2008 Multnomah CourtCare Campaign Underway

Multnomah CourtCare is a free, drop-in childcare center in the Multnomah County Courthouse, provided at no cost to families who must go to court. This year the MBA hopes to raise $100,000 to support the program. You can visit the CourtCare Page to learn more about the program , make a donation online or obtain a mail-in donation card. Contributions of any size are appreciated and are tax-deductible.

102nd Annual Meeting, Dinner and Judges Reception

You are invited to the MBA Annual Meeting, Dinner and Judges Reception on Wednesday, May 21 at the Marriott Portland Waterfront Downtown. Join us in honoring members of the legal community including Jeffrey M. Batchelor, 2008 Professionalism Award winner.

The YOUthFILM Project
2008 was another successful year for the YOUthFILM Project. You can view the top 2007 films here. 2008 films will be available for viewing soon. This year's top films were screened for the public at the Hollywood Theatre in Northeast Portland on April 29. Prizes were awarded by Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice, Paul J. De Muniz.

MBA Committees Seek New Members

MBA committees are now accepting volunteers. Committees include CLE, CourtCare Fundraising, Court Liaison, Equality, Fun, Golf, Group Health Insurance, Judicial Screening, Membership and Professionalism. For more information, call the MBA at 503.222.3275 or see the sign-up form. Completed forms are due by May 30 and may be faxed to 503.243.1881 or emailed to Carol Hawkins. Committee appointments are made in June.

MBA Board Elects Officers

The MBA Board elected the following officers to serve for a one-year term beginning July 1.

Michael Dwyer, currently President-Elect, will become President of the MBA. A partner with Dwyer & Miller, his practice focuses exclusively on mediation and negotiation.

Leslie N. Kay was elected President-Elect. Kay is Regional Director for the Multnomah County Office of Legal Aid Services of Oregon, where she practices poverty and civil rights law.

Michelle S. Druce, Wilshire Credit Corporation-Merrill Lynch, will serve as Secretary. Her practice areas are residential mortgage lending and servicing, consumer credit, consumer financial services and state and federal regulatory compliance.

Lisa M. Umscheid will serve as Treasurer. Since 2006, she has been special counsel at Ball Janik LLP. Her legal expertise is in employment law counseling, employment litigation, labor law and general government law.

2008 Golf Outings

The MBA Golf Committee has several golf outings scheduled for the summer. Join us for the first one on May 15 at Heron Lakes.

2008 Pro Bono Pledge

Help increase access to justice by committing to take at least one pro bono matter in 2008. Take the pro bono pledge today, and Take a Matter that Matters!

MBA donates $25,000 to Volunteer Lawyers Project
The MBA has donated $25,000 to the Campaign for Equal Justice to support the Volunteer Lawyers Project in Multnomah County . Access to justice is a core value of the MBA and we are pleased to make this donation, which will help provide additional staffing required for the MBA’s new initiative, “Take a Matter that Matters.” More information about the MBA Pro Bono Pledge program can be found here.

Generation Gap Survey Results
In the spring of 2006, the MBA surveyed its members about the perceived “Generation Gap”. View the survey final report and the complete results from the survey.

2007 MBA Annual Report Available
You can view a .pdf version of the report online, and it is also available as an insert in the October issue of the Multnomah Lawyer.