November 23, 2015

100 Years of Achievements

Over the course of the last century, the law school and its alumni have accomplished much that’s worth celebrating.

The law school’s beginnings may have been modest, but that unpretentious start has given rise to multitude of successes. From the day it took in its first class to the 2015 ascendancy of Kate Brown ’85 to the governorship of Oregon, the school and its alumni have accomplished much that’s worth celebrating.

For example:

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  • 1996

    The Pacific Environmental Advocacy Clinic (which became Earthrise Law Center in 2012) began representing clients.

  • 1969

    Mercedes Deiz ’59 became Oregon’s first African American female judge.

  • 2012

    The law school began offering the Animal Law LLM, the first degree of its kind.

  • 2013

    The law school hosted a visit by Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts Jr.

  • 1992

    The law school hosted commencement speaker Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who would be named to the U.S. Supreme Court the following year. 

  • 1977

    Betty Roberts ’66 became the first woman appointed to the Oregon Court of Appeals.

  • 1994

    Animal Law became the world’s first law journal dedicated to animal issues.

  • 2014

    The law school hosted a visit by Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor.

  • 1965

    Ralph Holman ’37 was named to the Oregon Supreme Court.

  • 2002

    The law school hosted a visit by Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Antonin Scalia.

  • 2013

    Heidi Heitkamp ’80 was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first woman to serve in that office for North Dakota.

  • 1947

    John Hall ’27 became the governor of Oregon.

  • 1975

    The law school hosted a visit by Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Lewis F. Powell Jr.

  • 1982

    Betty Roberts ’66 was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court.

  • 1996

    The National Crime Victim Law Institute was created.

  • 2008

    The law school hosted visits by retired Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Sandra Day O’Connor and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Anthony M. Kennedy.

  • 1996

    Earl Blumenauer BA ’70, JD ’76 was elected a U.S. representative from Oregon.

  • 1970

    The law school hosted a visit by Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court William O. Douglas.

  • 1970

    Environmental Law became the first U.S. law journal dedicated solely to natural resource and environmental issues.

  • 1969

    Aaron Brown Jr. ’59 became the first African American municipal court judge in Portland.

  • 1926

    Mary Jane Spurlin ’24 became Oregon’s first female judge.

  • 1922

    Beatrice Morrow Cannady became the first African American woman to graduate from law school in Oregon.

  • 1961

    Jean Lagerquist Lewis ’38 became the first female circuit court judge in Oregon.

Learn more about the most notable milestones of our first century in this Advocate Magazine story.

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