Diversity and Inclusion

The Real Estate and Land Use Section is committed to the Oregon State Bar’s mission of “serving and valuing its diverse community, to advancing equality in the justice system, and to removing barriers to that system.” We encourage RELU members to join legal affinity sections and bars. These include:

The Oregon Muslim Bar Association is a representative body of lawyers, legal professionals, and aspiring attorneys committed to creating a robust Muslim presence in Oregon’s legal arena. Our mission is manifold—to network, mentor, support, and educate each other and the greater community, so as to further the interests of all Muslims in our state and in our country.

Guided by the Islamic principles of mercy and justice, we invite practicing and aspiring legal professionals from all backgrounds, regions, and belief systems, to unite in advocating for those principles.

Northwest Indian Bar Association (NIBA)

The Northwest Indian Bar Association is a non-profit organization of attorneys, judges and Indian law practitioners in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington. NIBA aspires to improve the legal and political landscape for Pacific Northwest Indian communities. NIBA’s purposes and goals are:

To represent and foster the education and welfare of Native American attorneys, paralegals and tribal court personnel across the Pacific Northwest;
To provide role models and mentors in the legal profession for Indian people, particularly Native American youth and law students; and
To encourage and promote pro bono legal work and civic involvement that benefits Indian people on reservations and in urban areas throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association (OAPABA)

OAPABA’s Mission Statement:
Advancement: To promote the professional development and advancement of APA attorneys through education, research and programs.
Advocacy: To act as a vehicle and forum for expressing opinions on matters of concern to APA attorneys and our communities.
Communication: To encourage and foster communication among APA attorneys on issues affecting our work, communities and government.

Oregon Chinese Lawyers Association (OCLA)

The OCLA is a directory of Chinese-speaking lawyers in Oregon. The Oregon Chinese Lawyers Association helps identify lawyers in Oregon who speak Chinese, to better provide legal services to Oregon’s Chinese-speaking community. Lawyers who speak Chinese are relatively uncommon in Oregon. The OCLA was formed to identify Chinese-speaking lawyers in the state, to help connect Chinese-speaking lawyers in different practice areas with the Chinese-speaking clients who need their services. If you are a lawyer who speaks Chinese, OCLA would love to hear from you. Membership in OCLA is free.

Oregon Chapter of National Bar Association (OC-NBA)

The OC-NBA is Oregon’s bar association for Black attorneys. The objectives of the OC-NBA are to:

Advance the Rule of Law to ensure access to justice;
Uphold the honor and integrity of the legal profession;
Preserve the independence of the judiciary;
Promote professional and social engagement opportunities among Black lawyers, law students, members of the Bar, and the Oregon community; and
Protect civil and political rights and seek to improve the social and economic condition of Black people and their allies.

Oregon Filipino American Lawyers Association (OFALA)

OFALA is the Oregon Filipino American Lawyers Association, formed to serve the Filipino American legal community in Oregon. They are a professional association of Filipino American judges, lawyers, law students and legal professionals, and supporters. They work together to share and validate their experiences as Filipino American legal professionals, increase the visibility of Filipino American legal professionals and their accomplishments, promote equality and multiculturalism by increasing diversity within the Oregon State Bar and within the broader legal system, empower Oregon’s Filipino American community by increasing its access to the legal system, cultivate relationships between the Oregon Filipino American Lawyers Association and other Filipino American organizations, and, last but not least, celebrate Filipino American culture and heritage. OFALA is an affiliate of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

OGALLA: The LGBT Bar Association of Oregon (OGALLA)

OGALLA, the LGBT Bar Association of Oregon, is an association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lawyers, judges, legal workers, law students, and others who support the association’s purposes. Founded in January of 1991, OGALLA was created as a statewide organization to support the needs of sexual minorities and gender non-conforming people in the legal profession. OGALLA has nearly 150 members, and is associated with the National LGBT Bar, an affiliate of the American Bar Association.

Oregon Hispanic Bar Association (OHBA)

The Oregon Hispanic Bar Association was founded in 2002 to improve the conditions for lawyers of Hispanic and Latin heritage in Oregon. One of the oldest affinity bars, OHBA encourages Latinx individuals to become attorneys; collaborates with other organizations to retain Latinx legal professionals; raises awareness of Latinx legal issues; supports Latinx law students and legal professionals; and celebrates the achievement of Latinx legal professionals.

The OHBA has a rich history of creating and supporting programs and scholarships to achieve its mission, including an annual $1,000 scholarship to support Oregon Latinx high school students interested in pursuing legal careers; three scholarships to Latinx students from Oregon’s law schools to attend the Hispanic National Bar Association Annual Convention and to compete in the HNBA’s national moot court competition; the Evening With series designed to profile Latinx leaders; and its Annual Awards Dinner. OHBA also hosts numerous continuing legal education panels and networking events designed to highlight prominent Latinx attorneys and others in the legal profession.

Oregon Minority Lawyers Association (OMLA)

Founded in 1991, OMLA sponsors numerous activities and programs each year, including:

Networking and Social events in Portland, Salem, Eugene and Bend.
Fundraising for their Bar Exam Preparation Scholarship.
Scholarship Administration for the Angel Lopez Scholarship, Business Law Section Scholarship and Litigation Section Scholarships.
Quarterly Luncheons on issues of interest to their membership. Past speakers have included the Governor of Oregon, Supreme Court Justices, and many prominent minority attorneys.
Participation in statewide committees and task forces including the Oregon Supreme Court Task force on Racial and Ethnic issues in the Judicial System and the OSB Diversity section.
Amicus Curiae briefs filed on issues such as Interpreters in the Courtroom and same sex marriages.
Sponsorship of Legal Education Programs including the Oregon State Bar Diversity & Inclusion Department’s Opportunities for Law in Oregon, Oregon Hate Crimes Conference (2000), Convocation on Equality (2001), Attorney Recruitment and Retention (2001), ABA National Conference of the Minority Lawyer (2003-2005).
A monthly electronic newsletter with a distribution of over 700 attorneys. The e-newsletter contains information about upcoming OMLA sponsored events, events of interest to the community, as well as job opportunities and announcements.

Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLs)

The mission of Oregon Women Lawyers is to transform the practice of law and ensure justice and equality by advancing women and minorities in the legal profession.

The principal purposes of Oregon Women Lawyers are:

To promote equal rights and opportunities for women and minorities within the legal profession and the justice system
To promote full participation of women and minorities in the organized bar and in the legislative and judicial branches of government.
To provide opportunities for women and minorities in the legal profession to support and educate one another
To improve the quality and image of the legal profession in Oregon
To actively promote equality and fair treatment of all people within the legal profession and in society.

South Asian Bar Association Oregon Chapter (SABA)

The South Asian Bar Association of North America is the umbrella organization for all SABA chapters and South Asian legal professionals throughout North America. SABA chapters seek to strengthen the rapidly growing South Asian legal community with a recognized and trusted forum for professional growth and advancement, and promote the civil rights and access to justice for the South Asian community.

Our goals and objectives at SABA OR are:

Professional Growth: To provide our members with mentorship, a network and development opportunities for individual law students and attorneys.
To promote full participation of women and minorities in the organized bar and in the legislative and judicial branches of government.
Diversity and Inclusion: To promote diversity and inclusion efforts that ensure equal participation in the legal profession and greater representation in the judiciary.
Civil Rights: To combat efforts to limit and marginalize the South Asian and immigrant communities.
Access to Justice: To educate the South Asian community by providing legal information and access to a network of pro bono services.

RELU Section

OSB Real Estate Land Use Section

Diversity and Inclusion