our Chapter remains neutral on individual cases, we believe it is our responsibility as professionals and as officers of the court to stand up for the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, especially when it is inappropriately targeted and undermined. We take this responsibility seriously.
The rule of law and an independent judiciary are central to our democracy. Federal courts stand as a bedrock of a free and civil society. We must ask ourselves: Do we want to live in a society where our courts cannot resolve disputes impartially and deliver justice without fear or favor? For us, the answer is a categorical "No."
Public confidence in these institutions is essential for the stability of civil society, as it ensures that every individual has access to justice, free from bias or political interference. We urge all participants in our democracy and the public sphere to accord the judiciary the dignity and respect it deserves. We reject any efforts to undermine judges for honoring their commitment to uphold the Constitution and for their work to ensure that justice is administered fairly.
(This statement solely represents the views of the Oregon Chapter of the FBA.)
Announcing 2024 James M. Burns Federal Practice Award
Congratulations to Natalie Wight, Michelle Sweet, and Judy Snyder
The Oregon FBA is honored and excited to recognize its 2024 James M. Burns Federal Practice Award recipients: Natalie Wight & Michelle Sweet (Criminal Practitioner Award); and Judy Snyder (Civil Practitioner Award).
The Burns award is given annually to the practitioners who demonstrate the highest standards of professionalism in their work in federal court in the District of Oregon, consistent with the Oregon State Bar and District of Oregon Statements of Professionalism.
The Oregon FBA Executive Board thanks all those who submitted nominations. We are extremely fortunate to have such a wealth of outstanding practitioners who practice in this district.
Our 2024 Burns Award recipients will be honored at the annual FBA Dinner on April 25.
FBA Pro Bono Scholarship Program Announcement
The Oregon chapter established the FBA Pro Bono Scholarship Program in an effort to increase the participation of recently licensed attorneys in federal pro bono service.
Through this scholarship fund, the Oregon chapter will sponsor up to five attorneys per year who are interested in providing pro bono services through the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon's Pro Bono Program. FBA membership is not required to be eligible for this scholarship.
Interested attorneys must complete the following steps to apply:
(1) Visit the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon's website and review the Pro Bono Service and Admissions pages, available at: ord.uscourts.gov/admissions, and ord.uscourts.gov/probono
(2) Print and complete the Application for General Admission form and Application to Participate in the U.S. District Court Pro Bono Program.
(3) Print and complete the FBA Pro Bono Scholarship Program Application, available here (oregonfederalbarassociation.org/resources).
(4) Submit all materials in (2) and (3) by e-mail to the FBA Oregon Chapter by October 25 to: oregonfederalbarassociation@gmail.com
Applicants will be notified whether they were selected as scholarship recipients by October 31st. Attorneys who are selected as scholarship recipients will be provided with additional instructions at that time.
Please submit any questions to: oregonfederalbarassociation@gmail.com
Voting Now: Turning Rights into Reality
A podcast series from the Oregon FBA and Oregon Historical Society
This is Voting Now: Turning Rights into Reality, a new podcast series hosted by the Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association in collaboration with the Oregon Historical Society. We talk to community leaders, activists, and scholars and students in Oregon and across the nation who have agreed to share their insight on the heroes of our past, the inequities that persist, and the movements inviting your participation.
Please be sure to join US District Court Judge Ann Aiken and Robert Reeves as a hosts in Episode 2 to be published on October 14, 2020, where they talk with Ben Hovland, Chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, about the current state of American voting infrastructure in the time of a global pandemic
Listen Now!Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association Statement on George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association | June 8, 2020
We write today to express our grief and anger over the tragic recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade. We are distraught and disturbed by the policies, practices and culture in our criminal justice system that has led to violence, harassment, and threats directed at Black lives and Black communities—especially Black Americans. The recent killings highlight a systemic and ongoing problem. No person should suffer a needless death. Drastic changes are undoubtedly needed in our approach to public safety and justice. One of the first steps is to listen to the voices of the millions who are hurting, grieving, and angry. As recently stated by former President George W. Bush: "We can only see the reality of America's need by seeing it through the eyes of the threatened, oppressed, and disenfranchised." We are here to listen.
As stewards of justice, the members of the Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (Oregon FBA) are dedicated to the Rule of Law and to equal justice for all. Despite a long series of similar tragedies, we have failed to correct the systemic problems, including the policies, procedures, and cultural norms, which have resulted in disparities in the treatment of those in our underrepresented communities—especially our Black community—by those who serve to protect us. In Mr. Floyd’s, Mr. Arbery’s, Ms. Taylor’s and Mr. McDade’s honor, we pledge to actively confront the systems, policies and procedures, and cultures that have led to unjustified police profiling and brutality.
To that end, the Oregon FBA urges our policy makers and leaders to revisit and redesign the culture of our justice system through policies and procedures that promote anti-racist responses and equal treatment and respect for all. We also support the implementation of mandatory trainings on bias and racism in our justice system and policies and procedures to hold law enforcement personnel accountable for their conduct. We support demilitarization, limits on police use of force, de-escalation strategies and policies, additional training for law enforcement, and fair police union contracts. We support the full and equal access to, and participation by, all individuals in the justice system regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or any other unique attribute. The Oregon FBA recognizes that achieving "equal justice under law" requires the Oregon FBA's continued effort and commitment. We support the lawyers, judges, and other court personnel who work in all parts of the justice system to ensure that the constitutional and human rights of all involved are respected and that equitable justice is achieved.
