2010 Fall Advancesheet

Published Quarterly by Oregon Women Lawyers Volume 20, No. 1 Winter 2009 NAWJ Conference, OWLS Fall CLE Inspiring By Heather L. Weigler ast October, OWLS welcomed members of Over 80 OWLS members attended a luncheon the National Association of Women Judges on October 17 that was planned by Lindsey H. L(NAWJ) to Portland for the NAWJ’s 30th Hughes, Friends Committee chair, and featured annual conference. keynote speaker Linda Greenhouse, a Pulitzer President Under the leadership of Hon. Ellen Rosenblum, Prize–winning reporter who covered the U.S. Laura Caldera Taylor the conference Supreme Court Vice Presidents, chair, many OWLS for T h e N e w Presidents-Elect members volun- York Times for 30 Gwyn McAlpine years. Following Heather Van Meter teered countless hours to make the luncheon, Secretary Jane Yates the NAWJ con- OWLS members Treasurer ference possible. and NAWJ mem- Concetta Schwesinger Hon. Mary J. Deits bers attended Historian and Elizabeth M. the joint OWLS/ Alice Bartelt Stephens chaired NAWJ CLE ses- Photo by Jodee Jackson Board Members the Education Left to right: Judge Julie Frantz, Linda Greenhouse, sions. In the first Nancy Cook C o m m i t t e e , session, Stanford Dana Forman and Judge Ellen Rosenblum Cynthia Fraser which planned law professor Bethany Graham a variety of CLE programs. Volunteers coordinated Pamela Karlan and Ms. Greenhouse discussed Shari Gregory by Libby Davis staffed the conference from morn- the U.S. Supreme Court under Justice Roberts, Cashauna Hill Megan Livermore ing until late night and included Hon. Jill Tanner, offering detailed observations. Julia Markley conference treasurer, and Heather L. Weigler, The OWLS Fall CLE portion of the program Linda Meng OWLS liaison. Hon. Julie Frantz chaired the social concluded with break-out sessions entitled Hon. Adrienne Nelson Leslie O’Leary events, including a reception at the OHSU Center “Resolving Disputes Out of Court—the Growing Hon. Julia Philbrook for Health and Healing that featured tram rides Role of Mediation” and “Bringing about Needed Kathleen J. Rastetter to the Women’s Health Center. Continued on page 6 Hon. Katherine Tennyson Shannon Terry Heather L. Weigler Past Presidents n essence, our firm’s decisions for which we are being honored were based on a Kellie Johnson Norma S. Freitas Ithoroughly supportable analysis, partly ethical and partly utilitarian. Kate A. Wilkinson Jennifer K. De Wald The ethical question was straightforward: is it right and good to create a workplace Sarah J. Crooks where women could thrive personally and professionally? Of course it is. All we Elizabeth Schwartz Lori E. Deveny had to do was think about the immeasurable value of working with women who Debra Pilcher Velure are great lawyers and great people, who, in addition to those attributes, bring a Marilyn E. Litzenberger different perspective and culture to work. If that isn’t enough, all we had to do was Teresa M. Kraemer Patricia L. Heatherman ask how we want our daughters to be treated. And what great value they bring to Julie Levie Caron the places they work. Phylis Chadwell Myles Helle Rode The utilitarian consideration, frankly, flowed from the ethical one. It is the right Diana Craine thing to do for the reasons above; it is also the valuable thing to do. The diversity Kathryn M. Ricciardelli Agnes Sowle mirrors the world we live in. Practices can thrive, clients can be better served, the Katherine H. O’Neil work environment can remain positive, careers are extended and don’t burn out. Executive Director Linda Tomassi, 503.595.7826 Thanks again, and thanks to all the great attorneys and staff I have the pleasure [email protected] of working with. AdvanceSheet Editor Elise Gautier, 503.292.2893 Scott McCleery, upon accepting the OWLS Workplace Leader Award [email protected] on behalf of Gartland, Nelson, McCleery, Wade & Walloch on October 17, 2008 www.oregonwomenlawyers.org OREGON WOMEN LAWYERS AdvanceSheet 1 WINTER 2009 President’s Message OWLS Board he recent and providing food and other basic needs Tweather for their families. And I started to think Seeks Candidates events left me about all the things OWLS members do his spring, the 21-member snowed in with throughout the year to give back to the TOregon Women Lawyers Board my seven- and communities we serve. of Directors will have openings. If nine-year-old In 2008, OWLS members were the you would like to play a leadership girls for the second-largest contributors to the Cam- role in OWLS’ work transforming greater part paign for Equal Justice. OWLS members the practice of law, consider serving of two weeks. donated more than 1,500 books to the on the board of directors. Board Every morn- Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. OWLS members provide financial oversight ing they woke members helped the Multnomah Bar and strategic direction, helping to Laura Caldera Taylor up with wide- Association raise over $120,000 to keep shape the future of OWLS policies eyed wonder- CourtCare open, and helped the OWLS and programs. Each board member ment; would school/winter camps be Foundation’s endowment reach $100,000. is asked to participate actively on at canceled yet again? And each day that OWLS members provided many hours least one working committee. the answer was yes, a snow-day dance of pro bono legal services to people in As a statewide organization, broke out in the Taylor home. need. Over the holidays, OWLS members OWLS is actively seeking board That same snow also prevented the contributed to food banks and homeless members from outside the Portland delivery of many of their presents. I have shelters, sent gifts to children with cancer, metro area. Regional representa- to admit, I fretted quite a bit about how wrote cards to members of the mili- tives serve as liaisons to our chapters they would react on Christmas when tary, volunteered at Red Cross shelters, and help OWLS understand and there were only a few presents to open. walked the streets of Portland handing serve the needs of women and mi- On Christmas Eve, with great angst, I set out packages to our city’s homeless, and nority attorneys around the state. out to explain that most of their presents contributed in many other ways. The Board elections take place in April, would arrive after Christmas. To my sur- truth is, I cannot list all the great things with new members taking office prise, there were no sad faces. Instead, OWLS members did in 2008—there are in May 2009 for a three-year term. the girls were excited that they would simply too many to count. Meetings are held eight times a year get to celebrate Christmas every day for As we head into 2009, I just want to say, on Saturday mornings. as long as it took the presents to arrive. keep up the good work! Our collective If you would like to help guide I spent a lot of time over the holidays efforts make a measurable difference. OWLS through the coming years— thinking about how fortunate I was to be and form valuable connections with fretting about delivery schedules when so other attorneys around the state in many parents spent the holidays worrying Laura Caldera Taylor the process—please contact one of about foreclosures, evictions, health care, OWLS President OWLS’ co-president-elects, Gwyn McAlpine (gmcalpine@perkinscoie. Goodbye Catherine, Hello Linda com/503.727.2091) or Heather Van Meter (hvanmeter@williamskastner. WLS said goodbye in December value,” she com/503.228.7967). to Catherine Ciarlo, who served said, “both to Oas our executive director (ED) for the individu- the past two years. Catherine’s tenure als who com- “It’s a privilege to work with people do- was marked by a significant increase in prise it and ing such important work in the world,” membership, an ever-more-professional to the legal Linda says, “and I see my role as helping look for the organization, and the unveil- community as to improve the culture in which they do ing of our new website. a whole.” that work.” Catherine notes that her time at OWLS Although Linda sees many opportunities to work was tremendously rewarding, both per- Catherine will with the membership and board of direc- sonally and professionally: “It has been b e m i s s e d , tors to help fulfill OWLS’ mission. “I’m re- inspiring to work with women who are OWLS is fortu- Linda Tomassi ally looking forward to traveling around successful in their own right, and who are nate to have the state to meet members and find out also committed to helping other women Linda Tomassi, our former administrative what we can do better.” She understands advance in the profession.” In January, director, stepping into the ED role. the need to focus energy and time on Catherine joined the staff of incoming Linda began working with OWLS on a diversity issues and has started meeting Portland Mayor Sam Adams to manage contract basis about five years ago, dur- with other organizations to collaborate transportation policy for his office. She ing a staffing transition, and she quickly in this area. promises, however, to remain an OWLS fell in love with the organization. She is Linda looks forward to meeting as member and volunteer. “I leave my po- delighted to move into the role of ED many people as possible at the Roberts- sition here with a clear sense of OWLS’ and is the second nonlawyer to do so. Deiz Awards Dinner on March 13. Our mission is to transform the practice of law and ensure justice and equality by advancing women and minorities in the legal profession.

Load more