Oregon Judicial Vacancies
Recent Vacancies
Governor Kate Brown Announces Circuit Court Vacancy Judge McLane to Resign from 22nd Judicial District
(Salem, OR) —Governor Kate Brown announced today that she is accepting applications for a judicial position on the Circuit Court for the 22nd Judicial District to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Michael McLane. The Governor thanked Judge McLane for his dedicated judicial service to Jefferson and Crook Counties, wished him well in his return to private practice in Bend, and announced that she will fill the position by appointment. Judge McLane’s resignation is effective October 10, 2021.
Interested applicants should address their completed application forms to Dustin Buehler, General Counsel, Office of the Governor, and email (no mail or hand delivery) those completed forms to Shevaun Gutridge at shevaun.gutridge@oregon.gov. Forms must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 11, 2021.
Governor Brown fills judicial vacancies based on merit. She 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. SB 977, recently passed by the Legislature, creates a new requirement. It amends ORS 3.041 and requires that these vacancies must be filled by persons who are residents of or have principal offices in the judicial districts to which they are appointed or adjacent judicial districts.
For questions about the appointment process, or to request an interest form, contact Shevaun Gutridge at 503-378-6246 or shevaun.gutridge@oregon.gov.
The judicial interest form is also available online.
Governor Brown is committed to a diverse and inclusive judiciary. The Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association (OAPABA), OGALLA, the LGBTQ Bar Association, the Oregon Chapter of the National Bar Association (OC-NBA), and the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association (OHBA) have created the Oregon Judicial Diversity Coalition (OJDC) to conduct interviews for applicants interested in receiving endorsements from those specialty bars. Applicants interested in participating in the OJDC's interview process can find information and application materials here (http://oapaba.org/judicial-endorsements). All applications to OJDC are due no later than the deadline for the application forms to the Governor.
Governor Kate Brown Announces Jackson County Justice Court Vacancy
The following candidates have submitted materials to the Governor's Office for this vacancy. Comments on any of the candidates can be made to General Counsel at Governor Kate Brown's Office, Dustin Buehler, (503) 378-6246, or dustin.e.buehler@oregon.gov.
Watson, Janice
Wente, Nathan
Zammetti, Jennifer
Governor Kate Brown Announces Linn County Justice Court Vacancy
The following candidates have submitted materials to the Governor's Office for this vacancy. Comments on any of the candidates can be made to General Counsel at Governor Kate Brown's Office, Dustin Buehler, (503) 378-6246, or dustin.e.buehler@oregon.gov.
Flinn, Michael
Hernandez, Tomas
Plagmann, Teri
Stein, Keith
Williamson, Leonard
Governor Kate Brown Announces Yamhill County Circuit Court Vacancies
The following candidates have submitted materials to the Governor's Office for this vacancy. Comments on any of the candidates can be made to General Counsel at Governor Kate Brown's Office, Dustin Buehler, (503) 378-6246, or dustin.e.buehler@oregon.gov.
Kimberly, Jayme
Matusko, Amie
Riedel, Mike
Recent Appointments
Governor Kate Brown Appoints Judges to the Lane County Circuit Court
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown announced today that she will appoint two judges to positions on the Lane County Circuit Court. Governor Brown will appoint Michelle Bassi to a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles Carlson (Position 2), and Beatrice Grace to a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Lauren Holland (Position 11). Both appointments are effective immediately.
“Michelle Bassi and Beatrice Grace are skilled lawyers with impeccable qualifications that match exactly what the Lane County Circuit Court needs right now,” said Governor Brown. “For years, both women have served their community with compassion and integrity, helping individuals navigate challenging circumstances. I have no doubt that Michelle and Beatrice will hit the ground running, ensuring that our justice system continues to serve people with fairness and equity.”
Michelle Bassi has been a civil litigator at the law firm of Thorp, Purdy, Jewett, Urness & Wilkinson in Springfield since 2013 and a partner since 2018. Bassi’s practice focuses primarily on complex plaintiff-side civil litigation and, until 2019, she also represented criminal defendants in misdemeanor cases. Recently, she began conducting employment investigations and serving as a Decision-Maker for Title IX administrative cases. Bassi received her bachelor’s degree in art history from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and her law degree from the University of Oregon. While in law school, she clerked for the Southern Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice. After graduation, Bassi clerked for Judge Douglas Mitchell and Judge Josephine Mooney on the Lane County Circuit Court and then served as a public defender for the Umpqua Valley Public Defender in Roseburg. Bassi also has been involved in her community, including serving on the board of the Springfield Education Foundation, the Oregon Law School Alumni Association, the Lane County Bar Association, and the Oregon Elder Abuse Prevention Work Group. She is a member of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and American Association for Justice.
Beatrice Grace is currently a civil litigator who represents plaintiffs in personal injury and medical malpractice cases. She received her registered nursing degree in 1991, and was an emergency room nurse for over 20 years. While working as a nurse and raising her two young children as a single mother, Grace attended law school and obtained her law degree from the University of Oregon. Immediately after, she clerked for Judge Mustafa Kasubhai when he was on the Lane County bench. Grace worked at a Eugene civil rights and injury litigation firm before returning to clerk for Judge Kasubhai and assist him with establishing his chambers after he was appointed as a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Grace then continued her work as a plaintiff’s lawyer in Eugene, drawing on her nursing, judicial clerk, and litigation experience to again represent injured individuals. In addition to her legal work, Grace has volunteered her time with the Trauma Healing Project Board, the Campaign for Equal Justice, and is a member of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and Oregon Women Lawyers.
Governor Kate Brown Appoints Miranda Summer to the Washington County Circuit Court
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown announced today that she will appoint Beaverton Municipal Court Judge Miranda S. Summer to the Washington County Circuit Court. Summer will fill the Washington County vacancy created by Judge Ramón Pagán’s recent elevation to the Oregon Court of Appeals. Her appointment is effective immediately.
“Miranda Summer is a talented and compassionate judge, who has earned the respect of litigants and lawyers alike,” Governor Brown said. “She brings an invaluable set of professional and lived experiences to the bench, and will serve the people of Washington County well.”
Summer currently serves as a judge on the Beaverton Municipal Court, where she adjudicates criminal and traffic violation cases. She also has served as a pro tem judge on the Washington County Circuit Court and as an administrative law judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings. Previously, Summer practiced as a family law attorney, representing individuals in domestic relations and dependency cases. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Regis University, and her law degree from the University of Oregon.
In addition to her judicial experience and legal practice, Summer is involved in her community and the bar. Among other things, she currently serves on the boards of the Washington County Bar Association and the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association, and has served as a member of the Oregon State Bar’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Summer was interviewed and fully vetted last year by the Governor’s Office and the local bar association as a finalist for Governor Brown’s most recent judicial appointment on the Washington County Circuit Court.