MBA Membership - Volunteer Opportunities

Get Involved with an MBA or YLS Committee - WIIFM!

What better way to get acquainted with your colleagues than to join a committee. What's in it for me - WIIFM?

Volunteering Rewards

Personal fulfillment, making dreams realities, meeting new people and expanding personal perspectives are just a few of the reasons members cite for serving on committees.

And, there is power in numbers. The more MBA members involved, the more the profession and the MBA are perceived to have clout. Those who are perceived to have clout, do!

When you join a committee, you become part of a team of colleagues. As you contribute your own particular strengths to the work of the committee, you also learn from other committee members.

Committee Information

Committee assignments, made mid-year, are for three-year terms. Committees meet September - May. To sign up, please complete this form and send it via fax or mail to the MBA office.

The MBA has seven standing committees and the YLS five. Most of the MBA and YLS work is done through its committees and depends on hundreds of attorney volunteers. In addition to committees, members are encouraged to volunteer time to pro bono projects. Check out the Pro Bono Opportunities in Oregon handbook to find out about the wide variety of pro bono opportunities available in the Portland area and around the state.

MBA Committees

Continuing Legal Education (CLE)

Plans, conducts, and evaluates 24 to 26 CLE Seminars a year. Classes are developed for attorneys in practice 10 years or longer and topics reflect various areas of practice.

Court Liaison

Serves as the MBA's interface with the court; fosters dialogue between the MBA membership, the judiciary and the court administrator, and provides constructive feedback to the judiciary.

Equality

Promotes equality in the profession and justice system and identifies ways in which the MBA can promote diversity in the practice of law.

Group Health Insurance

Monitors quality, low-cost health insurance options for MBA members; negotiates renewal rates with insurance carriers; and explores additional services to be added to the program.

Judicial Screening

Screens judicial appointment candidates and makes recommendations to the Presiding Judge, Chief Justice and the Governor, in accordance with the MBA's process.

Professionalism

Creates and conducts programs that promote professionalism in the practice of law and assists with the nomination and selection process for the professionalism award.

Golf

Plans, publicizes and conducts several social golf tournaments between April and September, including the MBA Members Championship Tournament benefiting the Volunteer Lawyer Project at Legal Aid Services of Oregon.

YLS Committees

Professional Development and Education

Plans and sponsors all CLE seminars presented by the YLS and assists young lawyers in developing their careers. The non-CLE topics include contract lawyering, client development, financial planning, and setting up a practice. These seminars address the needs of attorneys in practice less than five years. The committee sponsors many peer-to-peer networking groups to facilitate an informal exchange of information and advice between attorneys.

Pro Bono

Encourages lawyers to donate their time and legal skills to the poor; publishes Youth Faces the Law: A Juvenile Right Handbook, Domestic Violence: A Guide to Your Rights, and Pro Bono Volunteer Opportunities: A Guide for Multnomah County Lawyers; coordinates volunteers for at-risk youth programs; and sponsors a non-profit project pairing volunteer attorneys with non-profit organizations.

Service to the Public

Informs, educates and serves the general public with efforts such as Community Law Week, the Dropout Prevention Program and the Imprint Program. The committee also trains and coordinates volunteer attorneys who act as judges in Multnomah County Animal Services hearings.

Membership

Encourages members to participate in the YLS with activities and services designed to increase the personal and professional interaction of YLS members, including drop-in socials, a meet-the-judges social, a New Admittee Social in the fall and a winter social for third year law students. The committee also publishes the New Admittee Survival Guide.