District Court Updating Volunteer Mediator Panel List
Mediation has proven to be a valuable and effective way for litigants and the federal courts to save time, resources and costs. Volunteer mediators are now being sought for the Volunteer Mediator Panel of the U.S. District Court of Oregon.

The mediators must be members in good standing of the OSB and have been admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for at least five years. Mediators may also be retired or senior judges.

If you are currently on the panel, or you would like to serve as a volunteer mediator, please complete the online application available on the court’s website, http://ord.uscourts.gov.

For more information, contact Laura Brennan, (503) 326-8163, or by e-mail at laura_brennan@ord.uscourts.gov.

The Oregon eCourt Project Alive and Well
“Electronic Content Management” (ECM) in late August, when their trial court became the first in the state to test out this stage of the new system.

Filings of small claims and FED cases in Yamhill County will now be given a barcode and scanned, allowing them to be placed into an “electronic file room.” In the coming months, the remaining pilot courts — Multnomah, Jackson, Crook and Jefferson Counties — will begin using the system for small claims and FEDs as well. In time, parties in all counties will be allowed to file pleadings electronically, and most case files will be available for inspection over the Internet.

Chief Judge David Brewer has requested feedback on the new system. Several open questions remain, such as the extent to which material over the Internet ought be redacted to balance open access to court information with privacy and security concerns once personal information is available to the public electronically. It is also anticipated that changes to the UTCRs will be necessary to accommodate the new system.

Please visit the OSB Public Affairs Department website at www.osbar.org/pubaffairs to read Chief Judge Brewer’s memo and to learn more about Oregon eCourt.

Blog: The Legal Side of Family-Owned Businesses
Exploring the unique aspects of managing and advising family-owned businesses is the focus of Ater Wynne’s newest business law blog, launched over the summer. The Family-Owned Business Blog has been developed as a resource for stakeholders of family-owned businesses and their advisers. It covers current issues, including succession and estate planning, family dynamics and selling the business, as well as general business law topics such intellectual property, compensation, tax and litigation.

Find the blog at: http://www.aterwynneblog.com

LERA Will Present “Maggies” Nov. 4
In 2004, the Oregon chapter of the Labor and Employment Relations Association (OrLERA) inaugurated an annual presentation of awards to recognize persons who have achieved excellence in labor-management relations. Since 2008, the chapter has conducted the annual awards in honor of Magdalena Jacobsen (1940-2008), the chapter’s founder.

The 2009 “Maggies” will be presented on Nov. 4, 2008, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, just before the chapter’s annual meeting. Everyone is invited to attend.

OWLS Invites Nominations for Roberts-Deiz Awards
The Justice Betty Roberts Award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to promoting women in the legal profession and in the community. The Judge Mercedes Deiz Award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to promoting minorities in the legal profession and in the community. The nomination should include detailed information explaining how the nominee fulfills the award’s criteria. At least three letters of recommendation should also be included. Nominations must be received by Wednesday, Nov. 18. Nomination forms can be found at www.oregonwomenlaw yers.org.

Send nominations to Angela Franco Lucero, Kranovich & Lucero LLC, 5 Centerpointe Drive, Suite 400, Lake Oswego, OR 97035; fax: (971) 204-0261; e-mail: angela@tkatlaw.com.

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