JUNE 2019 Barriers to Justice For Low-Income Oregonians, Civil Legal Needs Outpace Resources LAWPAY IS FIVE STAR! In our firm, it's actually fun to do our billings and get paid. I send our bills out first thing in the morning and more than half are paid by lunchtime. LawPay makes my day! – Cheryl Ischy, Legal Administrator Austin, Texas Trusted by more than 35,000 firms and Rated ‘5-Star’ on PAYMENT INBOX INVOICE PAID $775.00 [email protected] INVOICE PAID $1,500.00 THE #1 PAYMENT SOLUTION [email protected] FOR LAW FIRMS Getting paid should be the easiest part of your job, and with INVOICE PAID $900.00 [email protected] LawPay, it is! However you run your firm, LawPay's flexible, easy-to-use system can work for you. Designed specifically for the legal industry, your earned/unearned fees are PAYMENT RECEIVED properly separated and your IOLTA is always protected against third-party debiting. Give your firm, and your clients, the benefit of easy online payments with LawPay. Now accept check payments online at 0% and only $2 per transaction! Proud Member Benefit Provider for the Oregon State Bar 888-497-0131 or visit lawpay.com/osbar LawPay is a registered agent of Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Concord, CA and Citizens Bank, N.A., Providence, RI. OREGON STATE BAR BULLETIN JUNE 2019 VOLUME 79 • NUMBER 8 More than 84 percent of low-income Oregonians with legal problems do not receive any kind of legal assistance, according to the commissioned study “Barriers to Justice.” Weaving personal tales of how Legal Aid has helped those lucky enough to access its resources with dire statistics for those not as fortunate, writer Janay Haas reports on why this is a major issue in Oregon. FEATURES 19 Barriers to Justice For Low-Income Oregonians, Civil Legal Needs Outpace Resources By Janay Haas 26 From Classroom to Career Associateships, Internships, Fellowships Connect Students and Employers By Melody Finnemore COLUMNS 5 From the Editor 36 Law & life It Takes a Village On the Road Again: Legal By Gary M. Stein Lessons Abound on Family’s Cross-Country Trip 11 Bar Counsel By Jehan El-Jourbagy The Secret to Your Solution: Frame Your Call to the 42 President’s Message Ethics Helpline Breaking Down By Nik Chourey Barriers: Learning Lab Offers a Chance to 15 The Legal Writer Confront Systemic Bias Don’t Sell Short on By Christine R. Costantino Semicolons: Increasing Value in Your Writing Portfolio By Suzanne E. Rowe 32 Profiles in the Law No Barriers, No Limits: Elliott Dale Advocates for Families Experiencing Disability By Phil Favorite The Oregon State Bar Bulletin (ISSN 0030-4816) is the official publication of the Oregon State Bar. The Bulletin is published 10 times a year (monthly except bimonthly in February/March and August/ DEPARTMENTS September) by the Oregon State Bar, 16037 S.W. 7 Letters 50 Bar People Upper Boones Ferry Road, Tigard, OR 97224. The Bulletin is mailed to all members of the Oregon State 9 Briefs Among Ourselves Bar, a portion of the dues for which is allocated Moves 44 Bar News for the purpose of a subscription. The Bulletin is In Memoriam also available by subscription to others for $50 per 46 Bar Actions year, $90 per two years, within the United States. Lawyer Announcements Discipline Individual copies are $5; back issues are $5 each, 55 Classifieds when available. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, 49 OSB CLE Oregon 97208. POSTMASTER: Send address 59 Attorneys’ Marketplace changes to Oregon State Bar, P.O. Box 231935, 62 Photo Finish Tigard, OR 97281-1935. A Peek into the Past 4 OREGON STATE BAR BULLETIN • JUNE 2019 FROM THE EDITOR It Takes a Village By Gary M. Stein as we do. A lawyer who specializes in That’s where the advisory committee representing winemakers, she also serves comes in. Before assigning stories, as assistant editor of the Real Estate and I will seek guidance and input from Land Use Digest (which publishes six members. Are there stories we’re missing? times a year) and edits the Administrative Are we talking to the best sources? Are Law Section newsletter. we making sure that everything we write Who better to chair the bar’s first is fair and accurate? At all times, are we Editorial Advisory Committee? moving the dialogue forward and taking our readers to a better place by providing “I was interested in this committee context and acknowledging nuance? because I honestly believe in the power of communications to create community,” Parker said. “The bonds we Continued on next page ... as the committee can identify will foster our mutual connections as lawyers and members of the bar. “Whether it’s writing for the bar or Our Editorial Policy by the bar,” she added between bites of Bulletin File Photo Caeser salad, “I’m happy to be involved.” All articles published in the Bulletin The committee was approved earlier must be germane to the law, lawyers, hen Associate Editor Mike this year by the Board of Governors to the practice of law, the courts and Austin and I met Judy Parker provide guidance on editorial policies and judicial system, legal education or for lunch last month, it didn’t W content for the Bulletin. Its members, who the Oregon State Bar. All opinions, take long for us to understand that we met for the first time in late May, include statements and conclusions expressed had a lot in common with the chair of Parker and lawyers Craig Crispin, Teresa the Oregon State Bar’s new Editorial in submitted articles appearing in the Statler and Pete Meyers of Portland; Bulletin are those of the author(s) and Advisory Committee. Elizabeth Rosso of Lake Oswego; Carol not of the editor, other editorial staff, “Three copy editors gathered around DeHaven Skerjanec of Vale; and Sara employees of the Oregon State Bar or the table,” she said with a laugh as we Urch of Salem. Christine Moses, the reviewed the committee’s official charge director of communications for the Lake members of the Board of Governors. over a meal of pasta and salad, “and no Oswego School District, will serve as a Publication of any article is not an one noticed that they misspelled the public member. Lawyer Julia Rice will endorsement of the opinions, state- name of the magazine?” represent the Board of Governors. ments and conclusions expressed by “Bulliten,” the document said, and all Together, we will work closely to the author(s). Publication of an ad- Austin and I could do was groan — well, ensure that the Bulletin’s content is vertisement is not an endorsement of that and quickly realize that Parker and topical, thought-provoking and of interest that product or service. Any content her advisory committee are going to play a to significant segments of the bar. That’s attributed to the Oregon State Bar crucial role in helping us produce a really what I’ve tried to do since becoming or the Board of Governors is labeled terrific magazine. editor in March, of course, but as I’ve with an OSB logo at the top of the Like us, Parker is a “big language pointed out in this space before, I’m new page or within advertising to indicate nerd”; she loves grammar, spelling and to the bar world and not a lawyer. I know its source or attribution. punctuation. But more than that, she the right questions to ask, but not always loves the art of storytelling just as much who to approach for answers. HOW TO REACH US: Call (800) 452-8260, or in the Portland area call (503) 620-0222. Email addresses and voicemail extension numbers for Bulletin staff are: Gary M. Stein, editor, [email protected] (ext. 391); Mike Austin, associate editor, [email protected] (ext. 340); Kay Pulju, communications director, kpulju@ osbar.org (ext. 402); and Spencer Glantz, classified ads and lawyer announcement ad rates and details, [email protected] (ext. 356). The fax number is (503) 684-1366. For display advertising, contact LLM Publications at (503) 445-2240, [email protected]. JUNE 2019 • OREGON STATE BAR BULLETIN 5 That’s a big ask, to be sure, but the truth is that it really does take a village to produce a quality magazine. It requires writers, editors, designers and advertising salespeople, needless to say, but a really great publication also needs content that reflects its audience through the inclusion of diverse voices. The Editorial Advisory Committee will help us do that by making sure that we’re seeing the world through a variety of lenses. Reminding us to spell the magazine’s name correctly? That will be a big plus, too. n Reach Editor Gary M. Stein at (503) 431-6391 or by email at [email protected]. Advisory Committee Charge Here is the Board of Governors’ charge to the new Editorial Advisory Committee: General Provide guidance on editorial policies and content for the bar Bulletin. Work closely with the editor to ensure the magazine’s content is topical, thought-provoking, aligned with the bar’s mission and of interest to significant segments of the bar. Specific 1. Review and recommend editorial policies for approval by the Board of Governors. 2. Identify and develop topics for feature articles and columns of general interest to Oregon bar members and/or that support identified OSB priorities. 3. Recruit volunteer authors as needed; identify bar members and others as potential sources for feature articles assigned to contract writers. 4. Work with volunteer authors who have submitted articles that need revision before further consideration.