named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Continuing Legal Education
Provides ongoing legal education programs for members to maintain professional competence.
Fee Disputes Committee
Mediates and resolves fee disputes between attorneys and clients or other members.
Grievance and Ethics Committee
Reviews complaints against members regarding conduct violating the New York Rules of Professional Conduct and renders decisions binding on members.
Mentoring Program
Connects experienced attorneys with newer members to support professional development.
Pro Bono Program
Coordinates volunteer legal services for individuals who cannot afford representation.
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Legal Profession Standards Advocacy 2 activities
- Advocate for legal reform and improvementsWorks to support changes and improvements in legal statutes, practices, and the administration of justice, aiming to maintain the honor of the legal profession and enhance the functioning and accessibility of the justice system.
- Support ethical and professional development of attorneysOffers mentoring programs for attorneys in general and specialized practice areas, including those facing disciplinary issues, and promotes high standards of ethical conduct within the legal profession.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 2 activities
- Coordinate pro bono legal servicesOrganizes and supports pro bono representation for indigent individuals by maintaining panels of volunteer attorneys and collaborating with Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc. and the Supplemental Assigned Counsel Program.
- Operate lawyer referral serviceConnects members of the public with member attorneys for legal consultation through a structured referral program, typically involving a $25 fee for initial contact. The service directs client inquiries to qualified attorneys and maintains public access to legal services.
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Professional Certification and Continuing Education 2 activities
- Implement membership incentive programsOffers waived membership dues and CLE access to members who take on two Supplemental Assigned Counsel cases, encouraging participation in legal representation for indigent clients.
- Provide continuing legal education (CLE) programsDevelops and administers ongoing educational courses and programming for attorneys, including compliance documentation for CLE credit, to support professional development and legal knowledge advancement.
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Recognition and Awards Programs 1 activity
- Administer attorney recognition programManages the Hugh R. Jones Award, recognizing individuals for outstanding service to the legal profession and the community through a formal nomination and voting process led by past presidents.
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Legal Education and Career Pipeline Programs 1 activity
- Conduct public legal education and outreachEngages in community legal education initiatives such as Law Day, Lawyer in the Classroom, mock trial programs for high school students, public seminars, and an annual Legal Line event where the public can call in with legal questions.
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Professional Networking Events 1 activity
- Host member events and professional gatheringsOrganizes annual social and professional events including a golf dinner, holiday party, hockey night, and end-of-summer gathering to foster camaraderie among attorneys, judges, court staff, and legal professionals.
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Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
- Maintain legal resource directory and communicationsProvides a public directory of legal and government resources and distributes a monthly newsletter to members with information on events, industry updates, new members, and reference materials.
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Member-Exclusive Resource Access 1 activity
- Offer legal research tools to membersProvides member attorneys with free or discounted access to online legal research platforms such as Fastcase, vLex Fastcase, and Casemaker as part of membership benefits to support legal practice and research.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$68K
Contributions & grants$46K67%
Program service revenue$20K29%
Investment income$9951%
Other revenue$625
expenses
Total expenses$83K
Program expenses90%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$53K
Grants paid out—
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$119K
Cash$101K
Investments$0
Liabilities$3K
Net assets$118K
Liquid reserves14.5 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -26.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
board members · 9
- DAWN CATERA LUPI — BOARD MEMBER
- ELIZABETH WORTH — BOARD MEMBER
- J K HAGE III — BOARD MEMBER
- JENNIFER SPRINGER — BOARD MEMBER
- MARIA MURAD BLAIS — BOARD MEMBER
- MATTHEW SKINNER — BOARD MEMBER
- PETER DIGIORGIO — BOARD MEMBER
- RAYMOND BARA — BOARD MEMBER
- STEPHANIE N SINGE — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 22
Who they work with
- Albany County Bar Association Network — Peer county bar association listed in regional network directory.
- American Bar Association Network — Member organization within the national bar association network.
- Casemaker Partner — Provides online legal research resources to OCBA members.
- Erie County Bar Association Network — Peer county bar association listed in regional network directory.
- Fastcase Partner — Provides Fastcase login access for members, indicating a partnership to support legal research.
- Hart Settlement Group Partner — Partnered with Sage Settlement Consulting in connection with the Oneida County Bar Association.
- Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc Partner — Collaborates on pro bono opportunities and private attorney involvement in legal aid services.
- Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc. Partner — Collaborates with the Pro Bono Committee to develop and maintain a panel of volunteer attorneys for indigent clients.
- Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc. Partner — Shares leadership through joint board membership with the Oneida County Bar Association.
- Leland McCormac, Esq. Partner — Runs the Lawyers in the Classroom and People’s Law School Programs in which the OCBA participates annually.
- Monroe County Bar Association Network — Peer county bar association listed in regional network directory.
- NYS Unified Court System Government — Multiple board members are affiliated with the NYS Unified Court System, indicating a formal connection between the bar association and the state judiciary.
- New York State Bar Association Network — Member organization within the state bar association network.
- Northern District of New York Federal Bar Association Network — Federal-level bar association for the Northern District, listed as a regional legal network partner.
- Oneida County Bar Association Network — Member organization operating a lawyer referral service for the public
- Oneida County District Attorney's Office Government — Board includes current and retired members from the Oneida County District Attorney's Office, indicating an ongoing relationship with county prosecutors.
- Oneida County Law Department Government — Board includes representation from the Oneida County Law Department, reflecting collaboration between the bar association and county legal offices.
- Onondaga County Bar Association Network — Peer county bar association listed in regional network directory.
- Sage Settlement Consulting Partner — Partnered with Hart Settlement Group in connection with the Oneida County Bar Association.
- State of New York Government — Regulates admission and standing of attorneys eligible for membership in the Association.
- United States District Court for the Northern District of New York Government — Historically affiliated through shared courthouse facilities and judicial proceedings in Utica.
- vLex Partner — Partnered to provide vLex Fastcase as a legal research platform for members.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Fee-Based Referral System to Expand Access to Legal Servicesmethodology: fee_based_referralBy connecting individuals with attorneys through a fee-based referral system, the organization increases access to legal consultation because structured intake and matching processes reduce barriers to finding qualified counsel.
- Pro Bono Networking to Serve Low-Income Populationsmethodology: pro_bono_networkingBy building networks of volunteer attorneys in collaboration with legal aid organizations, the organization expands access to legal representation for low-income individuals because collective mobilization of pro bono capacity leverages underutilized professional resources.
- Public Legal Education Through Direct Community Outreachmethodology: public_legal_educationBy delivering legal education via classroom visits and call-in services staffed by volunteers, the organization improves public understanding of the legal system because direct engagement fosters civic literacy and demystifies legal processes.