Federal District Court

Selection Committee to Interview 12 Candidates for Federal Judgeship

Portland, OR – Senator Ron Wyden announced today that the Judicial Selection Committee appointed last fall will interview 12 candidates to fill a vacant federal district court judgeship in Eugene. The candidates are:

• Suzanne Chanti, Lane County Circuit Court Judge
• Mark D. Clarke, U.S. District Court, District of Oregon Magistrate Judge
• Lauren S. Holland, Lane County Circuit Court Judge
• Hannah Horsley, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Oregon
• Bryan E. Lessley, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Eugene, Oregon
• Angel Lopez, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge
• Michael McShane, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge
• Mary Mertens James, Marion County Circuit Court Judge
• Adrienne Nelson, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge
• Per A. Ramfjord, Senior Litigation Partner at Stoel Rives LLP, Portland, Oregon
• Karsten H. Rasmussen, Lane County Circuit Court Judge
• Robert C Weaver Jr., Attorney and Partner at Garvey Schubert Barer, Portland, Oregon

The committee, selected by Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley, is being asked to recommend names to replace U.S. District Court Judge Michael Hogan, who has taken senior status.

Circuit Courts - Recent Vacancies

Governor Kitzhaber Announces Malheur County Circuit Court Vacancy

The following candidates have submitted materials to the Governor's Office for the Malheur County Circuit Court vacancy. Comments on any of the candidates can be made to General Counsel at Governor John Kitzhaber's Office, Attn. General Counsel's Office, jennifer.j.andrew@state.or.us, 503 378-6246. Please note the Governor's Office discourages letter writing campaigns.

David R. Carlson
Lung S. Hung
Manuel Perez
Brian Zanotelli

On April 5, 2003 the Board of Governors made changes to Board Policy 5.603(C) (now OSB Bylaw 2.702) regarding bar polls. Further changes were made on April 2, 2004 to change the notification authority from the Governor's Office to the bar. The changes made in 2003 eliminate the preference poll for appointments unless a request is made by the Governor or by a decision of the Board of Governors. Preference polls will still be conducted for election contests. A preference poll will not be held with respect to the appointment for this position.

A press release was issued by the Governor's Office on Tuesday, December 20, and contained the following information:

Governor Kitzhaber Announces Malhuer County Circuit Court Vacancy
Judge Pratt to Retire from Malheur County Circuit Court

(Salem, OR) — Governor Kitzhaber announced today that he is accepting applications for a judicial position on the Circuit Court for Malheur County to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge J. Burdette Pratt. The Governor thanked Judge Pratt for his service to Malheur County and said he will fill the position by appointment. Judge Pratt's retirement takes effect April 1, 2012.

Anyone interested in filling the position must submit an Interest Form for Judicial Appointments to the Governor's office by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 9, 2012. Please note that the interest form has been recently updated. Interested applicants should mail or deliver the forms to: Liani J. Reeves, General Counsel, Office of the Governor, 900 Court Street NE, Salem, OR 97301-4047.

Governor Kitzhaber fills judicial vacancies based on merit. He encourages applications from lawyers with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.

ORS 3.041 and 3.050 provide that at the time of appointment to the court, the candidate must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Oregon and a member of the Oregon State Bar. ORS 3.041 requires that this vacancy must be filled by an applicant who is a resident of or have a principal office in Malheur County. ORS 3.041(5) provides the required length of time for the residency requirements.

To receive answers to questions about the appointment process, or to request an interest form, contact Jen Andrew (503-378-6246). The Interest Form for Judicial Appointments is also available online at http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/judicial.shtml

If you have questions about the Governor's process, please contact the Governor's Office directly. If you have questions or comments about the Oregon State Bar's process, please contact Amanda Roeser at aroeser@osbar.org or 1-800-452-8260, ext. 376.

Recent Appointments

Governor Kitzhaber Announces Appointments of Lindsay Partridge and David Leith to the Marion County Circuit Court

(Salem, OR) — Governor Kitzhaber today announced the appointments of Lindsay R. Partridge and David E. Leith to fill the vacancies on the Marion County Circuit Court created by the retirements of Judges John B. Wilson and Joseph C. Guimond.
 
“Mr. Partridge brings a long history of serving juveniles and representing indigent clients, which will be a valuable addition to the bench,” said Governor Kitzhaber. “He will also bring compassion, empathy and an understanding of the circumstances that bring our state’s citizens into contact with our courts.”
 
Mr. Partridge received a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Willamette University, both with Honors. He has most recently practiced as a solo practitioner with an emphasis in juvenile law, including delinquency, dependency, termination of parental rights, and juvenile, guardianship and adoption cases. He also has a background in indigent criminal defense. He has been serving as a pro tem judge in Marion County and served as a municipal judge for the City of Salem from 1998-2005. Mr. Partridge is the past president of the Marion County Bar Association and past chairperson of the Criminal Law Section of the Oregon State Bar. He has strong ties to the community, including serving as Team Leader on the Willamette Valley American Inns of Court, as a member of the Marion County Commission for Children and Families, and as a member of the Marion County Juvenile Advocacy Consortium.
 
“Mr. Leith is one of the State's most valued lawyers,” said Governor Kitzhaber. “His long service to the Department of Justice and as a public sector attorney will be a great loss to the Department but a great asset for the Marion County Circuit Court and the people of Marion County. He will be a fair and patient judge with a diligent commitment to the rule of law.”
 
Mr. Leith received a Bachelor of Arts from Whitman College and a Doctor of Jurisprudence, Order of the Coif, from the University of Oregon School of Law. After law school, he clerked at the Oregon Court of Appeals for the Honorable John H. Buttler and for the Honorable Susan M. Leeson. Since 1994, he has been with the Oregon Department of Justice and has served in several different roles including Attorney-in-Charge of the Special Litigation Unit (SLU) and most recently as the Associate Attorney General. As a member of SLU, Mr. Leith handled some of the State’s most important and complex litigation including constitutional challenges to state statutes and programs. As Associate Attorney General, he serves as part of the Attorney General’s Executive Team and as Chief Counsel of the General Counsel Division. He works on a diverse range of issues that impact Oregonians every day. Mr. Leith is a member of the Marion County Bar Association and has served on various law improvement committees, including the Oregon Administrative Hearings Oversight Committee, the Administrative Rules Advisory Committee, and as past chair of the Constitutional Law Section of the Oregon State Bar.  

Governor Kitzhaber Appoints Norman Hill to the Polk County Circuit Court

(Salem, OR) — Governor Kitzhaber today announced the appointment of Norman R. Hill to fill the vacancy on the Polk County Circuit Court created by the retirement of Judge Fred E. Avera.

"Norm Hill's reputation as an attorney is that he is extremely bright, hard working and always the utmost professional in his dealings with his clients, opposing parties, opposing counsel and the courts," said Governor Kitzhaber of Mr. Hill's appointment. "He also has widespread support from the Polk County community and has a long history of being a committed volunteer and public servant. His transition to public service as a judge on the Polk County Circuit Court will be an easy one for Mr. Hill to make."

Norman Hill received his Bachelor of Arts from California State University and his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Willamette University College of Law. He has been in private practice his entire career, first as an associate and eventually a partner at Martinis & Hill. Mr. Hill brings a strong background in representing individuals and local businesses in civil matters, including in the areas of real estate, business, land use and civil litigation. Mr. Hill is active in the community, including the West Salem Rotary, West Salem Little League where he serves as President and a board member, and the Willamette Valley Inns of Court.

Governor Kitzhaber Appoints Oscar Garcia to the Washington County Circuit Court

(Salem, OR) — Governor Kitzhaber today announced the appointment of Oscar Garcia to fill the vacancy on the Washington County Circuit Court created by the retirement of Judge Steven L. Price.

"Mr. Garcia has a diverse practice background and deep ties to Washington County," said Governor Kitzhaber of Oscar Garcia's appointment. "He has been a passionate and effective advocate for his clients and has a long, demonstrated commitment to ensuring access to justice as an attorney. I am pleased that he wants to serve the community of Washington County in this new role and know that he will be a fair and impartial judge."

Oscar Garcia received his Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and his Doctor of Jurisprudence from University of Oregon School of Law. Mr. Garcia started his legal career at the Metropolitan Public Defender Services, Inc office. In 1998, he opened up his own practice in Hillsboro specializing in criminal defense in state and federal court and also has handled family and juvenile law matters. He also serves as an advisory attorney to the Consulate of Mexico, Portland, Oregon, Office, and has developed and taught a class on Latinos in the Law at University of Oregon School of Law. Prior to law school, he served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Forces and the Oregon National Guard and continued to serve in his early years as a practicing attorney in Washington County.

Mr. Garcia is actively involved with civic and community service. He is a member of the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Washington County Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, and the Spanish Language Legal Network Directory where he serves as Editor and production coordinator. He also serves on the Oregon State Bar's Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee and has participated in mentoring activities for high school, college and law students.