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“Ti-i-i-ime is on my side, yes it is.” -The Rolling Stones

While time is (surprisingly) still on Mick Jagger’s side, it is not always on the side of a trial lawyer, especially when giving the court an estimate of how long a trial will take. There is no question that making an accurate time estimate is difficult, but it often appears that lawyers are either unrealistically optimistic about their time estimates, or simply have not given the thought and attention that is needed to be accurate. When lawyers fail to accurately estimate how long trial will take, that creates difficulties for jurors, judges, witnesses, and their clients.

When a trial is assigned to a judge, the judge does not have an unlimited amount of time, or often even a single day, available beyond the days the parties requested. In many instances, the judge will already have a full docket on the days following the trial; thus, if the trial runs long, presiding court will have to scramble to move multiple judges’ schedules around to accommodate the last-minute change, or the trial will have to stop mid-stream for days until the judge is available again. Similarly, many jurors have commitments immediately following the trial, and if there is an 11th hour demand that they extend their service, that could either greatly inconvenience the jurors or even result in a mistrial if enough jurors are lost.

This is not to suggest that lawyers should wildly overestimate the expected time for trial, thinking that everyone will be happy when the trial takes less time than estimated.

Overestimating also can have negative impacts on the judge’s and jurors’ schedules as they may have had to decline or postpone other engagements thinking they would be in trial for a longer period of time. Rather, the goal is to be more intentional and thoughtful about the many factors that impact how long a trial will take (though when in doubt, it is better to overestimate than underestimate).

Following is a non-exhaustive list of items that lawyers don’t always take into account, or at least underestimate, when reporting to the court how long trial will take:

First, expect the unexpected. Almost every trial will have unexpected delays. By definition, you won’t be able to anticipate a particular unexpected event, but you should know they happen and build in a cushion for that.
Even if you can control every aspect of your own life – which you won’t always be able to do - you can’t control every aspect of the lives of all the other people involved in the case. A sampling of the many problems that can delay a trial includes inclement weather, traffic accidents, car problems, sick family members, long security lines, fire drills, and bloody noses.

Second, be realistic about how many hours you have each day with the jury. Trials generally run between 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1:30- 4:45 p.m., a total of 6.25 hours. But after factoring in morning and afternoon breaks, brief delays between witnesses, often not-so-brief delays when various legal or factual disputes arise, inevitable delays where at least one person crucial to the proceeding is late, and in criminal cases transport delays, realistically, the total amount of time in front of the jury is often well less than five hours.

Third, don’t forget pretrial motions and disputes over jury instructions and exhibits. You may think your pretrial issues are no-brainers and that the judge should simply agree with your positions on everything, but if your opponent opposes your positions, it will take time to work through all the disputes. If there are dozens of substantive disputes, hours, if not more than a day, may be needed.

Fourth, don’t forget jury selection. And when factoring in time for jury selection, don’t just think about how long your questioning will take; remember that the judge first gives basic instructions to the venire, then addresses conflict and hardship issues, and then has each prospective juror answer a standard list of questions before it’s even time for the lawyers to start asking questions.

Fifth, don’t forget cross examination. You obviously have no control over how long your opponent will cross examine your witnesses, but the response shouldn’t be to just ignore cross when estimating your time. Rather, you should meaningfully confer with opposing counsel about all aspects of trial to jointly determine timing and logistical issues. Part of this conferral should be a discussion about who will be the likely witnesses and how long each direct examination will take, and then a reasonable lawyer should be able to give an informed prediction about how long the cross will take.

Sixth, don’t forget post-evidence motions. Most trials involve either a motion for judgment of acquittal or a motion for directed verdict. Sometimes these motions are brief, but not infrequently they require a significant amount of time. If your case involves the later, factor that in to your time estimate.

Seventh, don’t forget instructing the jury. Reading jury instructions does not add a huge amount of time to the trial – maybe 30-60 minutes combined for initial and closing - but when you are already pushing the envelope, every minute counts.

Eighth, don’t forget deliberations. The lawyers can’t control how long the jury deliberates, but it’s important to get the case to jury early enough in the final day of trial so that the jurors don’t feel rushed to reach a verdict by 5 p.m. This is especially important if the last day of trial is a Friday, because some jurors may hurry to reach a verdict so they don’t have to come back the following week.

Ninth, be efficient. It’s important that each side be able to fully present its case but it is also important to be concise. Often times lawyers are not efficient at the beginning of the trial and this makes them feel squeezed later on when trying to stay close to the estimated timeline.

Tenth, for your next trial, compare your estimates to the actual time spent on each segment. Lawyers are often surprised to hear that they took longer than expected for a particular segment because time flies when a lawyer is speaking in front of a jury. If you keep track of these times that will help you estimate better in future cases, especially if you realize your estimates are not as accurate as you had hoped.

No one expects lawyers to predict to the minute how long a trial will take, but if you are intentional and realistic about taking into account all aspects of trial before giving your estimate to the court, you will have a better chance of avoiding harmful and disruptive overruns.

On March 27, Chief Justice Martha Walters issued an Amended Order extending the Level 3 restrictions and postponing most trials and nonessential hearings until after June 1, 2020. This action is intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect the community. On April 10, Presiding Judge Stephen Bushong issued three orders that explain the restrictions: one each pertaining to criminal, civil and family law proceedings. See the Multnomah County Circuit Court's COVID-19 information sheet for updates.

COVID-19 Court Updates
The following article was written before the COVID-19 virus became a global pandemic. Since that time, court operations have been impacted significantly. For up-to-date information on court operations affecting your practice, visit the Multnomah County Circuit Court website (www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/multnomah).

Presiding Judge’s Report

Hon. Stephen Bushong

This is a busy time of the year for the court. The week before this article was written, presiding court sent out nine trials with a Monday start, and four more on Monday for that Tuesday.

Tips
1. To avoid the rush - if you have ex parte matters, come in Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday morning because Monday and Friday call dockets are the busiest.

2. If you’re scheduling court appearances, try to avoid scheduling things over spring break (March 23-27). There are a limited number of judges available that week.

The Oregon judicial branch has adopted its Strategic Campaign 2020-21. This was a culmination of a yearlong process led by Chief Justice Walters and the Strategic Planning Steering Committee. The campaign includes four separate commitments and several initiatives to be pursued by the courts in an effort to meet those commitments. Although Multnomah County Circuit Court currently meets many - if not most - of the commitments, this is the first time that a statewide strategic plan has been formalized. Multnomah County Circuit Court and OJD will use the campaign to educate the public and to provide the foundation for its legislative agenda. The document may be viewed at
www.bit.ly/strat_campaign.

The New Courthouse 

Barbara Marcille, Trial Court Administrator

The new courthouse will be open for business on Monday, July 20. The historic downtown courthouse will be closed Wednesday, July 15 through Friday, July 17 to facilitate the move to the new building.

The behind-the-scenes moving of dockets and closing of dockets has begun. Civil and criminal call will occur Tuesday, July 14 for Monday, July 20. Please be proactive with the court if you have trials spanning this period. Multiple options are available and the calendaring secretary and staff will assist. Jurors will be summoned to appear on July 20 for service in the new courthouse. All other Multnomah Circuit Court locations will be open during this time, and some downtown dockets will be located temporarily at the Justice Center, East County Courthouse, or Juvenile Justice Center.

Currently, furniture is being installed in the new courthouse; many of the courtrooms are already completed. The courtrooms are designed with state-of-the-art acoustics that will be a noticeable improvement over the acoustics in the old courthouse. The court will need to install over 4,000 pieces of equipment, test the equipment, and train staff on using it.

A grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony is in the works. A committee is working on plans to honor the old courthouse and to kick-off operations in the new. Due to security restraints this may be an invitation-only event, but leadership is hopeful a celebration can incorporate the community that has worked so hard to get the new courthouse built.

Family Law Update

Hon. Susan Svetkey

To follow up on the new courthouse move, family law trial assignment will also be Tuesday, July 14, for Monday, July 20. Several dockets will be closed during the move. However, necessary dockets (restraining order applications) and five-day restraining order dockets will occur at the Juvenile Justice Complex. Violation of Restraining Order trials will not occur Wednesday, July 15 through Friday, July 17. Ex parte will occur at the Juvenile Justice Center. Three judges will be at the Juvenile Justice Complex to cover those dockets July 15 through July 17. Regular juvenile cases may be rescheduled to accommodate this additional workload.

In the last year the court has added two new family law judges: Hon. F.G. “Jamie” Troy and Hon. Morgan Wren Long. They both started at the end of October. It has been relatively seamless to work them into the department, and they are fully up and running. New referee Joe Hagedorn is getting up to speed at Juvenile.

In the last year, we restarted the Local Family Law Advisory Committee (LFLAC), which is aligned with the OJD’s strategic court planning goals. LFLAC’s goals are to make the court more accessible to self-represented litigants. LFLAC has expanded the Judicial Settlement Conference program, which is starting in the East County Courthouse this week. These are scheduled to take place two Thursdays a month. LFLAC has recruited judges to be pro tem judges to facilitate these conferences. Many lawyers have been interested, but only two have gone through the process. Please consider if you are qualified to serve as a family law pro tem judge to assist in this program:

Who: (1) Voluntary Case (both sides must agree); (2) Judge referred cases (by order).
What: Senior family law attorneys commissioned to sit as pro tem judges conduct the settlement conferences for pending family law cases.
When and Where: Central Courthouse: Wednesdays 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
East County: Thursdays 9 a.m., 1 p.m.; and 3 p.m.
How: Contact Christine Hill Christine.a.hill@ojd.state.or.us or 971.236.8673.
Fee: $111 statutory fee per person, unless waiver or deferral.

The family law supplementary local rules have been substantially updated and revised. The new rules are effective now and have been since February 1. Please review the changes.

The Legal Resource Center (LRC) is scheduled for a “soft” opening in March. The LRC is open to everyone: lawyers, judges, but the main effort is to provide services to self-represented litigants. The initial focus is family law since there is already a self-help program in place. Danielle Ramos is the supervisor. Currently, there are two facilitators – Christine Hill and Danita Campbell. Danielle will be hiring two more facilitators. The center will have computers, a phone line, and email. Interpreter services will be available on demand by phone or video conference. Current resources are coordinating efforts to make sure participants receive the best services.

Free Lunch and Learn CLE in the Courthouse
The court and the Court Liaison Committee are working on a CLE seminar about the technology in the new courthouse. The goal is to offer the presentation on multiple days and will cover the pop-ups at counsel tables, types of technology integration necessary, etc. Details to follow.

There are many ways law firms can create a culture that encourages pro bono work by their lawyers. I have no secret formula for doing so. However, here are five ways that this circa 1973 lawyer recommends for your consideration.

1. Teach by Example, Not by Lectures. There is no substitute for great examples set by those in formal or informal leadership positions. In my firm, the late Don Marmaduke led the way over many decades bridging two centuries, but he was not alone.

2. Counting It Makes It Count. Figure out a way to track pro bono work that is consistent with whatever tracking systems your firm uses to track remunerative work. When evaluating partners’ and associates’ contributions to the firm, make a point of including pro bono numbers in the conversation. For example, if an associate is meeting billable guidelines but not meeting pro bono guidelines, let the associate know that the firm takes both seriously.

3. Organize the Effort and Identify People to Lead the Effort. If everyone is responsible, no one is accountable. In our firm, we have a committee and the committee has a designated chairperson. The committee includes our managing partner and our staff member who leads attorney hiring and recruitment. The message is not subtle. For other firms, designating just one person may be the best fit. Our committee reaches out to attorneys in the firm with internally-generated pro bono opportunities and requests from outside the firm. It also acts as a resource for attorneys who want to match their skill sets and passions with pro bono opportunities.

4. Recognition. Last year we instituted the Don H. Marmaduke Pro Bono Service Award. The inaugural award was presented at our annual firm retreat to Steven Wilker in recognition of the hundreds of hours he has dedicated to civil rights and civil liberties cases. We have a nomination and decision-making process that emphasizes the importance of this award to our firm, which I will be pleased to share with anyone who is interested.

5. It is Work, So Treat it That Way. Early on in my career here, the founders made it clear to me that they expected my pro bono work to be of the same quality as my work for their best paying clients, and for the pro bono clients to be treated the same way we treat paying clients.

I will end with one other lesson I learned from my firm’s founders: Pro bono work is great - when you do it intentionally!

In the span of 10 days, we have all embarked on a sudden transition into our homes and ourselves. Doctors believe that COVID-19 can have dramatically different symptoms for different people, and certainly this period of shutdown/lockdown/quarantine is manifesting itself in our daily lives and in our psyches in drastically different ways. My 17-year-old stepson is indignant that his family is his sole social outlet for who knows how long, my self-employed carpenter husband is nervous about the economic impact, my kids have quickly acclimatized and now just want to live in the treehouse, and I have to admit that, with every work deadline and kid activity that was canceled, I felt an increasing sense of liberation. For me, puzzles are the hallmark of a useless activity that we DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR! And as I write this, my family is happily gathered around a card table with a 1,000-piece puzzle. The heavy part is acknowledging that we have it so good.

Small businesses are shuttering their doors and many will not reopen. Solo practitioners are wondering how long they can stay afloat without business. People are losing their jobs. The “gig economy” is either dwindling away, or suddenly demanding a daunting exposure risk that the rest of us are avoiding. People in retirement homes, prison and, the state hospital are no longer allowed to have visitors and video visits (at least in prison) are cost prohibitive or impractical for most. Close living quarters and generally inadequate medical care is compromising the health of thousands of people in jails. For people living in congregate, institutional settings, social isolation is a luxury totally outside their control. Elderly people and people with disabilities often don’t have the support networks to get their basic needs met while homebound. Healthcare workers are on the front lines without adequate protective equipment. Many people are sick and more will become sick in the coming weeks.

I have been telling my kids that they will tell their kids how they lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, a public health event unprecedented in our lifetimes. I wonder what historic changes are being ushered in right now? This moment marks the collective realization that we actually can drastically alter our lifestyles overnight. We can stop driving. Many of us can work from home. We can indulge in extended hours of leisurely family time. We can subsist on whatever we were able to scavenge from the scant supplies at the grocery store.

Hardships imposed, mostly on poor people, by government and corporate systems, which seemed so intractable, have suddenly evaporated. It turns out that many of people in jail really don’t need to be locked up. The convention center will be repurposed to provide shelter. Evictions have been halted. Utilities have committed to not disconnect services.

Let’s pause to notice that in big and small ways, machines (both actual and socioeconomic) are grinding to a halt. We are experimenting with a global elimination diet (that’s when you stop eating everything, and then slowly reintroduce one food at a time), and when this passes, we’ll have a rare opportunity to be intentional about whether we revert back to business as usual. Maybe my family will stay involved in COVID-19 prompted mutual aid networks, but we’ll also scale back on some of the activities that make our family life feel so hectic. Maybe the current scarcity of pantry and bathroom staples will make us more conscious of our consumption and waste. Maybe the aerial photos of air pollution before and after quarantine will remain in our minds as evidence of the collective impact of individual actions. Maybe we will more deeply value the people we haven’t been able to see and touch. Maybe climate change and homelessness will resonate as emergencies that warrant dramatic action.

I wish you and your loved ones health and stamina during this walk through uncharted and uncertain territory. I’ve never felt so insecure and yet, so - literally - at home.

This month’s Pro Bono Spotlight features OSB Active Pro Bono Status Member, Susan Rossiter. Sue is originally from Chicago, having earned her bachelor’s degree at Wellesley in Massachusetts. After college, Sue began her career in public service by joining VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). Her VISTA assignment brought her across the country to central California working with the probation department. That work inspired her to go to law school. As she and a friend explored law schools, Sue was able to visit Willamette University and liked the fact that the school was located right in the heart of the state capitol.

At Willamette University College of Law, Sue originally thought she would focus on criminal law, but soon found herself studying under Professor Carlton Snow and studying public sector labor. Following law school, Sue worked for the Oregon Education Association, was a hearings officer for the Employment Relations Board, and then transitioned to working in immigration law. Sue then returned to employment law and worked on the Oregon Employment Appeals Board, serving as the board chair from 2014-17.

While practicing immigration law, Sue was inspired by the generosity of other Oregon immigration lawyers providing pro bono representation to the underserved. Their work inspired her to begin and continue pro bono work throughout her career. Sue provided pro bono representation to asylum seekers, including representing Haitian refugees in the 1990s and in 2015, traveled to detention centers in Texas to provide pro bono immigration support to those from Honduras, El
Salvador and Guatemala. 

Since then, Sue has retired, but elected to maintain Active Pro Bono Status through the OSB. This unique form of membership allows attorneys to remain members of the bar at a much lower rate with PLF coverage so long as the attorney provides pro bono services to one of the organizations on the bar’s approved list. Sue provides her pro bono services to the Senior Law Project and El Programa Hispano Católico.

Senior Law Project
The Senior Law Project (SLP) is a free legal service offered by the Portland Regional Office of Legal Aid Services of Oregon, with funding from the Multnomah County Aging and Disability Services Department. SLP attorneys help seniors in the community with a variety of legal issues in 30-minute consultation sessions and may continue with representation depending on the nature of the issue and if the senior qualifies for low-income aid. The volunteer attorneys go to senior centers throughout Multnomah County. In 2018 alone, SLP opened 911 cases and volunteers dedicated hundreds of hours to helping seniors. Sue explains that her work there each month includes a refreshingly wide variety of legal issues - from the sale of puppies, to understanding a letter from an insurance company, to landlord tenant issues and estate planning. “That’s what makes it so interesting.”

Low Income Tax Clinic at El Programa Hispano Católico
El Programa Hispano Católico offers a Low Income Tax Clinic (LITC) that provides free year-round advocacy and education about the tax system to low income families. The LITC also serves clients with disputes with the IRS by representing them directly before the IRS. Sue volunteers here twice a week and primarily helps clients with tax debt issues and obtaining individual tax identification numbers (ITIN) for those who are ineligible to receive a social security number. Even though Sue did not practice tax law during her career, she explained that the resources and people at the LITC helped her learn everything she needed to know quickly and effectively. 

The YLS would like to thank Sue for all the time and hard work she has given to the legal community.

If you are retired or considering retiring and still want to help serve our community, contact the OSB to learn more about Active Pro Bono Status.

As of March 16, Governor Kate Brown has banned gatherings of more than 50 people within Oregon for at least four weeks. Social distancing can reduce transmission of the virus, helping to delay the spread of the COVID-19.

The MBA will continue to monitor and follow recommendations from authorities and has already taken steps to reduce our own community impact. Our goal is to support and protect the well-being of our members and the public we all serve. 

CLE Seminars:
MBA CLE seminars will be offered online-only through at least April 30. The YLS Estate Planning CLE series beginning on April 9 will be offered online-only until further notice. The entire YLS Estate Planning CLE series beginning on April 9 will be offered online-only until further notice. Seminar registration pages will be updated as new information arrives and attendees already registered will be notified of changes via email (please whitelist mba@mbabar.org in your spam filter).

Events:
MBA events originally scheduled through April 30 have been canceled or will be postponed. 

Meetings:
MBA, MBF and YLS committee meetings will be held via the conference call number included in the meeting notices sent by the MBA staff or committee chair. If you have questions about an upcoming meeting, please contact the MBA at mba@mbabar.org.
 
To help protect yourself and others from COVID-19 and other illnesses please review the CDC’s Prevention Recommendations.

Law schools create thriving networking opportunities that provide students with the ability to connect with a variety of local alumni, firms, and organizations. Throughout our time in law school, we are encouraged to utilize these networks to gain internships, volunteer, and ultimately secure a job in the legal profession. Students who take advantage of the hosted events, advertised positions, and career center personnel are working hard at building and strengthening their network. Beyond law school, these webs are great stepping stones into networking for recent law school graduates and young lawyers. But, how does your ability to network change if you decide to leave the epicenter of your law school connections and begin your legal career elsewhere?

For me, the idea of networking has always been an unnerving task, but I knew it was important for a successful career. After spending nearly seven years at college and law school in Illinois, I decided I wanted to return to Oregon to begin my legal career. I needed to pursue networking in Portland, but dreaded the thought of beginning from square one in building my connections out West. Once in Oregon, I repeatedly contemplated whether I wanted to leave my comfort zone and attend a networking event. Ultimately, I decided to go to a simple networking social hour. At the event, I spoke to various attorneys, ran into a childhood friend, and scheduled at least one follow-up coffee meeting. Since that first event, I continue to attend events, have become a member of two committees, and use my practice to build my network.

The common networking advice engrained in our brains during law school is valuable information. The following are some of the tips and tricks we all know, but I have found to be instrumental in building and strengthening my professional web coming from an out-of-state law school:

Attend Events. The decision to attend your first event can be intimidating, but you will not regret it once you get there. Several of the attendees are in the same position, wanting to network, meet friends, and strengthen their professional connections.

Be Positive, Polite, and Open. Whether at an event, CLE, mediation, or in court, attend with the mindset that you are meeting a person who can be an essential contact. Be enthusiastic and confident in your discussion, ask questions, and listen thoroughly. I often find sharing information about myself to be difficult but believe offering details about yourself, your practice, and your interests is just as important as asking questions and learning about others’ practices.

Join Organizations and Get Involved. Easily, the best thing I have done to grow and strengthen my network is joining committees with both the MBA and the OSB. You are automatically grouped with members of the organization who are interested in getting involved, planning events, and/or broadening their network.

While your resources may change and the thought of creating a new professional network may seem daunting, I encourage you to put yourself out there. Every attorney I have encountered at an event is always willing to talk. I highly recommend seminars and events hosted by the Young Lawyers Section of the MBA. The events are interesting, inclusive and welcoming. Plus, most of the attendees are in the same networking mindset!

Please see the Multnomah County Circuit Court press release from March 12 regarding COVID-19: https://mbabar.org/assets/MultCoCtPressRelease3.12.20.pdf

On September 16, 2019, Judge Lucero was sworn in as Multnomah County’s then-newest Circuit Court Judge, and immediately began her duties for an overworked court which has seen a spate of retirements. She took over Department 11 for retiring Judge Kenneth Walker. Judge Lucero’s public investiture occurred on November 22, 2019, in the chambers of the Portland City Council at City Hall before a packed crowd of family, friends, and colleagues, including this author. The mood was festive and uplifting. With Judge Lucero, the Multnomah County Circuit Court gained a person of color with a rich cultural background and an experienced trial lawyer with an astute legal mind.

Judge Lucero was born 41 years ago in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where she lived until she departed for Portland to attend law school at Lewis & Clark in 2000. Diversity and culture have been hallmarks of Judge Lucero’s life. New Mexico is one of two states (Hawaii being the other) where the non-Hispanic white population is a minority. Judge Lucero is of Mexican descent on her father’s side and of Mexican-Irish descent on her mother’s side. Her family’s roots in the community run deep. Her maternal great-grandparents opened the Palacio Bar in 1936 in the nearby town of Mesilla, where it remains in the family.

Raised Catholic, Judge Lucero attended public school (except Sunday catechism), and comes from a solid working class family which instilled in her the importance of education. Judge Lucero decided to become a lawyer in fourth grade after attending a career day event. A self-described “social butterfly,” Judge Lucero was an avid soccer player, was in the marching and concert bands, was in Key Club and was active in her local community.

Judge Lucero attended and graduated from New Mexico State University (Go Aggies!) in Las Cruces. While attending college, she lived at home and worked, eventually earning a double major in criminal justice and Spanish, and a minor in government. It was while attending NMSU that Judge Lucero met her future husband, Leroy Lucero, who is from Las Vegas, NM (the original Las Vegas). Judge Lucero can describe the sometimes subtle cultural differences between Las Cruces, located in southern New Mexico, and Las Vegas, in the northern New Mexico, as a testament to the multitudinal diversity within the Hispanic community.

It became clear that Judge Lucero was destined to become a trial lawyer and trial judge. During law school, she was a member of the Lewis & Clark Honors Moot Court Mock Trial Team. As a law student, Judge Lucero clerked for the legal department at Safeco Insurance Company where she met former OSB President and then Safeco’s managing attorney, Tom Kranovich. By the time Judge Lucero graduated from law school and became a member of the OSB in 2003, Tom had left Safeco and opened his own firm. He offered work to Judge Lucero as a contract lawyer, and eventually hired her as an associate. In 2009, Judge Lucero became Tom’s partner and the two formed the law firm of Kranovich & Lucero, LLC .

Since being admitted to the bar, Judge Lucero’s career has followed two distinctive but parallel tracks. The first is as a trial lawyer, working for and then with Tom Kranovich. Judge Lucero had an active litigation practice, primarily in insurance defense. She advised and represented individual clients (the majority of which were Spanish speakers), insurance companies and public bodies in a wide range of cases involving property damage, bodily injury and insurance coverage disputes. She handled cases involving complex contractual issues, and a variety of physical, mental and emotional injuries. She also handled cases ranging from minimal monetary exposure to multi-million dollar exposure.
As an attorney, Judge Lucero worked hard to maintain a professional reputation for being reasonable and compassionate, while also being well-prepared for trial and a zealous advocate for her clients.

Her second career track has been in service to the bar and her community. A partial list of Judge Lucero’s numerous bar and community associations is as follows: Oregon Hispanic Bar Association, Executive Committee, Board of Directors (2015 to present); Oregon Board of Bar Examiners, Vice-Chair (2018), Board of Directors (2015 to present); Oregon Women Lawyers, President (2017-18), Board of Directors (2011-18); Clackamas Women Lawyers, founding member and officer (2008-11); Oregon Minority Lawyers Association, member (2003 to present); Oregon Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, member (2005 to present); Meals on Wheels, volunteer; and DACA Renewal Day, volunteer. Judge Lucero also has spoken on a number of occasions, both within her specialty as a lawyer and on issues of diversity.

In Judge Lucero’s private life, she and her husband, Leroy, are blessed with four-year old Sophia. Judge Lucero’s hobbies and passions include rooting for the Timbers and the Ducks, concerts, movies, futsal (similar to soccer, but is played indoors and is much faster), and travel with her family, including the occasional trip back to Las Cruces where she is able to enjoy the best enchiladas in the world. 

In her short time on the bench, Judge Lucero has learned that her colleagues are incredibly smart, hardworking and caring individuals who strive daily to make legally sound, fair and just rulings that serve the public. She is appreciative of the tremendous support she has received from her fellow judges who have generously shared their judicial wisdom. As a new judge she is on a steep learning curve. Based on her strong work ethic and commitment to the bar and her community, we know Judge Lucero will easily meet the challenge, and is a welcome addition to our bench.