OWLS Mourns Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by the Honorable Allison Boomer N September 18, the Beginning of Rosh Hashanah, We Lost Justice Ruth Bader Oginsburg
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TM Published Quarterly by Oregon Women Lawyers Volume 31, No. 4 Fall 2020 OWLS Mourns Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg By the Honorable Allison Boomer n September 18, the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, we lost Justice Ruth Bader OGinsburg. It was a gut punch during an especially harsh year. I took my time to mourn, but I know that Justice Ginsburg would want us to march on. When I think about the work we do to advance OWLS’ mission, so much connects back In This Issue to Justice Ginsburg’s life and work. Here are some Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the lessons I have learned from Justice Ginsburg and my fervent wishes for our future. Children in Immigration Custody We can persevere through significant adversity. Black Lives Matter Movement Justice Ginsburg’s mother died when the future President’s Message justice was still a teenager. Justice Ginsburg en- tered law school—one of only nine women in her Diploma Privilege Justice Ginsburg and Susan Hammer in 2008 class—and finished first in her class while caring for Renew Your Membership her young daughter and her beloved husband, Marty, as he battled cancer. Despite her record, she Upcoming OWLS Events struggled to find employment, explaining, “A Jew, a woman, and a mother, that was a bit much. 1 Public Speaking Skills Three strikes put me out of the game.” In her later years, she battled numerous bouts of cancer, never missing a day on the bench and starting her famous weight-training routine to regain her Business Development health. May we tackle the challenges we face with tenacity. Judges’ Forum Be strategic and play the long game. As an ACLU attorney, Justice Ginsburg developed a body From Our Winter 2009 Issue of law on gender discrimination, selecting each case carefully and arguing it skillfully. In her later years on the Court, Justice Ginsburg became known—notorious, perhaps—for her dissents. Yet Remembering Susan Hammer as we know, some of the best dissents become majority opinions. Her dissent in Ledbetter2 led to Racism in the Legal Profession the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009. In 2017, Oregon expanded its equal pay GrOWLS protection to include all members of protected classes. May we remain focused on the future and find opportunity in defeat. Continued on page 6 Queens Bench, Landmark Case Judge Danielle Hunsaker What Happens to OWLS Members Chief Justice Walters Award In Praise of Difficult Women All the Children in Participate in Black Lives A Lucky Encounter Immigration Custody? Matter Movement Speakers Needed By Chanpone Sinlapasai By Joslyn Keating Call for Volunteers any of us have seen the images of chil- ollowing the May 25 murder of George Seeking Award Nominees dren in cages or separated from fam- Floyd, an unarmed Black man, at the Mily members. Misinformation abounds Fhands of Minneapolis police, the Black about the immigration process for children, how Lives Matter (BLM) movement rapidly gained they are cared for and protected, and why their momentum, sparking worldwide, months-long cases intersect with criminal, family, and juvenile protests against police brutality and systemic law. One question commonly asked is, what hap- racism. Oregon, and particularly Portland, was pens to all the children in immigration custody? a hotbed for protests this summer, and many It is important to remember that immigration OWLS members participated in those protests. law is civil law, meaning administrative law. De- Some members’ experiences were relatively tained children are not provided court-appointed uneventful but profound. For example, in June, attorneys at any point in the removal process. In Gina, whose last name is omitted because of pri- immigration law there are two systems for chil- vacy concerns, attended a small protest of fewer dren: one for children who are detained at the than 20 people in her rural, mostly Republican, Continued on page 16 Continued on page 14 OREGON WOMEN LAWYERS AdvanceSheet 1 FALL 2020 President’s Message ello, my fellow OWLS, words I need- Can I be honest with you? ed to hear. HHere goes. I am feeling over- I want to whelmed. I have known the deadline repeat them to draft my AdvanceSheet President’s to all of you. President Maya Crawford Peacock Message for weeks. Have I written it? No. These are President-Elect But I have a great outline for the column not ordinary Jacqueline Alarcón I wanted to write on the topic of crisis times and or- Secretary fatigue. The truth is, I am too fatigued dinary expec- Adele Ridenour to write it. Like every person reading this tations do not Treasurer Kristin Sterling (and every person too overwhelmed and apply. I am Maya Crawford Peacock Historian otherwise occupied to read it), I am tread- also trying to Keshmira McVey ing water in the pandemic sea of chaos. follow the excellent advice of Kyra Haz- Board Members I wanted to give voice to the work- illa, from a training on trauma she gave Elizabeth Ballard Colgrove Mary Dougherty ing parents struggling to home school recently. We need to be kind to ourselves, Sara Kobak traumatized kids while trying to keep recognize that we are all being trauma- Ericka Langone Emily Lohman their $#^& together and do their jobs tized right now, and give ourselves a little May Low well. I wanted to share my grief with grace. Kyra’s other advice: connect with Marisa Moneyhun Jennifer Nicholls our community members whose lives gratitude. In the midst of it all, I do have Jessica Price have literally burned down around them so much to be grateful for. My wife and Sheeba Roberts Silvia Tanner due to the wildfires ripping through our daughter, friends and family, wonderful Amanda Thorpe state. I wanted to write about how the colleagues, and this OWLS community, Alejandra Torres Kalia Walker death of RBG and the upcoming election to name a few. I am holding space in Past Presidents have me so anxious that my undyed roots the chaos to be grateful for you all, and Hon. Allison Boomer are three shades more gray. We have a hope you can do the same. Some days Amber Hollister Angela Franco Lucero president who refuses to denounce white we fight, and some days we rest so that Laura Craska Cooper supremacy, and yesterday I read that two tomorrow we can fight. Elizabeth Tedesco Milesnick Kendra Matthews current Supreme Court justices want Please remember that the Oregon At- Kathleen Rastetter to reconsider Obergefell and perhaps torney Assistance Program offers great Megan Livermore Heather L. Weigler destroy my family. So, there it is, I didn’t programs and counseling. Please reach Concetta Schwesinger do my homework. out to the OAAP attorney counselors if Gwyneth McAlpine Heather Van Meter The smart and compassionate Linda you need help. Laura Caldera Taylor Tomassi called me today, and kindly told Kellie Johnson Norma S. Freitas me I was off the hook. She gave me ten Kate A. Wilkinson minutes to write a short message, and Jennifer K. De Wald Sarah J. Crooks reminded me that these are not ordinary Elizabeth Schwartz times, and that ordinary expectations Maya Crawford Peacock Lori E. Deveny Debra Pilcher Velure do not apply. Wow, were those ever the President, Oregon Women Lawyers Marilyn E. Litzenberger Teresa M. Kraemer Patricia L. Heatherman Julie Levie Caron OWLS, OFALA, OGALLA, and the MBA Phylis Chadwell Myles Helle Rode Diana Craine Advocate for Diploma Privilege Kathryn M. Ricciardelli Agnes Sowle t the end of September, OWLS, the Oregon Filipino American Lawyers Katherine H. O’Neil Association (OFALA), OGALLA—Oregon’s LGBT Bar Association, and the Executive Director Linda Tomassi Multnomah Bar Association (MBA) sent a letter to Chief Justice Martha [email protected] A Walters advocating for diploma privilege for all 2020 Oregon law school graduates. Editor Elise Gautier Click here to read the letter. www.oregonwomenlawyers.org Our mission is to transform the practice of law and ensure justice and equality by advancing women and minorities in the legal profession. OREGON WOMEN LAWYERS AdvanceSheet 2 FALL 2020 It’s Time to Renew Upcoming OWLS Events Your OWLS Queen’s Bench Monthly The Mindful Lawyer: A Guide to Presentation the Practice of Mindfulness Membership Featuring Multnomah County Wednesday, October 28, noon–1 p.m. hank you for your member- Circuit Court Judge Kelly Skye No cost. Register online. ship. Your ongoing support Tuesday, October 13, noon–1 p.m. Tallows OWLS to continue to via Zoom and Facebook Live Queen’s Bench Monthly provide unique programming and No cost. Register online. Presentation, Self-Represented opportunities for women and others Parties: A view from the bench outside the dominant culture at all OWLS Welcomes 1L Law Students Featuring Multnomah County Circuit stages of their legal careers. OWLS Wednesday, October 14, 5–6 p.m. Court Judge Pat McGuire, Oregon Tax has accomplished much in our 31-year via Zoom Court Judge Robert Manicke, and history. We are especially proud of No cost. Register online. Magistrate Allison Boomer all that our members have achieved, Tuesday, November 10, noon–1 p.m. leading law firms, courts, government Ballot Measure Breakdown via Zoom and Facebook Live bodies, nonprofit organizations, and No cost. Register online. more. Yet, more work remains to be Thursday, October 15, 2–3:30 p.m. done as we continue to pursue our via Zoom mission to transform the practice of No cost. Register online. Lane County Women Lawyers law and ensure justice and equality A recording of the event will be made Presentation of 2nd Annual by promoting women and minorities available afterward. Chief Justice Martha Walters Award in the legal profession.