(6/23/26) 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 Tina Kotek's Office, Richard Lane, (503) 378-6246, or richard.lane@oregon.gov.
(6/5/26) 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 Tina Kotek's Office, Richard Lane, (503) 378-6246, or richard.lane@oregon.gov.
(5/29/26) 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 Tina Kotek's Office, Richard Lane, (503) 378-6246, or richard.lane@oregon.gov.
(2/12/26) Governor Tina Kotek announced today that Judge Nan Waller and Amy Holmes Hehn have announced their retirement from the Multnomah County bench May 1 and June 1, respectively. The Governor thanks both judges for their service. Both of these positions will be on the May primary ballot. The filing deadline is March 10, 2026.
(10/23/25) Portland, OR – Governor Tina Kotek announced today that she is accepting applications for a judicial vacancy on the Klamath County Circuit Court created by the upcoming resignation of Judge Alycia Edgeworth Kersey. The Governor thanked Judge Kersey for her dedicated judicial service and announced that she will fill the position by appointment. Judge Kersey's resignation takes effect November 30, 2025.
Interested applicants should address their completed application forms to Richard A. Lane, 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 Thursday, November 20, 2025.
The Governor 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. In addition, ORS 3.041(2) requires the vacancy to be filled by a person who is a resident of or has a principal office in the judicial district or an adjacent judicial district.
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
The Oregon Judicial Diversity Coalition (OJDC) is a coalition of affinity bar organizations which jointly conducts interviews with judicial applicants interested in seeking endorsement(s) from OJDC's member organizations. OJDC Members include: the Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association (OAPABA), the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association (OHBA), the Oregon Chapter of the National Bar Association (OC-NBA), OGALLA - the Oregon LGBTQIA+ Bar Association, the South Asian Bar Association of Oregon (SABA), the Oregon Attorneys with Disabilities Association (OADA), the Oregon Muslim Bar Association (OMBA), and the Oregon Arab Iranian Bar Association (OAIBA). Applicants interested in participating in OJDC's interview process can find information and application materials here. All applications to OJDC are due no later than the deadline for the application forms to the Governor.
(1/17/25) The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit invites applications from highly qualified candidates for the position of Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Oregon. This position will be available immediately, however, the selection process may take up to 18 months to complete. The official duty station for this position is in Eugene, OR. The term of office is 14 years with a possible renewal appointment subject to reappointment procedures. The current salary is $223,836 per annum.
The deadline for receipt of all application materials, including hard copy via mail delivery and electronic copy via email: 5:00 p.m. (Pacific) on Thursday, February 6, 2025. A full public notice for the U.S. Bankruptcy Judge position, qualification requirements, and application instructions are available at the Bankruptcy Court's website.
(12/03/24)
The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full-time United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon to fill the vacancy created by Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai's recent confirmation as a U.S. District Judge. The term of office is eight (8) years. The current annual salary of the position is $223,836. The official location of the position is in Eugene, Oregon.
Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on January 17, 2025.
A full public notice for the U.S. Magistrate Judge position, qualification requirements, and application instructions are available at the District Court's website.
(4/25/24) 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 Tina Kotek's Office, Richard Lane, (503) 378-6246, or richard.lane@oregon.gov.
The Oregon Judicial Diversity Coalition (OJDC) is a coalition of affinity bar organizations which jointly conducts interviews with judicial applicants interested in seeking endorsement(s) from OJDC's member organizations. OJDC Members include: the Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association (OAPABA), the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association (OHBA), the Oregon Chapter of the National Bar Association (OC-NBA), OGALLA - the Oregon LGBTQIA+ Bar Association, the South Asian Bar Association of Oregon (SABA), the Oregon Attorneys with Disabilities Association (OADA), the Oregon Muslim Bar Association (OMBA), and the Oregon Arab Iranian Bar Association (OAIBA). Applicants interested in participating in OJDC's interview process can find information and application materials here. All applications to OJDC are due no later than the deadline for the application forms to the Governor.
(7/17/26) Governor Tina Kotek announced today that she will appoint Zohra Bakhtary Tourville to the Washington County Circuit Court. Judge Bakhtary Tourville will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Theodore Sims. Her appointment is effective immediately.
Zohra Bakhtary Tourville is currently serving as a Beaverton Municipal Court Judge. There she leads the nationally recognized B-SOBR treatment court, a DUII program designed for high-risk, high-need individuals with multiple DUII convictions. Judge Bakhtary Tourville is a native of Kabul, Afghanistan and came to the United States as a refugee.
A photograph of Judge Bakhtary Tourville can be found here.
(6/22/26) Governor Tina Kotek announced today that she will appoint Nathan J. Lichvarcik to the Lane County Circuit Court Bench. Mr. Lichvarcik will fill the vacancy created by the upcoming resignation of Judge Debra K. Vogt. His appointment is effective August 1, 2026.
Nathan Lichvarcik is an experienced criminal law attorney with the United States Attorney's Office. He has worked in the Eugene office for the previous 14 years and has been the Branch Supervisor for the Eugene and Medford offices since 2020. Mr. Lichvarcik has also taught Trial Advocacy at the University of Oregon Law School for the last 10 years.
(1/15/26) Governor Tina Kotek announced that she will appoint J. Logan Joseph to the Union County Justice Court. Mr. Joseph will fill the judicial position created by the upcoming resignation date of Judge Rick Dall. His appointment is effective February 1, 2026.
Logan Joseph is an Oregon native who earned his juris doctorate degree from Willamette University. Mr. Joseph is an experienced general legal practitioner with an emphasis on criminal defense and he is active in his local community.
(1/5/26) Governor Tina Kotek announced that she will appoint Michelle S. Bartov to the Clackamas County Circuit Court. Ms. Bartov will fill the judicial position created by the passage of SB 95. Her appointment is effective January 1, 2026. Michelle Bartov is an experienced criminal defense attorney working as a member of the public defense consortium and as the deputy executive director of the Clackamas Indigent Defense Corporation.
A photograph of Ms. Bartov can be found here.
(1/5/26) Governor Tina Kotek announced that she will appoint Jessica E. May and Allison E. Knight to the Lane County Circuit Court. They will fill the two judicial positions created by the passage of SB 95. Their appointments are effective January 1, 2026. Jessica May is an experienced family law practitioner currently employed by Arnold Law in Eugene. Ms. May is a native Oregonian, has deep ties to Lane County, and is active in the local community. Allison Knight received her juris doctorate from the University of Oregon. She is currently the lead mental health attorney at Public Defenders Services of Lane County and is heavily involved in the community tackling mental health issues within Lane County and the State of Oregon.
A photograph of Ms. May can be found here.
A photograph of Ms. Knight can be found here.
(12/9/25) Governor Tina Kotek announced today that she will appoint Cadence L. Whiteley to the Douglas County Circuit Court. Ms. Whiteley will fill the judicial position created by the passage of SB 95. Her appointment is effective January 1, 2026.
Ms. Whiteley is a proud native of Douglas County. She received both her bachelor's degree and juris doctorate from the University of Oregon, and she is currently an attorney at Dole Coalwell in Roseburg. Ms. Whiteley was previously an attorney at the Umpqua Valley Public Defender.
A photograph of Ms. Whiteley can be found here.
(11/12/25) – Salem, OR – Governor Tina Kotek announced that she will appoint Paul “Kevin” Kelley as District Attorney of Curry County. Kelley will fill a vacancy created by the upcoming resignation of Joshua Spansail. The appointment is effective November 18, 2025.
Kelley, an experienced prosecutor, is a graduate of Lewis and Clark Law School and has served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Curry County District Attorney's Office since 2019. He previously served over 10 years as a Deputy District Attorney in the Washington County District Attorney's Office.
A photograph of Mr. Kelley can be found here.
(06/11/25) – Salem, OR – Today, Governor Tina Kotek announced she will appoint Colleen F. Gilmartin to the Clackamas County Circuit Court. Ms. Gilmartin will fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Judge Kathie Steele. Her appointment is effective June 30, 2025.
Colleen Gilmartin has been a Clackamas County Circuit Court judge pro tem since 2018, serving as lead judge for the Clackamas County Juvenile Court, Community Court, and adult civil commitment cases. Prior to her judicial service she was a prosecutor with the Clackamas County District Attorney's Office for 15 years.
A photograph of Ms. Gilmartin can be found here.
(05/05/25) – Salem, OR – Governor Tina Kotek announced today that she will appoint Adele Ridenour to the Multnomah County bench. Ms. Ridenour will fill the vacancy created by the upcoming resignation of Judge Beth Allen. Her appointment is effective July 1, 2025.
Adele Ridenour specializes in complex, multi-party litigation, with a focus on representing aggrieved homeowners, affordable housing organizations, and other property owners in construction defect and design disputes for Markowitz Herbold, PC. Ms. Ridenour is involved in the legal community and is serving as a volunteer pro tem judge for Washington County and an arbitrator for mandatory arbitration in Multnomah and Washington Counties.
A photograph of Ms. Ridenour can be found here.