February 2022
Multnomah
Lawyers associated for justice, service, professionalism, education and leadership for our members and our community
Lawyer
Est. 1906
Still I Rise: A Proclamation of the Black Experience in Oregon by Valerie Colas, MBA Immediate-Past President and OC-NBA President, in collaboration with Ekua Hackman, OC-NBA Immediate-Past President
Valerie Colas
Ekua Hackman
As we celebrate Black History Month in 2022, we remember the important contributions and achievements of Blacks and African Americans to our shared history. We celebrate the first Black and African Americans - the pioneers, the forerunners - who made the impossible possible, helping to claim space for Black people despite the struggles and barriers they faced. We follow in their steps and continue to advance the fight for equality and inclusion, we recognize that we are standing on the shoulders of our ancestors. As Black attorneys in Oregon, we build on the contributions of McCants Stewart, the first Black attorney in Oregon who was also the first to argue before the Oregon Supreme Court;1 Beatrice Morrow Cannady, the first Black woman to graduate from Portland’s Northwestern College of Law; Aaron Brown, the first Black judge in the State of Oregon; Mercedes Deiz, the first Black woman to be admitted to the OSB as well as the first Black woman judge in Oregon. Through their actions, they shared the sentiments of Sidney Poitier, the first Black actor to break through racial barriers to win the Oscar The list of firsts in our legal profession for Best Actor:
in Oregon by African
“Though history will accurately American and Black acknowledge my presence in those attorneys continues proceedings, my contribution was no more important than being at the to this day... right place at the right time, one in that series of perfect accidents from which fate fashions her grand designs. History will pinpoint me as merely a minor element in an ongoing major event, a small if necessary energy.” The list of firsts in our legal profession in Oregon by African American and Black attorneys continues to this day and even though In 1906, Stewart represented Oliver Taylor against Star Theater of Portland after Taylor was denied seating due to his race. Stewart argued that the government should ensure black rights and combat discrimination. The Oregon Supreme Court agreed with Stewart and ruled in his client’s favor. 1
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their names are not listed, their contributions and “necessary energy” affirms that African American and Black attorneys can excel, succeed, and thrive in a state that was purposefully designed to, at worst, exclude and oppress us and, at best, tolerate us. The lessons they pass down to us are that of courage, upliftment, and commitment. They inspire us to make our dreams and ideals a reality, they dare us to speak out, and they encourage us to be bold in seeking our liberation and the liberation of others. As Rosa Parks stated, “I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free...so other people would be also free.” The Oregon Chapter of the National Bar Association (OCNBA), the Black lawyer bar association in Oregon, commits itself to uplifting and advancing Black attorneys and attorneys of color.2 Founded in 1980 as the Association of The pandemic has Oregon Black Lawyers (AOBL),3 in 1997, impacted our ability AOBL transitioned to OC-NBA. Our to provide a space mission includes advancing the rule of law to ensure access to justice; upholding for Black attorneys, the honor and integrity of the legal attorneys of color, profession; and promoting professional and allies to gather and social engagement opportunities and socialize. among Black lawyers, law students, members of the bar, and the Oregon community. The pandemic has impacted our ability to provide a space for Black attorneys, attorneys of color, and allies to gather and socialize. This inability to provide such spaces to gather, support each other, and be in community has been hard especially as we experience both the racial reckoning following George Floyd’s murder and other high-profile cases throughout our nation involving Black and brown people, and political turmoil. And even in this moment of time filled with uncertainty, history, and in particular Black history, reminds us that we will still rise - it compels us to be resilient and recognize that our ability to heal and transcend this acute and collective trauma must be in community. Despite the pandemic, OC-NBA continues to be active in our community. In 2021, we held events: an outdoor social at Amalfi’s; a virtual Black Movie Trivia; Black History Month CLE; and career panels for law students. In 2022, we hope to reinvigorate our membership by continuing to find ways to provide members and the legal community opportunities to socialize and network, supporting Black law students, and once again organizing our Ebony and Ivory Gala. In the meantime, we hope to have your support for our mission and work by considering: • Becoming a member and/or joining a committee. To join, visit ocnbaorg.wpcomstaging.com/membership-more-to-come • Attending or participating in one of our events • Partnering with us to host a social or CLE If you have questions or would like to learn more about OC-NBA, feel free to reach out to members of our Board: Angela Addae, Valerie Colas, Kiosha Ford, Ekua A. Hackman, Hansary Laforest, Dexter Pearce, Shaina Pomerantz. Title of article inspired by Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” from And Still I Rise: A Book of Poems. The National Bar Association is an organization established in 1925 by Black lawyers during the time the American Bar Association would not admit African American and Black members. www.nationalbar.org. 3 Founding members were John Toran (first president), Jasper Ambers, Ken Dixson, Clifford Freeman, Monica Little, Marcia Neal, Bruce Posey, Roosevelt Robinson, and John Rodgers. 2
February 2022 Volume 68, Number 2
mba CLE Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MBA will be offering all seminars ONLINE ONLY. To register for a CLE seminar, please see p. 3 or visit www.mbabar.org/cle and input your OSB number to register at the member rate.
FEBRUARY 2.3 Thursday The Surviving Relevance of Restrictive Covenants in Employment Jeff Edelson Kim McGair 2.4 Friday Appellate Law Update Judge Steven Powers Judge Katharine von Ter Stegge 2.15 Tuesday Advanced Public Records Techniques Jon Bial Adam Gibbs Jenifer Johnston Ellen Osoinach 2.17 Thursday Drafting Prenups: The High Road to Perfection Katie Goss Bill Howe
MARCH 3.3 Thursday E-Discovery: Recent Developments and Best Practices Edward Decker Joanna Harrison 3.4 Friday Multnomah County Arbitrator Refresher Judge David F. Rees 3.4 Friday Mandatory Training to Become a Multnomah County Arbitrator Judge David F. Rees
In This Issue Calendar ������������������������������������������ 2 CLE �������������������������������������������������� 3 Announcements ������������������������������� 6 Ethics Focus ������������������������������������� 6 Around the Bar ��������������������������������� 8 News From the Courthouse ��������������10 Tips From the Bench ������������������������10 MBF ������������������������������������������������ 11 MBA Committees ����������������������������� 11 YLS �������������������������������������������������12 Member Resource Center ����������������� 13 Pro Bono Thanks �����������������������������14 The Corner Office ����������������������������� 15 Classifieds ��������������������������������������16
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