List of first women lawyers and judges in Oregon

This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Oregon. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.

Firsts in Oregon's history

Mary Jane Spurlin: First female judge in Oregon
Betty Roberts: First female Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court (1982)

Lawyers

Law Clerk

  • First female to clerk for a federal judge in Oregon: Helen F. Althaus (1945) from 1947-1949[3][4]

State judges

Federal judges

Attorney General

Assistant Attorney General

  • First (African American) female (Department of Justice): Armonica Gilford (1981) in 1989[33]

Solicitor General

United States Attorney

Political Office

  • First openly bisexual female (governor): Kate Brown (1985) in 2015[34]

Oregon State Bar Association

  • First female president: Julie Frantz in 1992[35]
  • First Asian American (female) president: Liani J. Reeves in 2020[36]

Firsts in local history

See also

Other topics of interest

References

  1. ^ Smith, Helen Krebs (October 2008). With Her Own Wings: Historical Sketches, Reminiscences, and Anecdotes of Oregon's Pioneer Women. Wildside Press LLC. ISBN 9781434477767.
  2. ^ a b Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. February 1983.
  3. ^ Group, Sinclair Broadcast (2006-02-11). "Helen F. Althaus, Pioneer Woman Lawyer, dies at 95". Ashland Tidings. Retrieved 2019-07-07. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ "In Memoriam: Helen F. Althaus". www.osbar.org. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  5. ^ "Anti-Suffraget [sic], Yet She Acted As State Judge". The Day Book. 1914-03-27. ISSN 2163-7121. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  6. ^ "Illustrious Firsts: A Timeline - Advocate Magazine - Law School - Lewis & Clark". law.lclark.edu. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  7. ^ a b Gierloff, Tami; Library, Associate Dean of the; Law, Professor of. "Illustrious Firsts: A Timeline". law.lclark.edu. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
  8. ^ a b "CATHEDRAL CITY". cdnc.ucr.edu. November 18, 1954. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
  9. ^ a b McGraw, Noreen. "Judge Jean Lewis" (PDF). A Century of Service: Multnomah County Bar Association 100th Anniversary (1906-2006).
  10. ^ a b c d "Oregon Women Judges ~ Quick Facts ~" (PDF).
  11. ^ Martin, Mart (2018-04-24). The Almanac Of Women And Minorities In American Politics 2002. Routledge. ISBN 9780429976483.
  12. ^ "Openly LGBT elected in Oregon". www.glapn.org. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  13. ^ "Deits steps down from appeals court • Daily Journal of Commerce". Daily Journal of Commerce. 2004-11-22. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  14. ^ a b c d e f "2000 – 2014". Diversity Storywall. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  15. ^ a b c "First African-American, Adrienne Nelson, appointed to Oregon Supreme Court". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  16. ^ a b c "Meet Adrienne Nelson, the Second Black Female Judge in Oregon History". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  17. ^ Upon her appointment to the Multnomah County Circuit Court
  18. ^ a b c "Oregon Benchmarks" (PDF). U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society. 2016.
  19. ^ a b "Virginia Linder - Multnomah Bar Association". www.mbabar.org. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  20. ^ a b Finnemore, Melody (2012-03-09). "Justice Virginia Linder sets the bar". Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
  21. ^ a b "Lynn Nakamoto first Asian-American on Oregon Supreme Court". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  22. ^ a b "Hon. Lynn Nakamoto" (PDF). American Bar Association.
  23. ^ "Walters first woman sworn in as chief justice of Oregon Supreme Court". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  24. ^ De Dios, Austin (2022-12-17). "Oregon appoints the first Laotian judge in the United States". oregonlive. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  25. ^ Wong, Peter (2023-08-16). "Oregon Supreme Court gets its first South Asian justice". PortlandTribune.com. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  26. ^ "Archives West: Helen Frye papers, 1971–2011". archiveswest.orbiscascade.org. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  27. ^ "A Tribute" (PDF).
  28. ^ Wiener, Norman J. (Fall 2007). "Judge Polly Higdon" (PDF). Oregon Benchmarks.
  29. ^ a b Circuit), United States Court of Appeals (9th (2002). United States Courts, Ninth Circuit, ... Annual Report. Office of the Circuit Executive.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ "NAPAWF Congratulates Lucy Koh and Jennifer Sung in Historic Federal Bench Confirmation for Asian American Women". NAPAWF. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  31. ^ Alvino, Virginia. "Oregon Swears In First Female Attorney General". news.opb.org. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
  32. ^ SALES/JTA, B. (2020, July 22). Ellen Rosenblum: Taking on Trump's federal forces in Portland - "The federal administration has chosen Portland to use their scare tactics to stop our residents from protesting police brutality and from supporting the Black Lives Matter movement," Rosenblum said.. <em>Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)</em>. Available from NewsBank: Access World News: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/17C601CECB119A58.
  33. ^ "Welcome to the Oregon State Bar Online". www.osbar.org. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
  34. ^ Phillips, Amber (2016-11-10). "Meet Kate Brown, the first openly LGBT person to be elected governor of a state". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-06-08.
  35. ^ Keenan, Cathy (March 26, 2006). "Five pioneers further cause of women lawyers in Oregon". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  36. ^ "Liani J. Reeves". bullardlaw.com. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  37. ^ Stiegler, Judy. "40 Years as Ladies of the Law". The Source Weekly - Bend. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  38. ^ KCBY. "Coos County's first female judge to retire after 23 years". KCBY. Retrieved 2018-01-04.
  39. ^ News-Review, CARISA CEGAVSKE | Senior Staff Writer The. "Shattered glass: Local women react to Clinton nomination". NRToday.com. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  40. ^ "Oregon State Bar Online - Jeannette Thatcher Marshall (Obituary)". www.osbar.org. Retrieved 2019-03-20.
  41. ^ Specht, Sanne (2012-05-17). "Heckert has won DA race". Mail Tribune. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  42. ^ Kellner, Angela. "Lane County Gets Its First Female District Attorney". www.klcc.org. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  43. ^ Lewis; Portl, Clark Law School 10015 S. W. Terwilliger Boulevard; USA 503-768-6600, Oregon 97219. "OSB Diversity Section and First Year Law Students Celebrate Judges". law.lclark.edu. Retrieved 2019-06-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  44. ^ "Meet Your Division Officers and Delegates". www.americanbar.org. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  45. ^ "Candidate for Marion County DA stops by Creekside Chat". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  46. ^ Taylor, Quintard; Moore, Shirley Ann Wilson (2008-08-01). African American Women Confront the West, 1600–2000. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 9780806139791.
  47. ^ Cannady, though, did not pass the Oregon Bar examination. She is best remembered as an editor and civil rights advocate.
  48. ^ "Board proclaims April 2023 Arab American Heritage Month in Multnomah County". Multnomah County. 2023-04-30. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  49. ^ Lewis; Portl, Clark 0615 S. W. Palatine Hill Road; USA 503-768-7000, Oregon 97219. "Class Notes - 1970s". www.lclark.edu. Retrieved 2018-12-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  50. ^ "Judge's death leaves opening on Yamhill County court". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2018-05-30.