Oregon Judicial Vacancies
FEDERAL VACANCIES
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 the planned retirement of Judge Paul Papak. The official location of the position will be Eugene, Oregon.
Details are available here.
OREGON SUPREME COURT
Governor Brown Appoints
Adrienne Nelson to Oregon Supreme Court
(Salem, OR) — Governor Brown announced today that she will appoint Adrienne C. Nelson, a trial judge in Multnomah County, to the Oregon Supreme Court. Judge Nelson will be the first African American to serve on an appellate court in Oregon and the second woman of color to serve on the Oregon Supreme Court.
“Judge Nelson brings to our highest court an important, new voice and wealth of experience she has gained in twelve years on the trial bench," Governor Brown said. "In addition to her work in the courtroom, she has made extraordinary strides to make the trial bench more receptive to the needs and experiences of diverse and underserved communities in our state. Judge Nelson is a widely respected civil rights champion, whose perspective on the bench moves us closer to our shared vision of justice for all.”
Judge Nelson will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Jack L. Landau. The appointment is effective immediately.
Judge Nelson was appointed to the Multnomah County Circuit Court by Governor Kulongoski in 2006. She earlier worked at Portland State University as a senior attorney and coordinator of Student Legal and Mediation Services, from 2004 to 2006. Prior to that, she worked at the Portland firm Bennett, Hartman, Morris and Kaplan, LLP, from 1999 to 2004. She began her legal career as a public defender at Multnomah Defenders, Inc., from 1996 to 1999. Judge Nelson grew up in Arkansas, and attended the University of Arkansas for college and University of Texas for law school.
Judge Nelson’s first exposure to the legal system was in high school, when her mother sued her school district in Gurdon, Arkansas for refusing to permit an African American student to be recognized as valedictorian. Judge Nelson was ultimately named valedictorian.
Judge Nelson has received the Multnomah Bar Association’s Award of Merit and the Oregon State Bar’s Diversity and Inclusion Award. She is active in the American Bar Association, where she is the Oregon State Delegate and has served on various committees including the Commission on Disability Rights and the Committee on Public Education. She is board chair of Self Enhancement, Inc. and sits on the Oregon Community Foundation Metropolitan Portland Leadership Council, the Reed College Board of Trustees, and the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars Advisory Board. She has served as president of Queen’s Bench (the Portland chapter of Oregon Women Lawyers) and as an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark Law School.
OREGON TAX COURT
Governor Brown Appoints Robert Manicke to Oregon Tax Court
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today announced that she will appoint Robert T. Manicke to be judge of the Oregon Tax Court. Mr. Manicke will fill a vacancy created by the impending retirement of Judge Henry C. Breithaupt. The appointment of Mr. Manicke is effective January 1, 2018.
“Robert Manicke is one of Oregon’s leading experts on tax law and policy — I have consulted him myself when grappling with challenging taxation issues,” Governor Brown said. “His brilliant mind, even temperament, and commitment to public service make him perfectly suited to be our state’s only tax judge.”
Mr. Manicke heads the Benefits, Tax, and Private Client group at the Portland law firm Stoel Rives LLP, where he has practiced for 22 years. He advises clients about and litigates complex issues of state, local, and employment taxation. He earlier worked at a predecessor to the firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in San Francisco, from 1992 to 1995. Before that, from 1984 to 1989, Mr. Manicke worked at a predecessor to the firm Sussman Shank LLP in Portland. He attended law school at the University of Illinois and college at Willamette University.
Mr. Manicke has chaired the Oregon State Bar Tax Laws Committee, the Oregon State Bar Taxation Section, and the Oregon Business Association’s Business & Finance Committee. He is Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany for Oregon and Idaho, dean of the Oregon Consular Corps, and chair of the Oregon Consular Corps Scholarship Fund.
OREGON CIRCUIT COURTS
RECENT VACANCIES
On February 15, 2018, Governor Brown announced she was accepting applications for the judicial position on the Union/Wallowa County Circuit Court created by the planned retirement of Judge Russell B. West. Application has closed and six candidates have submitted information for this appointment. Details available here.
RECENT APPOINTMENTS
On Dec. 1, 2017, Governor Brown announced she will appoint Brett A. Pruess to the Fifteenth Judicial District Circuit Court, covering Coos and Curry Counties. Mr. Combs will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Paula M. Bechtold. The appointment is effective immediately. Details available here.
On Nov. 2, 2017, Governor Brown announced she will appoint Andrew E. Combs to the Fifteenth Judicial District Circuit Court, covering Coos and Curry Counties. Mr. Combs will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Richard L. Barron. The appointment is effective immediately. Details available here.
On February 23, 2018, Governor Brown announced that she will appoint Raymond Crutchley, a prosecutor in Bend, to the Deschutes County Circuit Court. Mr. Crutchley will fill the vacancy created by Judge Alta Brady’s retirement, effective immediately. Details available here.
On Feb. 8, 2018, Governor Brown announced she will appoint Robert S. Bain to the Josephine County Circuit Court. Mr. Bain will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael Newman. The appointment is effective immediately. Details available here.
On Dec. 27, 2017, Governor Brown announced she will appoint Andrew M. Lavin and Melvin Oden-Orr to the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Mr. Lavin, an appellate attorney at the Oregon Department of Justice, will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jerome LaBarre, and his appointment is effective immediately. Mr. Oden-Orr, a hearings officer at the City of Portland, will fill a vacancy created by the impending retirement of Judge Edward J. Jones, and his appointment is effective January 1, 2018.Details available here.
On Jan. 4, 2018, Governor Brown announced she will appoint Shelley D. Russell to the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Ms. Russell will fill a vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Adrienne C. Nelson to the Oregon Supreme Court. The appointment is effective immediately upon Judge Nelson’s resignation of her position as circuit judge. Details available here.
On Dec. 8, 2017, Governor Brown announced she will appoint Rafael A. Caso to the Polk County Circuit Court and Diana M. Shera Taylor to the Columbia County Justice Court. Mr. Caso fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Sally L. Avera, and his appointment is effective immediately. Ms. Shera Taylor fills a vacancy created by the impending retirement of Judge Wally Thompson, and her appointment is effective January 1, 2018. Details available here.
On November 9, 2017, Governor Brown announced she will appoint Danielle J. Hunsaker for the judicial position on the Washington County Circuit Court created by the planned retirement of Judge Suzanne Upton. Details available here.
Circuit Courts - Recent Vacancies
Union/Wallowa County Circuit Court Vacancy
The following candidates have submitted materials to the Governor’s Office for the Union/Wallowa County Circuit Court vacancy. Comments on any of the candidates can be made to General Counsel at Governor Kate Brown’s Office, Misha Isaak, (503) 378-6246, or misha.isaak@oregon.gov.
Greg Baxter
Jared Boyd
James Schaeffer
Mona Williams
Wes Williams
Circuit Courts — Recent Appointments
Coos/Curry County Circuit Court Appointment
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown announced today that she will appoint Brett A. Pruess to the Fifteenth Judicial District Circuit Court, covering Coos and Curry Counties. Mr. Pruess will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Paula M. Bechtold. The appointment is effective immediately.
“Brett Pruess has dedicated his legal career to providing representation to low-income members of the South Coast community,” Governor Brown said. “As a judge, he will ensure that everyone who enters his courtroom, no matter how disempowered, gets a fair shake.”
Mr. Pruess has worked at the Oregon Law Center in Coos Bay, advocating for low-income Oregonians, since 2010. He rose to managing attorney there. His practice at the Oregon Law Center includes family law, civil rights, and landlord-tenant disputes. Before becoming a lawyer, Mr. Pruess worked as a backcountry crew leader in Yellowstone National Park and served in the Peace Corps in Bolivia. He attended law school at the University of Wisconsin and college at Montana State University–Bozeman.
Mr. Pruess was a founding board member of the Coos Bay Chapter of Surfrider, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves, and beaches. He serves as a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Southwestern Oregon and the Lighthouse School, a public charter school. He also serves as a member of the Civil Justice Initiative Task Force and the Coos Hispanic Leadership Committee.
This is Governor Brown’s second appointment to the bench in Coos and Curry Counties in recent weeks. She earlier appointed Andrew E. Combs to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Richard L. Barron.
Coos Curry County Circuit Court Appointment
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown announced today that she will appoint Andrew E. Combs to the Fifteenth Judicial District Circuit Court, covering Coos and Curry Counties. Mr. Combs will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Richard L. Barron. The appointment is effective immediately.
“Andrew Combs has earned a reputation for integrity and hard work,” Governor Brown said. “Raised in the local community, Mr. Combs will enrich the bench with a mild manner and a sharp intellect.”
Mr. Combs has been a civil lawyer in Coos County since 2004, focusing on business law, estates, real property, and litigation. He rose to partner at the firm Whitty, McDaniel, Bodkin & Combs. He attended college and law school at the University of Oregon, graduating in 2000 and 2004, respectively. Since 2015, Mr. Combs has served the Coos County Circuit Court as a pro tempore judge; before that, from 2005 to 2014, Mr. Combs was a municipal judge in Powers.
Mr. Combs grew up in the town of Dora. His family has lived in Coos County since the 1870s. He maintains an active pro bono practice, serves on the Myrtle Point School Board, and is a member of the Coos County Local Alcohol Drug Planning Committee..
Deschutes County Circuit Court Appointment
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today announced that she will appoint Raymond Crutchley, a prosecutor in Bend, to the Deschutes County Circuit Court. Mr. Crutchley will fill the vacancy created by Judge Alta Brady’s retirement, effective immediately. He is the first African American to serve as a judge east of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains.
“Ray Crutchley is a person of unbounded talent, energy, and passion, who embodies the very essence of the American dream,” Governor Brown said. “His diverse life experiences and commitment to justice will serve him well on the bench, allowing him to connect with a wide range of litigants who appear in his courtroom.”
Born and raised in Jamaica—in a home without indoor plumbing—Mr. Crutchley immigrated to New York at age eleven with his single mother. He joined the military during college, and served in the United States Marine Corps from 1988 to 1992. Upon his honorable discharge from the Marines, Mr. Crutchley returned to school and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Queens College in 1995. He then moved to Portland, earning his law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1999.
After a judicial clerkship with Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Raymond Bagley, Jr., Mr. Crutchley practiced in Northeast Portland and Hillsboro for more than a decade, representing underserved clients in criminal defense and civil matters. Since 2015, he has prosecuted criminal cases as a Deputy District Attorney in Deschutes County.
Josephine County Circuit Court Appointment
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today announced the appointment of Robert S. Bain to the Josephine County Circuit Court. Mr. Bain will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael Newman. The appointment is effective immediately.
“Robert Bain has devoted his life and legal career to bettering the lives of the people of his home county,” said Governor Brown. "His sharp legal mind, calm and thoughtful demeanor, and wide breadth of knowledge and experience will be tremendous assets as he assumes the bench in Josephine County.”
Mr. Bain has practiced as a sole practitioner in Grants Pass for more than 20 years, focusing primarily on juvenile and criminal law. Since 2011, he also has served as a Pro Tem Judge in Josephine County Circuit Court. Previously, from 2006 to 2007, Mr. Bain took a brief hiatus from the practice of law to teach social studies at North Valley High School. After graduating from Hidden Valley High School, he earned both his bachelor degree and law degree from the University of Oregon.
Mr. Bain is active in his local community, as well. Among other things, he has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate and as a volunteer attorney for North Valley High School’s mock trial and career fair programs.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Appointments
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today announced that she will appoint Andrew M. Lavin and Melvin Oden-Orr to the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Mr. Lavin, an appellate attorney at the Oregon Department of Justice, will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jerome LaBarre, and his appointment is effective immediately. Mr. Oden-Orr, a hearings officer at the City of Portland, will fill a vacancy created by the impending retirement of Judge Edward J. Jones, and his appointment is effective January 1, 2018.
“Andrew Lavin and Melvin Oden-Orr have earned stellar reputations for their first-rate legal work, affable advocacy for their clients, and commitment to the greater community,” Governor Brown said. “They are each passionate about giving every litigant a fair day in court. These qualities will enrich our state’s busiest courthouse.”
Mr. Lavin is Assistant Attorney in Charge of Criminal Appeals at the Oregon Department of Justice, where he has defended criminal convictions on appeal since 2010. He previously worked as a Deputy District Attorney in the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, from 2003 to 2010. While there, he prosecuted cases involving domestic violence, gang activity, financial crimes, and homicides. He attended Lewis and Clark Law School and college at Southern Oregon University. He mentors young lawyers through programs at the Oregon State Bar and Lewis and Clark Law School, and has served on Bar committees on jury instructions and on childcare for litigants, witnesses, and jurors coming to court.
Mr. Oden-Orr is Chief Hearings Officer at City of Portland, where he has worked since July 2016. In that role, he adjudicates land use disputes, City Code violations, and other municipal matters. He earlier operated his own law practice, representing clients in civil disputes and business transactions, from 2005 to 2016. Mr. Oden-Orr served as Assistant General Counsel at TriMet from 2000 to 2004. He began his career as an associate attorney at a predecessor to the firm Lane Powell LLP. He attended law school at the University of Illinois and college at the University of California – Los Angeles. He is the founding chair of the Oregon State Bar’s Diversity Section and has served on boards and committees for the City Club of Portland, Youth Employment Institute, Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon, and the State Construction Contractors Board.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Appointments
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today announced that she will appoint Shelley D. Russell to the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Ms. Russell will fill a vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Adrienne C. Nelson to the Oregon Supreme Court. The appointment is effective immediately upon Judge Nelson’s resignation of her position as circuit judge.“Shelley Russell has dedicated her career to advocating for and empowering victims of workplace harassment and discrimination,” Governor Brown said. “She is known to bring a quiet confidence and a level-head to acrimonious disputes. Her commitment to the cause of justice and her steady, judicious temperament will serve her well as a circuit judge.”
Ms. Russell is a civil litigator who specializes in employment disputes. She has worked at the firm now known as Crispin Employment Lawyers since 1998, rising to shareholder in 2000. She earlier worked at the firm Hoevet, Snyder & Boise, from 1990 to 1997, where she started as a file clerk during her first year of law school. She earned her J.D. at Lewis & Clark Law School, her B.A. at Pomona College, and completed high school at Clackamas High School.
Ms. Russell is active in the legal community. She was president of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association in 2014 and 2015, having served on the organization’s Board of Governors and Executive Committee for many years. She has also served on several committees of the Federal Bar Association’s Oregon Chapter and the Oregon State Bar, including the Council on Court Procedures for two terms. For 20 years, Ms. Russell was also a performing member of Power & Praise Liturgical Dance Company.
Polk/Columbia County Appointments
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today announced that she will appoint Rafael A. Caso to the Polk County Circuit Court and Diana M. Shera Taylor to the Columbia County Justice Court. Mr. Caso fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Sally L. Avera, and his appointment is effective immediately. Ms. Shera Taylor fills a vacancy created by the impending retirement of Judge Wally Thompson, and her appointment is effective January 1, 2018.
“Rafael Caso and Diana Shera Taylor will take the bench already having a wealth of judicial experience between them,” Governor Brown said. “They will bring fairness, impartiality, and a commitment to justice and public service to their new judicial positions.”
Mr. Caso is a hearings referee and judge pro tempore on the Marion County Circuit Court. He worked as a trial attorney at the Oregon Department of Justice from 2013 to 2016. Before that, from 2007 to 2013, Mr. Caso worked as a prosecutor in the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office. He completed law school at Florida Coastal School of Law and college at Boise State University. He coaches the mock trial team at West Salem High School and mentors law students at Willamette University Law School.
Ms. Shera Taylor is an attorney in private practice and works as a mediator and arbitrator on various types of cases. She also serves as a judge pro tempore on the Columbia County Justice Court. Ms. Shera Taylor has previously served as a municipal court judge in various jurisdictions in Columbia County, including St. Helens (2005 to 2011), Scappoose (2000 to 2011), Columbia City (1996 to 2005), and Clatskanie (2000 to 2003). She attended law school at Golden Gate University School of Law and college at San Francisco State University. She currently chairs the Columbia County Family Law Advisory Committee and the Columbia County Behavioral Health Advisory Committee.
Washington County Circuit Court Appointment
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today announced that she will appoint Danielle J. Hunsaker to the Washington County Circuit Court. Ms. Hunsaker will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Suzanne M. Upton. The appointment is effective immediately.
“Danielle Hunsaker will bring a genuine expertise in complex civil litigation to the Washington County bench,” Governor Brown said. “She is known as a brilliant legal mind and a workhorse, qualities that she will put to work bringing justice to one of Oregon’s busiest courthouses.”
Ms. Hunsaker is a partner at the Portland law firm Larkins Vacura Kayser LLP, where she has litigated complex civil cases since 2009. She is also an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark Law School, where she teaches civil procedure. Ms. Hunsaker previously worked at the law firm Stoel Rives LLP, and has clerked for judges of the Ninth and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeals and the federal district court in Oregon. She earned a law degree and a bachelor’s degree at the University of Idaho, and an associate’s degree at Ricks College.
Ms. Hunsaker is president of the Washington County Bar Association and vice president of the Federal Bar Association’s Oregon chapter. She also serves as a board member of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society in Oregon, an organization of Mormon lawyers. She has served on professional committees of the Oregon State Bar, Oregon Women Lawyers, and the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, among others.