Women Advancing the Bar Judge

in Oregon’s history to be admitted to practice Judge Mercedes Deiz law and the second African-American female Judge Jean Lewis A Century of Service By Hon. Adrienne attorney in Oregon. By Noreen Historic Pullout: Women Nelson, (Saltveit) Multnomah Mercedes put out her own shingle at McGraw. Advancing the Bar County Circuit the Loyalty Building, primarily doing By Judy A. C. Edwards, Executive Director. Court. bankruptcies, marital dissolutions, child Who could custody matters and juvenile law. Later she deny that e June Multnomah Lawyer historic Mercedes Frances joined Nels Peterson’s firm. During this women lawyers pullout focuses on women and how they Deiz was born in time, Mercedes was active in numerous today play a have advanced the bar. We chose women New York City community and legal associations, including significant role lawyers who have made significant on December 13, the Urban League, the NAACP and the in Oregon’s legal impacts on the profession to profile, asked 1917, the oldest MBA. In 1962, she became the MBA system? eir members to write about their insights, of 10 children of secretary/treasurer - the highest office a contributions to perspectives and personal experiences and a Czechoslovakian mother, Mary Kuzma woman could achieve in the association at bench and bar are others to give an historical overview of Lopez and a West Indian father, Frank the time. seldom questioned in today’s world. women in the Portland law community. Lopez. Mercedes chose to attend Harlem’s We thank all who contributed to this issue. Wadleigh High School, a three-mile walk Aer working as a trial lawyer for eight years Fiy years ago, it was a different story. from her home. A highlight of her high and serving as a worker’s compensation So it is interesting to reflect upon the Readers are encouraged to share their school experience was meeting First Lady administrative judge for two years, Governor career of Jean Lewis, an able leader in thoughts on any part of this pullout and Eleanor Roosevelt. Mercedes was on the Tom McCall appointed her a district court the legislature and Oregon’s first female we welcome your suggestions for topics stage because she was a candidate for judge, making Mercedes the first African- Circuit Court Judge in future issues. If you would like to lunchroom director (a position she later American woman to be appointed in write a story or article for the pullout, won). e First Lady congratulated all of Oregon. In 1972, she ran for a circuit court Jean Lagerquist Lewis, a trail-blazing woman please contact me at [email protected] or the candidates and singled out Mercedes judge position and won, beating seven male attorney and judge, was born in Portland on 503.222.3275. by name, telling her that the only way opponents in the process. at election July 17, 1914 to a family of modest means. to get ahead was to do the things you made Mercedes the first African-American From the time she read a newspaper article needed to do and be willing to work for to be elected to remunerative office. She was about a judge at age 12, she dreamt of the rights of the young, for establishing it. She took Eleanor Roosevelt’s advice re-elected in 1978, 1984 and 1990. Aer becoming a lawyer and a jurist. a conciliation court for Multnomah to heart since she had so oen heard the County, and for serving as president of same words from her mother. Mercedes She graduated from Lincoln High School the Oregon Juvenile Judges Association. graduated from high school in 1934. in 1932 and worked for Lipman Wolfe She also served on various Oregon task Department Store in order to earn her way forces seeking better ways of dealing with Working to pay her way through Hunter through Northwestern School of Law. She families in distress. College, Mercedes had a variety of jobs, graduated in 1938 as a class officer and the including theater usher, switchboard only female student. operator and ticket clerk at a WPA theater in Harlem run by two young unknowns - In 1939 she opened her own law office Orson Welles and John Houseman. While with $50, taking “anything that walked in working at the theater, Mercedes first the door,” as she said in a later interview. considered a career in law because people Mercedes Deiz and her husband Carl naturally confided in her and she helped enjoying an MBA event. During World War II she served as a rent- them with their problems. four six-year terms, Mercedes reached the enforcement attorney in Portland, and later mandatory retirement age of 75 and became moved to Washington D.C. on the staff of In 1948, a senior judge, still putting in time on the the General Counsel, handling complicated she bench. She became Of Counsel to the Tooze foreign currency problems occasioned by the moved to Duden Creamer Frank and Hutchison firm, war. In 1944 she married Henry L. “Hank” Portland where she handled arbitrations. Lewis, who served in the 10th Mountain and she Division overseas. found Mercedes led a life of accomplishment. She secretarial served as director of the National Center for Jean and Hank had one child, a daughter, work at State Courts and of the National Association who died tragically in a motor vehicle the IRS for Women Judges, of which she was a accident during the 1970s. and later founding member. Mercedes was a Woodrow at BPA. Wilson Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law Aer the war, Jean Lewis returned to Mercedes School, where she taught family law. She was private practice. She was elected, as Judge Jean Lewis met her a founding member of OWLS. a Democrat, to the Oregon House of husband, Representatives in 1954, graduating to the roughout her career, Judge Lewis was Carl, Mercedes worked tirelessly on the Oregon Oregon Senate in 1956 and 1960. In 1961, active in community affairs, including when they Supreme Court Task Force on Racial/ she was chair of the Rules Committee, a Mercedes Deiz in front of her Girl Scouts and the Salvation Army’s both were Ethnic Issues in the Judicial System and the member of Ways and Means and Judiciary chambers in 1970, on the day Greenhouse program for street children. working MBA’s Status of Women Committee. She and was elected unanimously as president of her investiture as a district She was also active in Queen’s Bench, and for the served as a Director of the Pacific Ballet pro tem of the Senate later that year. court judge in 1989 served as a panelist for Oregon IRS. eir eatre and the Portland Guadalajara Sister Women Lawyers’ first spring conference. marriage lasted until her death, on their City Association. Still later that same year, Governor 56th wedding anniversary. Hatfield (a former colleague in the Senate), Her many honors included awards from She received many honors and awards appointed her to become the first female the MBA, the Portland chapter of Hadassa, Mercedes worked as a legal secretary including the OSB’s Award of Merit, the Circuit Court Judge in Oregon. In that Lewis & Clark College, the Oregon for Graham Walker before attending OWLS Mother of Achievement Award post she was a pioneer in juvenile and Psychiatric Association and the National Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and and the Association of Black Lawyers family law, but she was also remembered Recreation Association. Both she and her Clark College (now known as Lewis & Distinguished on the Bench Award. as a judge of “compassion and firmness,” as husband were ardent outdoor people, Clark Law School) as a night student. In In 1997, Hunter College conferred an then Governor Hatfield foresaw in making hiking, skiing and mountain climbing. 1959, she graduated fourth in her class (the honorary degree of doctor of laws on her the appointment. only woman in the graduating class), while because of her “lifelong devotion to equality At the time of her retirement in July, 1978, working in the daytime and raising three in all forms, and her passionate advocacy As a judge, Jean Lewis was quickly she had practiced law for almost 40 years, children (Bill, Karen, and Gilbert) with the on behalf of children, minorities and the recognized by her peers and the parties serving as judge for 17 1/2 of them. support and encouragement of her husband. cause of justice.” before her for her preparation, efficiency When Mercedes passed the bar exam, she and skill in getting to the heart of each became the first African-American� woman�� Continues on next page �case. She�� was an eloquent crusader� for �Continues on next page Women Lawyers Who Markowitz & Herbold, argued for the Pope, 317 Or 151, 854 P2d 461 (1993). It’s Judge Mercedes Deiz plaintiff. Joyce Harpole, from Stoel Rives, all there. Her 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Continued from first page Have Shown the Way argued for the defendant. Plaintiff had opinions reflect the same insightful and By Lynn Stafford, held an exclusive distributing contract compelling analysis of the law that made e practice of law has benefited Markowitz with the defendant company and the case Circus Circus such an established precedent. tremendously from the life of Judge Herbold et al. involved plaintiff’s claim that defendant Deiz. She was a pioneer and strong had breached that agreement. It was not ere are others who probably don’t even advocate for professionalism, the rule is article is an easy case to explain to a jury, in terms know how strong an impression they of law and diversity.

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