Law Faculty a Valuable Resource for Media

July 21, 2009

Although school is out for the summer, the College of Law faculty has continued to serve as an important resource for local and national media outlets, which have come to rely on the College of Law’s wealth of expertise. From May to July, the law faculty was quoted in the news more than a dozen times.

Highlights include the following:

• Steven K. Green was quoted in a number of newspapers and magazine this summer, including coverage of a faith-healing trial held in Portland and an article on church-state issues in Harper’s Magazine.

• Jeffrey Standen was interviewed about sports law issues by The New York Times in mid-May. He also appeared on the Sirius Radio news program UnderScore Sports.

• Susan L. Smith appeared on OPB Radio in June to discuss a potential recall against Portland Mayor Sam Adams.

• Warren H. Binford wrote an opinion piece for the Statesman Journal on the constitutional rights of teens in May.

• Jeffrey C. Dobbins was interviewed about the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings on KPOJ AM 620, a progressive talk radio station in Portland.

• Norman R. Williams appeared on KGW TV News Channel 8 in Portland to discuss Oregon House Bill 2556, which limits the federal government’s control over the National Guard.

• Professor Richard Birke discussed the value of negotiation in commerce in the business section of The Oregonian in July.

Frances Burge Appointed to Bench

June 11, 2009

In early June, Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced the appointment of WUCL alumna Frances Burge JD'98 to the Douglas County Circuit Court bench.

“Frances Burge will bring her extensive knowledge of criminal law to the court,” the governor said in a press release. “I am very pleased to appoint a lawyer of her work ethic to serve as a judge. I am also pleased to appoint the first Hispanic judge to the Douglas County Circuit Court bench. I believe her service on the bench will be an asset to the citizens of Douglas County and the state of Oregon.”

Burge received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California–Davis and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Willamette University. She has worked for the Douglas County District Attorney's Office for nearly 10 years, including the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team and the Douglas County Drug Court.

Burge was selected from among 10 local attorneys who applied for the position. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge William Lasswell, also a Willamette University graduate.

Burge's appointment will last until May 2010, when she plans to run in the election for a full term. The appointment becomes effective July 1, but the date she will begin serving as judge has not been set.

Lopez Appointed to Circuit Court

May 20, 2009

Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced the appointment of WUCL alumnus Angel G. Lopez JD’78 to the Multnomah County Circuit Court on May 8, 2009. The governor said he was pleased to appoint Lopez to the Multnomah County bench, adding that Lopez will bring a strong work ethic, judicious temperament and a great breadth of experience to the judicial position.

Lopez earned his Bachelor of Arts from Occidental College in 1975 and his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Willamette University College of Law in 1978. He is a partner in the Portland law firm Squires & Lopez PC with his spouse, Wendy J. Squires JD’79. Their practice covers all aspects of criminal law, with a special focus placed on representing Spanish-speaking individuals.

Lopez was president of the Oregon State Bar in 2002. He now serves as a board member of the Guadalajara Sister City Exchange, Northwest Justice Project and Portland Defense Consortium, as well as legal adviser to the Mexican Consulate. In February 2008, Lopez received the Honorable Paul J. De Muniz Professionalism Award from the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association.

Lopez’s appointment to the Court will be effective July 1, 2009.

WUCL Graduates Class of 2009

May 18, 2009

On Sunday, May 17, proud parents, family and friends gathered on the Willamette University campus to celebrate the Class of 2009’s graduation. Dean Symeon C. Symeonides warmly welcomed students, faculty and guests to the College of Law’s 123rd commencement and hooding ceremony. President M. Lee Pelton led the conferring of degrees, while Symeonides presented 130 Doctor of Jurisprudence degrees and two Master of Laws degrees to the class.

The graduates were introduced by Professor Paul A. Diller and Professor Jeffrey A. Standen and hooded by Professor Yvonne A. Tamayo and Professor Emeritus Ross R. Runkel, all of whom were selected by the graduates to participate in the ceremony.

The Class of 2009 was led by John C. Davis, who graduated summa cum laude. Julie M. Jarvis, Marcus R. Whitney, David A. Anderson, Angela W. Bennett, Jeffrey C. Rhoades, Dorothy R. Ryan, Sara A. Cassidey and Stephanie E. Carter graduated magna cum laude. Scott W. Bennett, Jon C. Kulas, Brian R. Wilson, Patrick M. Gregg, Andrea J. Breinholt, David L. Anderson, Emily J. Pringle, Tatjana T. Queener, David L. Fox and Christine R. Olson graduated cum laude.

Professor Valerie J. Vollmar JD’75 introduced the commencement speaker, Justice Virginia L. Linder JD’80 of the Oregon Supreme Court. A Colorado native, Linder earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern Oregon University before enrolling in Willamette University College of Law. After graduating in 1980, she began her career as assistant attorney general in the Appellate Division of the Oregon Department of Justice. She was named assistant solicitor general of Oregon in 1984. Two years later, she was promoted to solicitor general, the chief appellate lawyer for the state. Linder was appointed to the Oregon Court of Appeals by Gov. John Kitzhaber in 1997. She made a successful bid for a seat on the Oregon Supreme Court in 2006 and was sworn in as the 99th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court in 2007.

Carrasco Nominated for Hispanic Affairs Commission

May 15, 2009

The College of Law is pleased to announce that Professor Gilbert Paul Carrasco was nominated for the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs by Gov. Ted Kulongoski in early May. The commission, which is comprised of nine appointees, the speaker of the House and the Senate president, works for the implementation of economic, social, legal and political equality of Hispanics in Oregon.

Carrasco is an expert in civil rights law, immigration law and constitutional law. He is the author of three national casebooks on these subjects and numerous law review articles. He has taught as a visiting professor at Lewis & Clark, Oregon, San Diego, Seton Hall and Willamette. He also studied for extended periods at Oxford, Stanford, Hastings and George Washington. He teaches Civil Rights, Constitutional Law and Employment Discrimination.

Carrasco gathered a wealth of practical experience in civil rights litigation in Washington, D.C. He served in the U.S. Department of Justice, first as a special assistant to the deputy assistant attorney general, then as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division and finally as a consultant. He also worked in the National Center for Immigrants’ Rights and as the national director of Immigration Services for the U.S. Catholic Conference. In 2008, he joined the board of directors of the Oregon chapter of the American Constitution Society.

Carrasco, who expects to testify on the nomination for the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs for final confirmation within the month, said he hopes “to bring legal expertise to the policy positions the commission takes and to assist in initiating and developing responses to legislative proposals that implicate the rights of Latinos in Oregon.”