Member Benefits
Members of the OAM periodically receive the Association’s semi-annual newsletter, which contains feature articles on all practice areas and provides updates as to changes in the law, ethical opinions, upcoming seminars, committee meetings and other information of interest to members.
CLE Conferences and Networking
The Association offers continuing education programs at its annual Fall Conference, at its Spring Conferences and through its Practice Area Committees. These programs afford Magistrates the opportunity to fulfill all judicial CLE requirements and to discuss with other Magistrates the daily challenges faced in the Courtroom. The networking opportunities are unlimited.
Website Access
Members of the OAM have special access to sections of the OAM Website that contain member-only benefits such as an easily searchable membership directory, access to archived newsletters and feature articles, Salary Surveys, Advisory Opinions and other matters of special interest to Magistrates.
Ethical Advice
The OAM Board includes a member who serves as Ethics Chair. That person is available to OAM members to provide prompt responses to inquiries in ethical areas such as campaign activities, recusals, outside income and more.
Salary Surveys
Approximately every two years, the OAM undertakes a Salary Survey of the annual compensation paid to all Magistrates in the State Ohio. The results of these surveys have often proved helpful to Magistrates in lobbying their courts for increased compensation and other monetary benefits. Those surveys are available for review and printing in the Members Only page of this Website.
Service on OAM Board or Committees
The OAM Board is composed of 24 members: one Trustee is elected from each of the twelve Appellate Districts, six are elected At-Large and the remaining six are Chairs of the six Practice Area Committees. All elections are held during an annual membership meeting at the Fall Conference. Click on the following link to obtain the form needed to confirm your interest in serving as a Board Member of the OAM: Info sheet for those interested in serving on the OAM Board
Service on Judicial Committees
As a member of the OAM, you have the opportunity to be considered for appointment to represent the interests of Magistrates on nearly all Commissions, Committees and Task Forces of the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio Judicial Conference and several Judicial Associations. For a complete listing of current OAM representatives, click here.
OSBA Dues
As a member of the OAM, you are eligible for a special dues rate of only $125 regardless of how many years you have been a lawyer. The rate applies even if all the other members of your court are not members of the OSBA. Membership in the OSBA includes:
- The Green Book (online edition)
- Casemaker – the ever-expanding, powerful legal research tool
- Discounts on furniture, travel and equipment
Click on the following link for the special application: 2019 OSBA-OAM Membership Application 2022 OSBA-OAM Membership Application
OBLIC Liability Insurance Coverage
The Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Company (OBLIC), owned by the Ohio State Bar Association, has been the OAM-endorsed liability carrier since 2006, when OBLIC first offered liability insurance for magistrates. Benefits of a liability policy from OBLIC include:
In 2022, OBLIC developed a very affordable policy for Magistrates who are members of the OAM, the average cost of which is approximately $200.00 per year. Click hear for details: https://www.oblic.com/insurance-policies/coverages-and-apps/judges-and-magistrates/
Contact OBLIC at (800) 227-4111 or www.OBLIC.com.