RAISING THE BAR
Distinguished Service to the Bar
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f an effective way to prepare students for the real world is to give them good role models, then Willamette law students have an unfair advantage over other law grads. Those lucky enough to work with Marva Fabien have the great fortune to be mentored by a highly distinguished member of the bar.
Fabien works with students enrolled in the college’s popular Externship Program, which partners law students with attorneys working in a variety of legal settings. “I counsel students to see what they want to do after law school,” she explained.
“I help our students determine which area fits them best, then help them gain the valuable professional experience needed to get them ready for the job market.” Fabien knows firsthand some lawyers are not cut out for traditional legal work. Her own first job after law school was as staff attorney for Multnomah County Legal Aid. “I just wanted to take everyone home with me,” she said. Fabien then worked as academic support director for Lewis & Clark Law School, proving herself a tireless advocate for students. In 2001, she joined Willamette’s law school as its first-ever coordinator of professional development and multicultural affairs. Since joining the Oregon State Bar (OSB) in 1986, the Trinidad native has enlivened a number of important bar groups, including its affirmative action committee. As a member of the OSB’s Board of Governors, Fabien helps determine the general policies of the bar. It is a job she relishes, because she believes society is enriched by good lawyering. “The law represents the best of what we could be as a society,” Fabien said. “Truth and justice are what we aspire to. Historically, we haven’t always treated each other fairly. The law tempers that. It keeps society in check, if we do it right.”
Setting the Standard for Professional Conduct
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n 2003, the Joint Bench-Bar Commission on Professionalism created a joint bench-bar professionalism award to recognize an active member of the bar who “publicly and consistently demonstrates integrity, honesty and willing compliance with the letter and spirit of the bar, with the rules of court, with the highest ethical standards….” The annual award was named for former Chief Justice Edwin J. Peterson, who was the first-ever recipient of the award. The Edwin J. Peterson Professionalism Award is now considered one of the state bar’s highest honors. The distinguished jurist in residence at Willamette’s College of Law, Peterson said some attorneys
forego basic tenets of professionalism because they want to be viewed as tough. “There’s this idea that to be a successful litigator, you need to be a Rambo,” Peterson said. “But the best lawyers are not overly aggressive; they are appropriately assertive. Good lawyers do things by agreement and don’t indulge in personal attacks on other attorneys.” Peterson added that having an annual award honoring professionalism underscores the importance of professional cooperation among attorneys. “As the bar has grown and demands on lawyers have increased, observance of civility and courtesy among lawyers has declined,” he said. “It is important to educate lawyers about the value of adherence to higher standards of conduct. Personally, few things are as important to me as being a professional lawyer.” Spring 2006 | 13
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