Please watch this page for resources and updates
The OAAP acknowledges the devastating impact of the wildfires on some members of our legal community and their families. The OAAP attorney counselors are available to help in this time of crisis 24 hours a day, and remain available to members of our legal community by phone, email, and through video teleconference. This includes support groups, recovery meetings, and counseling sessions. For health and community safety reasons, we are temporarily limiting in-person contacts. You can reach us at 503.226.1057. Please take care, and reach out to us for help.
For more resources and assistance available from the PLF for lawyers affected by the wildfires, click here.
Thank You, Shari! After 21 years with the Professional Liability Fund as an OAAP Attorney Counselor, Shari R. Pearlman, LCSW, JD, is leaving the PLF and OAAP to continue her career with another lawyer assistance program. You can read her last Thriving Today blog post here, in which she bids a fond farewell to the Oregon legal community that she has been part of and served for so many years. We wish Shari all the best in her new position!
About the OAAP
The Oregon Attorney Assistance Program (OAAP) provides CONFIDENTIAL and free counseling assistance to lawyers, judges, and law students. We can help with your concerns about your well-being, or the well-being of someone you care about. We offer short-term individual counseling, referral to other resources when appropriate, support groups, workshops, CLEs, and educational programs.
Each OAAP attorney counselor is both a lawyer and a counselor. Our experiences as practicing lawyers give us a strong foundation for understanding the situations that you face. Our training and experience as counselors provide us with the ability to listen and help you navigate toward solutions.
Confidential Assistance
Completely confidential
Thriving Today Blog
Farewell from Shari Pearlman
I am writing this post to say farewell to the Oregon legal community, as my last day at the Oregon Attorney Assistance Program will be November 3...
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Gratitude: Now More Than Ever
As the months are stretching longer and the days are growing shorter, many of us are looking for strategies to help buoy us for the long haul. One...
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What’s on Your List? Developing Healthy Ways to Calm and Soothe
Lawyers and students often leave healthy relaxing activities and rituals at the door of the profession, starting when they arrive at law school...
MOREWe Offer Help & Hope
Our Attorney Counselors
Shari R. Pearlman
Douglas S. Querin
Kyra Hazilla
Bryan R. Welch
Karen A. Neri
Upcoming Events
- 23 Oct '20October 23 @ 12:30 pm October 23 @ 1:30 pm520 SW Yamhill Street, Suite 1050
Portland, OR 97204 - 26 Oct '20October 26 @ 5:30 pm October 26 @ 6:30 pm520 SW Yamhill Street, Suite 1050
Portland, OR 97204 - 28 Oct '20October 28 @ 12:30 pm October 28 @ 1:30 pm
Featured Events
The Career of a Lawyer: Creating Success at Each Stage
This fall, the OAAP will present two half-day...
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Grief & Loss Support Workshop for Lawyers
The OAAP is offering a two-evening workshop...
MOREHighlighted Events
Finding Meaningful Work 
This networking and support group for lawyers making a job or career transition starts Thursday, September 3, 2020, and will meet virtually for six consecutive sessions on Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Topics are designed to help lawyers create and execute a personalized job search plan; develop a mission statement and elevator speech; learn and practice networking skills; and hone their job search skills. OAAP Attorney Counselor Shari R. Pearlman, LCSW, JD, will facilitate Finding Meaningful Work through video conferencing. To participate, or for more information click here.
32nd Annual Recovery Celebration 
The OAAP is proud to invite you to the 32nd Anniversary Annual Celebration of Lawyers in Recovery. This year the event will be held virtually, and takes place on Friday, October 2, 2020, starting at 6:00 p.m. via ZOOM.
There is no charge for this event. Click here for more information.
Please watch for an email invitation. We hope to see you!
ADHD Peer Support Group
The OAAP facilitates a monthly peer support group for lawyers with ADHD. The group meets the first Wednesday of each month and focuses on the successes and challenges of practicing law with ADHD. Pre-registration is required. If interested, contact Bryan Welch at bryanw@oaap.org.
Articles
Job-Search Tips for Attorneys During COVID-19
Looking for a new position is often a daunting prospect, even in the...
Read moreA Resilient Mindset: Taking Stock of What You Lost and What You Gained to Move Forward
What Is a Resilient Mindset? I don’t know of a single person in our...
Read moreOLAF
The Oregon Lawyer Assistance Foundation (OLAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that has been formed to provide financial need-based grants and loans to Oregon lawyers to defray some or all of the expense of treatment for alcoholism, chemical dependency, mental health issues, or other impairment. OLAF assists lawyers who access the Oregon Attorney Assistance Program (OAAP) and who are unable to pay for the treatment they need. (Treatment is outside the scope of services offered by the OAAP.) Lawyers who need OLAF’s financial assistance can apply for a loan or grant through the Oregon Attorney Assistance Program.
Your donations to OLAF make a difference in the lives of Oregon lawyers who are suffering with an illness they cannot afford to treat.
Event Highlight
12th Annual OAAP and OWLS Women Lawyers Retreat
We are looking forward to our 12th Annual Women’s Wellness Retreat for Lawyers on April 5 & 6, 2019 at the Oregon Garden Resort in Silverton, Oregon. Our theme is Transforming Ourselves through Self-Compassion and Creativity.
Throughout the retreat we will enjoy plenty of relaxation, wonderful food, and free time to explore the gardens, enjoy a massage, swim, or soak in the hot tub. As always, we will be applying for CLE credits and anticipate engaging and informative speakers.
New Group Opportunity
Trans Law Professionals Peer Support Group
The OAAP is pleased to offer a biweekly evening peer support group. This inclusive group is open to all transgender, trans-questioning, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming, and intersex judges, lawyers, law students, and legal professionals and will be facilitated by Kyra Hazilla, JD, LCSW.
For more information or to join this group, please set up a meeting with Kyra Hazilla, at 503-226-1057, ext. 13, or at kyrah@oaap.org. There is no fee, but advance registration is required as space is limited.