Provisional and Temporary Licensees
The Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (SPPE) is a new pathway to become a licensed attorney in Oregon. After graduating from an ABA-accredited law school, SPPE applicants work in supervised apprenticeship and develop a portfolio of work that is assessed by the Oregon Board of Bar Examiners (BBX).
The Temporary Practice Program (TPP) is for attorneys who are applying for admission to the Oregon State Bar and have already accepted a position with a firm or company that has an office in Oregon.
For more information on the rules and eligibility of these programs, please visit the OSB website.
Are you applying for or participating in either of the above provisional or temporary licensure programs through the Oregon State Bar (OSB)? If you'll be engaging in private practice with a principal office in Oregon, you're required to carry primary malpractice coverage through the Professional Liability Fund (PLF)—the exclusive provider in the state.
The PLF assessment process for both programs is similar—the process and PLF requirements are listed below. To learn more about the PLF and its history, visit our Who We Are webpage.
The Temporary Practice Program (TPP) is for attorneys who are applying for admission to the Oregon State Bar and have already accepted a position with a firm or company that has an office in Oregon.
For more information on the rules and eligibility of these programs, please visit the OSB website.
Coverage Requirement
Are you applying for or participating in either of the above provisional or temporary licensure programs through the Oregon State Bar (OSB)? If you'll be engaging in private practice with a principal office in Oregon, you're required to carry primary malpractice coverage through the Professional Liability Fund (PLF)—the exclusive provider in the state.
The PLF assessment process for both programs is similar—the process and PLF requirements are listed below. To learn more about the PLF and its history, visit our Who We Are webpage.
Licensure Process
The PLF only becomes involved in the application process after you have submitted all your application materials to the OSB and they have been reviewed and provisionally or temporarily approved. After the OSB approves your application and issues your certificate of eligibility (SPPE) or pre-approval letter (TPP), the PLF will contact you within two business days with your prorated assessment and information on how to establish your coverage or exemption status.
PLF assessments are emailed to your email address on file with the Oregon State Bar on your OSB Dashboard. All contact changes must be submitted directly to the OSB. Go to www.osbar.org > Login > Profile > Contact Information to enter changes. PLF records update automatically the next day, based on address information filed with the Bar.
After you receive your assessment notice, you have 30 days to either:
Once your appropriate response has been submitted and accepted, the PLF will notify the OSB that you have fulfilled your PLF requirement. The OSB will then finish the application process and provide you with your provisional or temporary license number.
PLF Assessment
The annual PLF assessment for 2027 is $3,500—the same as for active OSB licensees. If you have fewer than 36 months of total PLF coverage, you qualify for a step-rating credit:
- 40% reduction: 0–12 months of coverage
- 20% reduction: 13–36 months of coverage
PLF coverage is renewed annually. All active OSB licensees are sent an assessment notice in November with an assessment for the following year's coverage. You must do ONE of the following by the default date on your assessment statement:
- Pay in full, OR
- Pay the first installment (plus service charge), OR
- Submit a Request for Exemption form
General Questions About PLF Coverage
The PLF Primary Coverage Plan responds to malpractice claims arising from the private practice of law. Your PLF primary coverage limits are $300,000 per claim or $300,000 in the aggregate for multiple claims made against you in any plan year. There is no deductible. In addition, there is a $75,000 claims expense allowance included with the coverage, available for defense costs. You can view the PLF Primary Coverage Plan on the What Is My Coverage? webpage. Declaration sheets (Proof of Coverage) for those carrying primary PLF coverage are also available on that page after the payment has been processed.
NOTE: PLF coverage does not apply to any legal work done before licensure with the Oregon State Bar (e.g., practice in another state), even if the claim is made after you begin PLF coverage in Oregon. If you have malpractice coverage for your practice outside of Oregon and you are moving your principal office to Oregon, you should consider purchasing extended reporting coverage ("tail coverage") from your current insurance carrier.
NOTE: PLF coverage does not apply to any legal work done before licensure with the Oregon State Bar (e.g., practice in another state), even if the claim is made after you begin PLF coverage in Oregon. If you have malpractice coverage for your practice outside of Oregon and you are moving your principal office to Oregon, you should consider purchasing extended reporting coverage ("tail coverage") from your current insurance carrier.
You are exempt from PLF coverage if you do not engage in private practice of law (such as working exclusively for the government, or as an employee or an independent contractor for a nonprofit legal aid or public defender office), or if your principal office is outside of Oregon. For more information about exemption categories, visit the Do I Need Coverage? webpage. You also can call the PLF at 503.639.6911 and ask for Heather Bowman or Emilee Preble to discuss your situation and exemption qualification.
Excess firms are required to notify the PLF of changes to their firm profile after the start of the Coverage Period under certain circumstances (PLF Policy 7.600 H (1-2), and will be subject to underwriting and a pro-rated assessment:
Excess firms are encouraged to contact the PLF Excess Program at excess@osbplf.org regarding any firm changes, even if those notifications are not required under the Policy. Changes such as attorney, Provisional Licensee, or Temporary Licensee departures, new firm names, and contact information updates will all be added to the firm’s excess record but will not trigger the re-underwriting requirement.
- If the total number of current attorneys, Provisional Licensee, and Temporary Licensees increases by more than 50% compared with the number at the start of the Coverage Period.
- An attorney, Provisional Licensee, or Temporary Licensee joins or leaves an existing branch of the firm outside of Oregon.
- An attorney, Provisional Licensee, or Temporary Licensee continuing to practice law with, or maintaining an affiliation with, a Law Entity other than the Law Entity listed on the Excess Declaration Page.
- A non-Oregon attorney, Provisional Licensee, or Temporary Licensee joins or leaves the firm.
- An attorney, Provisional Licensee, or Temporary Licensee practicing in areas that present risk of claims (including aiding and abetting) under the Oregon Securities Law joins or leaves the firm.
Excess firms are encouraged to contact the PLF Excess Program at excess@osbplf.org regarding any firm changes, even if those notifications are not required under the Policy. Changes such as attorney, Provisional Licensee, or Temporary Licensee departures, new firm names, and contact information updates will all be added to the firm’s excess record but will not trigger the re-underwriting requirement.
You must notify the PLF if any of the following apply, as you may need to activate coverage midyear or file a midyear exemption:
- You change employers
- You are temporarily not participating in the program
- You leave the licensure program
- Your license is suspended
After you complete your program and are admitted to the Oregon State Bar, your assessment response and coverage history from your provisional or temporary licensure will follow you to your new OSB record and permanent bar number. If your employment changes (e.g., you now qualify for an exemption from coverage or you start private practice with a principal office in Oregon), notify the PLF through the Midyear Changes webpage.
Services and Resources
In addition to malpractice coverage, all licensees have full access to the PLF's nationally recognized support services that the Oregon legal community has enjoyed for nearly 50 years. Those benefits include free and confidential practice management assistance through the PLF practice management attorneys, claims assistance by the PLF claims attorneys, a wide range of legal education and resources, and the free and confidential services of the Oregon Attorney Assistance Program that helps lawyers, judges, licensed paralegals, and law students with well-being and personal challenges.
Visit How We Help to learn more about PLF services available to Oregon legal professionals. Explore the many different CLEs & Resources the PLF maintains to assist practitioners, including CLEs, practice aids, toolkits, blogs, newsletters, and books.
Login Help
If you're having trouble logging in to the PLF website using your OSB credentials, contact the Oregon State Bar for login support at 503.620.0222. The PLF does not manage OSB login credentials. While waiting for assistance, contact the PLF Accounting Department (503.924.1771 or plfaccounting@osbplf.org) for help submitting your payment or exemption request through alternative methods.
Questions?
If you have questions about beginning your coverage or paying your PLF assessment, please contact the PLF Accounting Department at plfaccounting@osbplf.org or 503.924.1771 for assistance. If you have questions about your PLF coverage, contact Heather Bowman at heatherb@osbplf.org or Emilee Preble at emileep@osbplf.org or call 503.639.6911. We are happy to answer any questions you may have.