News

The Marion County Bar Association is currently accepting applications for two open positions on the MCBA Board of Directors. This role offers a wonderful opportunity to become more involved in the MCBA. To indicate your interest in an open position on the MCBA Board of Directors, complete the candidate statement and return to Rachael Federico at rachael.federico@lasoregon.org. A candidate must be an MCBA member to serve on the Board of Directors. Candidate statements must be received by November 20, 2024 to be considered.  Candidates selected to fill the 2025-2026 slate will be presented to the MCBA membership for a virtual vote in December.  The two candidates with the highest number of votes from the membership will fill the open positions. If elected, a candidate will serve a four-year term on the MCBA Board of Directors. Contact Rachael Federico with any questions, rachael.federico@lasoregon.org

First Tuesday will be taking a break for the December and January holidays but will resume February 7th, 2023. 

Attached please find PJO 22-02 which allows for more hearings to proceed in-person.  If a hearing was previously scheduled to be remote, we anticipate and will allow the parties to still appear remotely. Contact your assigned judge if you have questions about how you should appear.

The new PJO also updates our COVID protective measures and allows our mask mandate to be lifted as soon as the Chief Justice makes that decision.  I’m sure she will send out a message of her own, but I will also let you all know when it’s done!

Attached are the new PJOs approved by the Chief this morning.  PJO 21-06 reference the Circuit Court and  PJO 21-07 reference the Juvenile Court.

MCBA Members:

As Oregon moves toward reopening our courthouses, we are faced with the challenge of making them a safe environment for the legal community and visiting members of the public.  Our court system simply cannot operate effectively if those accessing the courthouse are all anxious for their own safety.

One of the simplest approaches to enhance safety will be to encourage people to wear facemasks.  To encourage the wearing of face masks, Chief Justice Walters wants our courthouses to have enough masks on-hand for anyone who might have forgotten theirs at home or otherwise wants one. 

Chief Justice Walters has reached out to the Oregon legal community and is asking us to help our court system by either donating masks or making masks that can be used in courthouses around the state.   We quite literally need thousands and the Judicial Department has limited ability to obtain extra masks.  There are simply not enough masks available for procurement.

If every legal professional in Oregon could donate just one mask (or more!) it would be a tremendous help.  The masks do not need to be the N95 variety.  Simple disposable or washable masks are great.  You can even make masks for donation with the attached CDC instructions.  Chief Justice Walters has assured us homemade masks would be very much welcome and we recommend any homemade masks be placed in individual bags for distribution.

In response to this call for action from the Chief Justice, the MCBA is working to gather masks for distribution, along with the Oregon Association of Defense Counsel (OADC) which has agreed to be the point of collection for the Oregon legal community.  We will then pass along all donated masks to the Oregon Judicial Department Marshal’s Office who will be working to distribute masks to the county’s in need.

If you have any questions, have masks to donate, or can make masks to contribute, please contact Erin Dawson at edawson@pfglaw.com.

All masks should be mailed or delivered to the OADC office for distribution at:   147 SE 102^nd Ave, Portland, OR 97216. If desired, we can arrange for a local drop-off instead.

Every mask that is made or donated will help ensure a safer courthouse for all of us, and will help us remain open and effective for the citizens of our state.  Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Erin Dawson                                            Ryan Hunt

MCBA Co-President                           MCBA Co-President

The deadline is coming up to run for the Oregon State Bar House of Delegates. The HOD meets once annually in Tigard, plus a couple short teleconferences, making this volunteer opportunity suitable for busy lawyers. The HOD votes on bar positions on major legislative and policy issues and other matters.  There are five vacancies in Region 6 (Marion, Polk, Benton, and Linn counties). The deadline to file a candidate statement (a one page form), is March 15, 2019. 

https://www.osbar.org/leadership/hod

MCBA Holiday Party 

Thursday, December 6, 2018 - Mission Mills Dye House.  

Event begins at 5:00 p.m. (non-members can sign up at the door)

MCBA Annual Awards Dinner

Thursday, January 24, 2019 - The Reed Opera House Trinity Ballroom.  

The reception begins at 5:30 p.m.  

Hello Judicial System Partner,

As you know, Mid-Valley CourtCare was funded by the Oregon Legislature last year as a pilot project in both Polk and Marion County. As part of our reporting requirements to the Legislature, we would really appreciate if you took a few minute to complete the survey, found HERE. We are hoping you have had a positive experience (or two!) with CourtCare. 

Thank you! 
Mid-Valley CourtCare Team

Want to join Inns of Court?  

The application is available HERE.

SHOTGUN begins at 1:00 p.m., with check-in beginning at noon.  Prizes include:

You must pre-register for this event. Val Sloper Memorial Golf TournamentPlease include the names of your teammates if you are paying only for yourself.  We will make a team for all golfers signing up individually.

Price per golfer (including dinner and music):  $110.00