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
What Is Primary 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.