Award Criteria

As amended through June 11, 2024
Award Criteria
(a) The criteria for the President's Membership Service Award is as follows: The nominee must be an active member of the Bar; the nominee must have made a significant contribution to other lawyers through efforts involving Continuing Legal Education programs or publications, committees, sections, boards or the Bar's legislative/public affairs process or similar activities through local bar associations or other law-related groups.
(b) The criteria for the President's Public Service Awards is as follows: The nominee must be an active member of the Oregon State Bar; the nominee must have made a significant contribution to the public through efforts involving pro bono services; coordination of local public service law-related events, such as those associated with Law Day; service with community boards or organizations or similar activities that benefit the public.
(c) The criteria for the President's Diversity & Inclusion Award is as follows: The nominee must be an active member of the Bar or be an Oregon law firm; the nominee must have made a significant contribution to the goal of increasing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession in Oregon through progressive employment efforts, innovative recruitment and retention programs, advocacy or other significant efforts.
(d) The President's Special Award of Appreciation is a discretionary award of the President of the Bar, with the concurrence of the Board, to be presented to a person who has made recent outstanding contributions to the bar, the bench and/or the community. The award will be made in conjunction with the OSB Awards Dinner or House of Delegates events within the following guidelines. In any given year, there may be no award, one award or more than one award. The recipient may be a lawyer or a nonlawyer. The President will present his or her proposed award recipient to the Board at the same time the Board considers the Bar's other awards.
(e) The Award of Merit is the highest honor that the Bar can bestow. The recipient may be (1) an Oregon lawyer who has made outstanding contributions to the bench, the bar and the community-at-large, and who exhibits the highest standards of professionalism or (2) a non-lawyer who has made outstanding contributions to the bar and/or bench, and who exhibits the highest standards of service to the community-at-large. The award does not have to be granted every year and only one award may be bestowed in any year.
(f) The Wallace P. Carson, Jr. Award for Judicial Excellence honors a member of the state's judiciary. The criteria for the award are as follows:
1) a current or retired state court judge or federal judge;
2) who has made significant contributions to the judicial system; and
3) who is a model of professionalism, integrity, and judicial independence.
(g) The criteria for the President's Public Leadership Award are as follows: The nominee must not be an active or inactive member of the Oregon State Bar and the nominee must have made significant contributions in any of the areas described in the President's Awards.
(h) The criteria for the President's Sustainability Award are as follows: The nominee must be an active or inactive member of the bar or be an Oregon law firm; the nominee must have made a significant contribution to the goal of sustainability in the legal profession in Oregon through education, advocacy, and leadership in adopting sustainable business practices or other significant efforts.
(i) The criteria for the President's Technology & Innovation Award are as follows: The nominee may be an individual or entity; the nominee must have made a significant contribution in Oregon toward promoting respect for the rule of law, improving the quality of legal services or increasing access to justice through new technology or other innovations.
Adopted effective 4/14/2023.