Legal Aid Holds Oregon’s First Virtual Legal Aid Clinic
On Feb. 6, Legal Aid Services of Oregon and Miller Nash Graham & Dunn launched the first (and hopefully not last) Virtual Legal Aid Clinic in Oregon.
One of the goals was to help address the disproportionate ratio between legal aid needs and available legal aid attorneys in the state’s rural areas. The clinic linked Oregon-licensed attorneys from the firm’s urban offices in Oregon and Washington with Legal Aid clients from rural central Oregon living in Jefferson, Deschutes and Crook counties.
Legal Aid screened potential clients and scheduled the clients to meet in Miller Nash’s office in Bend. Those clients were linked by video conferencing with the lawyers in Portland.
Legal Aid is hoping to expand this type of virtual clinic by asking other law firms to consider adopting rural legal aid offices.
OWLs Coffee Creek Book Drive Scheduled for April 4-15
The legal community is being asked to gather up gently used books (with no writing or other marks in them) for the annual OWLs Coffee Creek Book Drive.
Coffee Creek is Oregon’s only women’s prison. (It is also the intake facility for all Oregon prisons, meaning that all male inmates are also housed there before being assigned to another facility.) The book drive will enrich the collection of books available to the women incarcerated at Coffee Creek, as well as the libraries in other correctional facilities in the state.
For more information on the book drive, including the types and formats of book that can be accepted, visit www. tinyurl.com/OWLSBookDrive2016.
Youth Film Project Set for May 4
Looking for a fun way to help your kids learn about history and the law? The “YOUthFILM” Project is an opportunity for K-12 students to create a short film that will be featured as a part of Community Law Week.
Top films will be screened for the public at Portland’s nonprofit Hollywood Theatre in Portland on May 4. Film submissions will be accepted through April 13.
For more information, contact Kirsten Rush at krush@busseandhunt.com or visit www.theyouthfilmproject.org.
Nakamoto Award Nominations Sought
The Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association seeks nominations for its 2016 Justice Lynn R. Nakamoto Award. The award honors those who have demonstrated leadership, professionalism, mentorship, a pioneering spirit and a deep commitment to diversity and the promotion of Asian Pacific Americans in the Oregon legal community.
The recipient must be a member in good standing of the Oregon State Bar with a demonstrated commitment to a variety of characteristics, including diversity, promotion of Asian Pacific American issues in the legal or general community, leadership, professionalism and mentorship in Oregon.
Nominations are due May 1 by 5 p.m. Email nominations to kristinasai@ markowitzherbold.com.
Classroom Law Project Dinner Slated for April 27
Now in its 32nd year, the Classroom Law Project’s Jonathan U. Newman Legal Citizen of the Year Award Dinner and Benefit is one of Portland’s most celebrated events within the legal, civic and business community. Each year, guests join CLP to honor Oregon’s most respected civic leaders and educators, as well as to help raise critical funds for the organization.
This year’s dinner will be held on April 27 at Sentinel hotel, beginning at 5 p.m. Chief Justice Thomas Balmer will receive the Jonathan U. Newman Legal Citizen of the Year Award. For more information, visit www.classroomlaw.org/legal-citizen-dinner.
Child Abuse & Family Violence Summit Set for April 19-22
The 17th Annual Child Abuse & Family Violence Summit will be held April 19-22 at the Red Lion Hotel on the River in Portland. This three-and-a-half-day multidisciplinary conference is for professionals working in the area of law, law enforcement, medical, nursing, parole and probation, prevention/education, protective services and treatment of child abuse, neglect and domestic violence.
The summit is hosted by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Child Abuse Team and the Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team. The summit’s goal is to educate professionals on the complex issues associated with child abuse and family violence.
Registration is limited. Early registration is strongly encouraged. Fee includes all workshops, continental breakfast each day, refreshment breaks and USB. For more information or to register online, go to www.childabusesummit.com.