Senate Bill 818

75th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2009 Regular Session

Senate Bill 818 Sponsored by Senators WINTERS, WALKER; Senators BATES, BOQUIST, COURTNEY, DINGFELDER, FERRIOLI, HASS, KRUSE, MONNES ANDERSON, MONROE, MORRISETTE, MORSE, ROSENBAUM, TELFER, VERGER, Representatives BAILEY, DEMBROW, ESQUIVEL, GELSER, HOLVEY, HUNT, KOTEK, MAURER, RILEY, SCHAUFLER, SHIELDS, THATCHER, WEIDNER (at the request of Oregon Assembly for Black Affairs)

SUMMARY

The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editors brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced.

Requires that minimum continuing legal education requirements of Oregon State Bar include cultural competency training designed to educate members on providing unbiased and effective representation of clients. Provides that members of bar must provide unbiased and effective representation for all clients.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating to attorneys; amending ORS 9.112 and 9.460.

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

SECTION 1. ORS 9.112 is amended to read:

9.112. (1) The board of governors shall by rule establish minimum continuing legal education requirements for all active members of the Oregon State Bar. Rules adopted by the board of governors are subject to review by the Supreme Court.

(2) Rules adopted under this section shall ensure that all active members of the bar receive cultural competency training designed to educate members on providing unbiased and effective representation for all clients.

SECTION 2. ORS 9.460 is amended to read:

9.460. An attorney shall:

(1) Support the Constitution and laws of the United States and of this state; (2) Employ, for the purpose of maintaining the causes confided to the attorney, such means only as are consistent with truth, and never seek to mislead the court or jury by any artifice or false statement of law or fact; (3) Maintain the confidences and secrets of the attorney¢s clients consistent with the rules of professional conduct established pursuant to ORS 9.490; [and] (4) Never reject, for any personal consideration, the cause of the defenseless or the oppressed; and (5) Provide unbiased and effective representation for all clients.

NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.

New sections are in boldfaced type.

LC 3080