A Century of Service a Grand Tradition Celebrating a Century of Professional Courtesy and Goodwill Among Multnomah County Lawyer
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A Grand Tradition e Object of the MBA set forth in the Constitution was: A Century of Service Celebrating a Century “To raise and maintain the dignity and honor of the legal Pullout of professional profession, and to prevent it from degenerating into a By Judy A. C. Edwards, courtesy and goodwill business; to increase its usefulness in promoting the due MBA Executive Director. administration of Justice; to cultivate social intercourse In planning the focus of this pullout, we among Multnomah chose enduring themes from past board among its members, and to enforce such discipline among minutes, scrapbooks, newsletters and County Lawyers its members as shall promote the observance of dignity and interviews with your colleagues who’ve By Hon. Garr M. King, US District Court. courtesy among the members of both bar and bench, and been around for the better part of MBA’s first century. You will find retrospectives Today, “professionalism” is actively prevent unprofessional conduct; and to recommend, advocate on the themes, as well as how they are promoted by numerous legal organizations and work for the enactment of such laws as shall promote viewed today. through education good government.” e subjects include independence of the programs, judiciary, importance of professionalism adoptions of in the Portland legal community, political codes and –February 17, 1906 activity, public outreach and a tribute to professionalism past board secretaries (see reprint of 1937 awards. In recent minutes) who have toiled through the although minutes are missing from 1938- and believes that as time went by, it was years the MBA years as unsung heroes/heroines. has been a leader 1978. What was occurring between 1911 important to the bar, particularly to the in this area, and 1986? Were these years the dark younger lawyers. We invite members to give us responses recognizing as ages of professionalism? Fortunately, to anything in this pullout section and of early as 1986 the memories of practicing lawyers, Tom Cooney has practiced law in course to offer suggestions for topics for that problems of unprofessional conduct and the example set by Multnomah Multnomah County since 1956, and was future editions. If you would like to write were a subject of concern throughout County attorneys make it clear that a recipient of the MBA Professionalism a story or article for the pullout, please the organized bar. ereaer, the MBA professionalism was a fact of life for award. He recalls that “in the old days” you contact Judy Edwards, MBA Executive adopted a Professionalism Statement, practicing lawyers. ran into the same attorneys on a regular Director at [email protected]. basis. Lawyers seemed to practice by the initiated an annual professionalism award, th which was selected by the ABA as one of To confirm my personal feelings, I “golden rule.” It was not unusual to meet Premier MBA 100 eight model mentor programs, and in 1998 discussed our professional history with the other lawyer for lunch, agree on what Anniversary Celebration convened a “Summit on Professionalism” a number of lawyers. Jack Faust (MBA discovery would be taken, talk about the Sponsor which resulted in a number of initiatives, President 1974-1975) recalls that when case and at least make a start on getting e Naegeli Reporting Corporation including the MBA Professionalism he was a young lawyer “professionalism it amicably resolved. Lawyers seemed to Producer of the MBA 100th Anniversary Video Training Program. e Multnomah Lawyer was little discussed because it didn’t need have mutual respect for each other and regularly contains articles and columns to be; professionalism was a way of life.” wanted to protect their reputations for fair MBA 100th Anniversary addressing the subject of professionalism While the MBA did not have a staff, it dealing. At that time there were fewer than Celebration Sponsors and ethics, such as Robert Neuberger’s held monthly meetings, had a wonderful 1,000 practicing lawyers in Multnomah “From the President” article of May annual County (the Major Event Sponsors ($2,500) 2004 and Kelly Hagan’s discussion of banquet and thousandth Washington Trust Bank professionalism in the December 2005 put on some lawyer was Event Sponsors ($1,000) publication. Since 2003, Mark Fucile has legal and sworn in by Gevurtz Menashe Larson & Howe published an informative column on educational Judge James Tsongas Litigation Consulting ethics issues and decisions and recently programs. Crawford Preston Gates & Ellis “e Corner Office” has been added He recalls in 1961). As th which address scenarios involving sticky that lawyers the bar grew MBA 100 Anniversary situations lawyers oen find themselves in. dealing it did seem Community Gi Fund with each that lawyers Continues to Grow It is clear that in the last 15 or so years, the other rarely became more need for and the benefits of professional sent letters adversarial To commemorate the MBA’s past century of conduct and collegiality have been a confirming Jack Faust and service and to launch it into the next century focus of the MBA, but is this a new discussions. antagonistic J.W. Crawford as Willamette of service to the community, the MBA has phenomenon? Fortunately, the answer is ere were a few attorneys who presented and this University Graduate. Courtesy created the Multnomah Bar Association Oregon Historical Society th a resounding “NO.” For the last 100 years, problems, but everyone knew who the resulted in the 100 Anniversary Community Gi Fund. It and undoubtedly longer, the practicing “bad guys” were. convening of the Summit on Professionalism will be administered by the newly formed attorneys in Multnomah County have by the MBA President Al Menashe. e goal Multnomah Bar Foundation and will had the good fortune to be members of Cliff Powers was admitted to the Oregon was to get back to the professionalism level promote civic education and participation. a bar that has fostered and maintained Bar in 1930 and practiced in Multnomah previously experienced. e MBA kicked off the fundraising courtesy, civility and professionalism in County for over 70 years. He recalls that campaign by committing $50,000 to the the practice of law. e MBA came into when he was in law school he was told Bill Crow, who was admitted in 1961, is a fund. Listed below are those who have existence on February 17, 1906 when a by one of his professors “you will never former OSB president. His general feeling already made their generous donations constitution and bylaws were adopted. e get rich, but you will be respected in was that the lawyers “knew and respected or pledges. More names will be added minutes reflect that “50 gentlemen signed your community.” is was the message each other.” If there was someone you throughout the year. If you want to add your the membership roll.” e full object of he carried with him into the practice of couldn’t trust “word got around.” Bill name to the list, please contact Guy Walden the MBA set forth in the constitution law. Cliff practiced in both small firms hasn’t seen a decline in professionalism. at MBA at [email protected]. and as a sole practitioner. He recalls that While he recognizes that in the “olden is printed on this page. It embodies the Founder Donors ($20,000) from the ‘30s into the 1980’s it was not days” lawyers tended to know each other, essence of professionalism. Miller Nash the practice to write letters confirming he believes we have a very good bar which Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt agreements. You trusted and respected the is cooperative, responsive, honest and does True to their charge, this group of Bullivant Houser Bailey “gentlemen” presented programs in 1907, lawyers you dealt with. Cliff recalls only not engage in obstructionist conduct. 1910 and 1911 addressing the subjects one run-in with a lawyer over professional Centennial Partner Donors ($10,000) of “courtesy,” “ethics of personal damage conduct (a retired judge). “e bar was While there was no formal program in the Davis Wright Tremaine like a family, the general atmosphere was past, mentoring was a fact of life among cases,” “judges - ethics and demeanor,” Centennial Benefactor Donors ($5,000) civil and professional. e lawyers were the lawyers and was particularly important “the lawyer and his duty to the public” and Markowitz Herbold Glade & Mehlhaf my friends and I was proud to say that to the many lawyers who practiced “reciprocal courtesy between bench and Harrang Long Gary Rudnick I was a practicing lawyer.” Cliff recalls alone or in small firms. Tom Carter, who bar.” From that point until approximately Stoel Rives the development of the Multnomah Bar began practicing in 1966, recalls that he 1986, no minutes mentioned the subject, Ater Wynne �����(continues�� on next page) ��Cosgrave Vergeer Kester e subject of judicial independence Measures 21 and 22, which would practice law in a vacuum. People will treat The MBA and the kept a low profile in Oregon for many have adopted an electoral system that you as you treat them.” is was confirmed Fight for Judicial years, while the subject came to the fore included votes for “none of the above” by Garry’s trial practice mentors, Phil nationally on occasion over the next in uncontested elections and the Levin and Frank Pozzi. Garry feels that Independence in Oregon decades, including FDR’s plan to “pack” establishment of geographic electoral the trial lawyers were generally a collegial By Roy Pulvers, the Supreme Court in the 1930s, the districts for the state’s appellate courts. group. You knew you would see each other Lindsay, Hart Neil movement to “Impeach Earl Warren” in at coalition included not only other bar frequently.