OSB Diversity Section and First-Year Law Students Celebrate Judges

First-year student Jessica Gutierrez presented the OSB honor to Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson. Seated from left to right: Judge Rafael Caso, Judge Melvin Oden-Orr, and Judge Andrew Lavin ’03
Credit: Nina Johnson

March 6, 2019

The Diversity Section of the Oregon State Bar (OSB D-Sec) honored newly appointed Oregon judges who bring diversity to the bench.

Of the seven judges, five are closely connected to Lewis & Clark Law School. Introducing and presenting certificates to the honorees were first-year law students Jessica Gutierrez, Amanda Haines, John Harlan, and Demetrius Johnson.

Raymond Dean Crutchley ’99 was appointed by Governor Kate Brown ’85 in 2018 to the Deschutes County Circuit Court, making him the first African American judge in eastern Oregon. Andrew Lavin ’03, a former appellate attorney in charge of criminal appeals at the Oregon Department of Justice, was appointed to the Multnomah County Circuit Court by Brown in 2018.

Adrienne Nelson is an honorary graduate of the law school, frequent guest speaker, and mentor to our students. In 2018 she was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court by Brown, becoming the first African American to sit on the state’s highest court.

Melvin Oden-Orr, the spouse of Donna Oden-Orr ’96, was appointed by Brown to the Multnomah County Circuit Court in 2018. He is the founding chair of OSB D-Sec.

Jolie Russo BA ’80, JD ’88 was appointed as Eugene’s first female magistrate judge in 2016, after serving as a staff attorney and then senior staff attorney for the District of Oregon for 28 years.