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On May 2 the Multnomah Bar Association will host its Annual Meeting, Dinner and Judges Reception at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, which is expected to be attended by over 500 lawyers from the Portland metropolitan area. Sponsorship opportunities are now available. See details below. To become a sponsor, please complete and return the sponsorship form or contact Kathy Modie at 503.222.3275

$500 sponsors receive: 

• Listing in two issues of the Multnomah Lawyer
• Listing as a sponsor on our website and in promotional emails about the dinner to MBA members
• Listing as a sponsor in the event's program 
• Listing on signage at the event
• Thanked as a major sponsor by MBA president from the podium during the dinner along with a PowerPoint slide with company name
• One complimentary dinner ticket

$1,500 wine sponsors. Provides each table with a bottle of wine. We seek two of these sponsorships, so that one bottle of red and one bottle of white can be placed at each table. Wine sponsors receive the following benefits: 

• Listing as a wine sponsor in two issues of the Multnomah Lawyer
• Listing as a wine sponsor on our website and in promotional emails about the dinner to MBA members
• Listing as a wine sponsor on the dinner program
• Listing as a wine sponsor on the signage at the event
• Thanked as a wine sponsor by MBA president from the podium during the dinner along with a PowerPoint slide with company name
• Name/logo on tent cards at each table
• Two complimentary dinner tickets

$5,000 Cocktail Reception Sponsor. Provides each attendee with one drink ticket. We seek one of these sponsorships. The cocktail reception drink sponsor receives the following benefits: 

• Listing as the cocktail reception sponsor in two issues of the Multnomah Lawyer
• Listing as the cocktail reception sponsor on our website and in promotional emails about the dinner to MBA members
• Listing as the cocktail reception sponsor on the dinner program
• Listing as the cocktail reception sponsor on the signage at the event
• Thanked as the cocktail reception sponsor by MBA president from the podium during the dinner along with a PowerPoint slide with company logo
• Small house ad including company's logo in the July/August issue of Multnomah Lawyer
• Slide with logo included in reception PowerPoint (twice in the loop) 
• Logo on drink tickets given to each attendee
• Logo on signage at entrance to cocktail reception
• Logo on tent cards at the bars and cocktail tables in reception room
• Thanked in the dinner program
• Two complimentary dinner tickets

On Monday, February 12, 2018, the Board of the Multnomah Bar Association (MBA) became aware of opinion pieces that Ryan Bounds, the Chair of the MBA's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (formerly known as the Equality and Diversity Committee) wrote as a college student. Those articles express insensitive, intolerant and disdaining views towards racial and ethnic minorities, campus sexual assault victims, and the LGBTQ community. 

The MBA Board requested Ryan's resignation and Ryan tendered his resignation on Tuesday evening. The MBA has accepted that resignation effective immediately. The MBA strongly disavows the views expressed in those articles as racist, misogynistic, homophobic and disparaging of survivors of sexual assault and abuse. 

The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee was founded over twenty years ago and has benefitted from the passionate and dedicated work of hundreds of committee members, committee chairs and other volunteers. Its mission is to "foster and expand diversity, inclusion and equality in the MBA and Multnomah County legal community and to create and strengthen a relationship of mutual support between the MBA and its diverse lawyers and bar organizations." The MBA has appointed former Vice-Chair Susan Cournoyer to serve as the new Chair of the Committee for the remainder of this bar year and looks forward to her leadership in guiding the Committee as it continues to focus on the advancement of its mission. 

The MBA deeply values its diverse membership and its vital relationships with the specialty bar associations that make up our community. The MBA vows to continue to strengthen those relationships, promote inclusion, provide support wherever possible, and act as allies.

Press Release

The MBA CLE Committee is looking for qualified speakers to present CLEs for the 2018-19 year. If you are interested, please complete and return this form by April 27, 2018. The MBA is committed to improving speaker diversity by all measures and strongly encourages all interested speakers to submit a form or contact committee chair Bridget Donegan for more information at 503.542.3107.

Read the full news release here.

Governor Brown announced on January 2 that she will appoint Adrienne C. Nelson, a trial judge in Multnomah County, to the Oregon Supreme Court. Judge Nelson will be the first African American to serve on an appellate court in Oregon and the second woman of color to serve on the Oregon Supreme Court.

"Judge Nelson brings to our highest court an important, new voice and wealth of experience she has gained in twelve years on the trial bench," Governor Brown said. "In addition to her work in the courtroom, she has made extraordinary strides to make the trial bench more receptive to the needs and experiences of diverse and underserved communities in our state. Judge Nelson is a widely respected civil rights champion, whose perspective on the bench moves us closer to our shared vision of justice for all."

Judge Nelson will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Jack L. Landau. The appointment is effective immediately.

Read the full news release here.

Governor Kate Brown announced on December 27 that she will appoint Andrew Lavin and Melvin Oden-Orr to the Multnomah County Circuit Court.  Mr. Lavin, an appellate attorney at the Oregon Department of Justice, will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jerome LaBarre, and his appointment is effective immediately. Mr. Oden-Orr, a hearings officer at the City of Portland, will fill a vacancy created by the impending retirement of Judge Edward J. Jones, and his appointment was effective January 1.

The Multnomah Bar Association is pleased to announce the Multnomah Bar Fellows Program which provides financial support, mentoring, and summer internship opportunities in Portland, Oregon to diverse law students attending Lewis & Clark Law School and the University of Oregon School of Law. This program will foster a new generation of excellent lawyers who will enhance the diversity of Multnomah County?s legal community.  The inaugural class of Multnomah Bar Fellows will begin law school in the fall of 2018. 

Governor Kate Brown announced on September 13 that she will appoint Patricia McGuire to the Multnomah County Circuit Court.  Ms. McGuire will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Diana I. Stuart and will be assigned to the court's Family Department. 

Foundation-related news, events and press releases may be found here.

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