Class Notes, Fall 2017

1970s

John Hart JD ’74 was named in the 2017 issue of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in the practice area of medical malpractice law—defendants and personal injury litigation —defendants. 10/7/16

Steve Kantor JD ’74 was named an Oregon Jewish Community Foundation’s Legacy Society Honoree, together with his wife, Elaine Kantor. The award recognizes the couple’s longstanding dedication to and support of Portland’s Jewish community and OJCF. Kantor is a past president and one of the founding members of the organization, as well as an inaugural member of the foundation’s professional advisors group. 7/15/16

Gary Grenley JD ’75 was invited to join the board of directors for Edison High School, a private school in Portland dedicated to assisting students with learning challenges. Grenley has been on the board of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), which trains and supports volunteers who assist foster children in the juvenile justice system, for eight years. He is also serving on the law school’s Board of Visitors. Grenley is an owner at Garvey Schubert Barer and has been a trial lawyer for over 40 years, concentrating in securities, real estate, corporate disputes, class actions, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts. 10/19/16

Charles Markley JD ’75 was named in the 2016 issue of Oregon Super Lawyers magazine for his work in real estate. Markley is a founding partner of the Greene & Markley law firm. 8/3/16

Richard C. Kraus JD ’77 was named “Lawyer of the Year” in health law in the 2017 issue of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in health care law. A shareholder at the Lansing, Michigan, firm of Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC, Kraus was also named in the 2016 issue of Michigan Super Lawyers magazine. 10/7/16

1980s

Susan Behlke Foley JD ’80 was appointed president of the University of Alaska Foundation, which she joined on September 6, 2016. Foley is a partner in the law firm of Foley, Foley & Pearson PC and has practiced law for the past 28 years. She has been active in philanthropic and charitable organizations throughout her professional career. Foley was a longtime member of the board of directors of the Alaska Community Foundation and served as that organization’s interim CEO and president in 2015. She participated as a member of the planned giving goals and visioning committee for United Way of Anchorage, and in 2014 she was the recipient of Alaska’s Outstanding Volunteer in Philanthropy Award from the Alaska Association of Fundraising Professionals. 9/6/16

Theresa M. Kohlhoff JD ’80 announced that she will run for a seat on the Lake Oswego City Council in November’s general election. [Editor’s note: Kohlhoff won the election and began serving a four-year term on the council.] An attorney for nearly 36 years, Kohlhoff is active in the community and in the state, most recently being elected to a four-year term on the Board of Governors of the Oregon State Bar. She attended the law school’s evening division while raising four daughters and commuting from Corvallis and Philomath. 7/21/16

Gretchen Buehner JD ’81 won election in November 2016 to the City Council of King City, Oregon. Buehner served on the King City Planning Commission and served two terms (eight years) on the Tigard City Council. She has practiced law for over 30 years, specializing in land use and estate planning. 12/21/16

Deanne Darling JD ’81, who retires on June 30, 2017, was the first woman appointed to the Clackamas County Circuit Court. Prior to that 1995 appointment, she was in private practice for 16 years, during which she was a pro tem judge and presided over traffic and misdemeanor cases. 4/27/17

Eve Miller JD ’81 retires on July 1, 2017, 20 years after her appointment to the Clackamas County Circuit Court in June 1997. She was in private practice from 1981 until she became a judge. 4/26/17

Patricia Halsell JD ’82 writes, “I just read that Professor Steve Kanter is retiring. I remember the huge impression he made on me, a callow 22-yearold first-year law student back in 1979, with his insightful position on the death penalty. He influenced me into becoming a lifelong death penalty opponent. And I’ll never forget Ron Lansing reciting Scottish poetry in torts class—I LOVED it. I also have fond memories of working closely with Len DuBoff—often as his running partner—never realizing that what I really wanted was to be an artist myself (which I’ve finally become). The friendships I formed at Lewis & Clark have lasted me 37 years. Thanks for the memories. I’d love to hear from anyone in the L&C community.” [Editor’s note: Visit go.lclark.edu/classnotes/ law/halsell to see some of Halsell’s paintings.] 8/2/16

Jeanne Durr JD ’84 became the University of Wyoming’s associate vice president for human resources in October. Durr previously worked at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs as the executive director of human resources. 12/21/16

Kathryn Smith Root BA ’80, JD ’84 was reappointed as chair of the ABA Family Law Section’s International Law Committee, effective August 2016. For 26 years, Root has focused her practice on family law, with an emphasis on international family law and custody disputes. She is a shareholder of Gevurtz Menashe. 10/13/16

Kathleen Singer King JD ’84 has been a general magistrate for the 11th Judicial Circuit in Florida for the past two and a half years. 8/25/17

Kathryn Tennyson JD ’84 will be an adjunct professor in 2016–17 at Lewis & Clark Law School teaching probate law. 8/22/16

Bob Hogfoss JD ’86 has joined Troutman Sanders LLP in Atlanta, Georgia, as a partner. Previously with Hunton & Williams LLP, Hogfoss represents pipeline owners and operators throughout the United States on a wide range of issues involving pipeline development, operation, safety, and environmental compliance. He provides leading-edge advice and counsel on many of the most challenging pipeline matters unfolding in the country. 5/31/17

Gordon Welborn JD ’86 was named in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of ethics and professional responsibility law, legal malpractice law (defendants), medical malpractice law (defendants), and professional malpractice law (defendants). 10/7/16

Joseph Kaufman JD ’87 took over the Estacada, Oregon, law practice of Dave Kushner ’79, who retired in December 2015. Kaufman is splitting his time between Estacada and his office in Gladstone, where he has practiced for six years. He focuses on business transactions, business planning, and contract law. 9/8/16

Jeffrey Lewis JD ’89 was named president and CEO of a newly formed health care philanthropy, Legacy Health Endowment (LHE). LHE provides funding and technical support for nonprofit health care facilities in California’s Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Immediately before joining LHE, Lewis served as president of the Institute for Healthcare Innovation while concurrently serving as the chair and CEO of the St. Paul’s Foundation Health Care Project in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Lewis also spent 20 years at the Heinz Family Philanthropies as its president and COO. 10/13/16

1990s

Tracey Cordes JD ’90 was selected by Gratiot County commissioners to be the county’s new administrator. Cordes has been a county counselor in Oregon, a trial court administrator, and a deputy county administrator. From 2009 until 2015, she was Clerk of Court/ Court Unit Executive, U. S. District Court, for the Western District of Michigan. 1/23/17

Robert Kyte JD ’90 became the CEO at Healthwise in Boise, Idaho, on July 1, 2016, after the retirement of founder and CEO Donald W. Kemper. This is Kyte’s second stint at Healthwise, having served as its general and outside counsel for 15 years beginning in 1990. Prior to rejoining Healthwise, he served as the president and CEO of the nonprofit Adventist Risk Management. Previously, he was general counsel at the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Washington, D.C., and CEO and general counsel for Pacific Press Publishing Association in Nampa, Idaho. 10/13/16

Wendy Manley JD ’90, a partner at California firm Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP, joined the Environmental Law Section Executive Committee of the Alameda County Bar Association. 4/17/17

Bryan K. Scott JD ’91 completed his term as the first African American president of the State Bar of Nevada on June 30, 2017. He will remain on the State Bar of Nevada Board of Governors through June 2018, serving as an ex officio officer. During that time, Scott will work on a special project to determine the ethnic makeup and degree of ethnic diversity of the members of the State Bar. 8/9/17

Andrew Hyde JD ’93 was appointed by Ohio Governor John Kasich to the Holmes County Municipal Court. Hyde has been a trial attorney and counselor of law for a private practice since 1994. He is also the acting assistant law director for the city of Ashland Law Director’s Office. 12/21/16

Ramona Monroe JD ’93 has been promoted to partner at the Anchorage, Alaska, office of Stoel Rives LLP, effective January 1, 2017. Her practice focus is natural resources law for the oil and gas industry, mining industry, and renewable energy sector. In addition to her legal practice, Monroe is trustee-at-large of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, serves on the board of directors of the Alaska Miners Association, and is past president of the Alaska Association of Professional Landmen. 4/26/17

Troy S. Bundy JD ’94 was named in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the category of medical malpractice law—defendants. 10/7/16

Eileen Eakins JD ’94 is the Port of Astoria’s new general counsel. She had been involved with the Special District Association of Oregon and special districts law for over 20 years. Eakins was a sole practitioner for nearly 11 years before she started working with the Port of Astoria last year. 4/26/17

Eric B. Fjelstad JD ’94 was named president of the board of directors of the Resource Development Council (RDC) of Alaska for the 2016–2017 term. RDC is a statewide business association of individuals and companies from Alaska’s oil and gas, mining, forest products, tourism, and fisheries industries. Fjelstad is a partner in Perkins Coie’s environment, energy, and resources practice and managing partner of the firm’s Anchorage office. 8/24/16

Robert Randall JD ’96 is executive director for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. In his new role, Randall leads the development and execution of the department’s initiatives for balanced management of the state’s natural resources. He previously served the department as deputy director, as assistant director for energy and minerals, and, prior to that, as federal lands coordinator. 12/21/16

Diane Wiscarson JD ’96 relocated the headquarters of Wiscarson Law, the only firm in Oregon to dedicate its practice primarily to special education law for families, to 3330 NW Yeon Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97210. In addition to special education law, Wiscarson Law provides legal counsel for other disability-related issues, such as guardianship and higher education, and provides assistance with navigating agency services. Wiscarson and her staff have shepherded thousands of Oregon and Washington families through the region’s public school districts and educational service districts on behalf of their special needs children. She can be reached at 503-727-0202 and www. wiscarsonlaw.com. 9/2/16

Robert “Matt” Conoley JD ’97 began study in the South and Central Asia Security Studies Program at the College of International Security Affairs (CISA), National Defense University. One of a handful of State Department officers accepted to CISA each year, Conoley is pursuing an MA in strategic security studies. CISA is the Department of Defense flagship for education and the building of partnership capacity in combating terrorism and irregular warfare at the strategic level. 8/21/16

Thomas Gibson JD ’97 was appointed undersecretary of the California Natural Resources Agency by Governor Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. Gibson has served as deputy secretary and general counsel at the California Natural Resources Agency since 2014. He served as general counsel at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2010 to 2014, where he was assistant chief counsel the prior two years. 12/21/16

Deanna Wray JD ’97 was named in the 2016 issue of Oregon Super Lawyers magazine for her work defending civil litigation matters. 8/3/16

Wray was elected president of the Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation board of directors. A trial lawyer and managing partner with the Portland civil litigation firm Bodyfelt Mount LLP, she focuses on the defense of product and general liability civil litigation matters. Wray has defended a range of products, including medical equipment, hand tools, printing presses, Murphy beds, bicycles, forklifts, automatic doors, and toilets. In recent years, she has been involved in mass tort litigation of latex gloves, vaccines, fenphen, pain pumps, and metoclopramide. Wray acts as local counsel to Chrysler on all automotive product defect claims in Oregon. In addition, she has represented general contractors and electricians in Employer Liability Act cases. Some of her most notable successes have been in crafting pretrial resolutions for clients in catastrophic injury cases. 10/13/16

Thomas B. Powers JD ’98 has been appointed circuit judge for Oregon’s Tenth Judicial District, which encompasses Union and Wallowa Counties. His term began April 1, 2017. Powers most recently managed a solo practice in Enterprise, Oregon, where he handled indigent criminal defense cases and civil matters, and represented small businesses. Previously, Powers practiced for more than a decade at Williams Love O’Leary & Powers, PC, where he represented plaintiffs in medical device negligence cases. Powers also served as a senior assistant attorney general in the Financial Fraud/ Consumer Protection Section of the Oregon Department of Justice. 4/26/17

Drew Hagedorn JD ’99 was appointed to the board of directors for Friends of Baseball. The nonprofit organization offers programs to youths in underserved and rural communities to create opportunities for success on and off the baseball and softball field. Hagedorn is a partner at Tonkon Torp LLP and chairs the firm’s state government relations and public policy practice group. He is a longtime public affairs professional, offering comprehensive government affairs services for the firm’s clients at the state, local, and regulatory levels. He is also a lifelong baseball fan who is in the third generation of players in his family. 7/21/16

Terry Margaret Horton JD ’99 was appointed project director for the Cleveland-based National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers. Horton will be responsible for advancing NNCG’s mission to increase the quality, effectiveness, and capacity of grantmakers by mobilizing and strengthening the work of knowledgeable, ethical, and experienced consultants. Horton previously worked for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), where she served as a resident director in Eurasia. She also spent a decade as a consultant to philanthropic and nonprofit organizations, most recently as senior program advisor at the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 12/21/16

Dana Krawczuk JD ’99 received a 2016 Women of Vision Award from the Daily Journal of Commerce. The awards recognized women who are shaping the built environment in Oregon and Southwest Washington through their leadership, mentoring efforts, community involvement, and promotion of industry diversity. Krawczuk is senior counsel at Perkins Coie. 10/13/16

2000s

Adrian L. Brown JD ’00 received the John Marshall Award for Participation in Litigation from U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch for her work to remedy employment discrimination experienced by Oregonians with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Brown is the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. 11/22/16

Elizabeth E. Howard JD ’01 was named industry group leader for Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt’s natural resources group. Howard brings 15 years of experience practicing natural resources law and helping agriculture, forest product, and energy businesses navigate regulatory processes and succeed in legal proceedings. 7/28/16

Christine Reynolds JD ’01 was promoted to partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. She serves as bond, disclosure, and underwriter’s counsel on financings for state and local governments in the Pacific Northwest, including the State of Oregon. Reynolds serves on the Oregon Municipal Debt Advisory Commission and is a founding committee member of the Pacific Northwest Women in Public Finance Chapter, where she currently serves as vice president for membership. She is also the immediate past chair of the board of directors for the nonprofit Children First for Oregon. 4/17/17

Xiomora Torres Mattson JD ’02 has been appointed to the Multnomah County Circuit Court by Oregon Governor Kate Brown JD ’85. Previously, Torres Mattson was a senior assistant attorney general at the Oregon Department of Justice. 4/26/17

Maya Crawford JD ’03 was appointed to lead the Campaign for Equal Justice. Crawford has an extensive background in poverty law, having worked for Legal Aid Services of Oregon for many years. Previously, she served as the associate director of the Campaign for Equal Justice. 7/20/16

Sonya Fischer JD ’03 was appointed to the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners and is serving a term that runs through December 2018. She is an attorney in Lake Oswego with Fischer Family Law and has served on several boards and committees advocating on behalf of children, women, and families. 4/26/17

Samantha Murray JD ’03 is the executive director of the Master of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (MAS MBC) program at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, which is part of the University of California at San Diego. The program is a yearlong intensive course for those interested in careers in marine conservation. Murray has directed ocean and water programs at the Ocean Conservancy, the Audubon Society, and the Oregon Environmental Council, and founded an ocean consulting business where she worked with clients on issues related to water quality and ocean acidification. 4/26/17

Laura Plourde JD ’03 joined Blowditch & Dewey as a senior associate. Plourde, who will work out of the firm’s Boston office, focuses her practice on business and general corporate law, including mergers and acquisitions, private placements of equity securities, limited liability company operating agreements and shareholders’ agreements, commercial contracts, corporate entity selection and formation, general corporate matters, and intellectual property protection. Previously, she was an associate at the Boston firms of Pabian & Russell LLC and Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP. 9/6/16

Leah Koss Feldon JD ’04 was confirmed as DEQ deputy director by the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission. Feldon has worked at the Oregon DEQ since 2005 in various roles, including as special advisor to the director of Cleaner Air Oregon and manager in the Office of Compliance and Enforcement. 10/13/16

Jane Levy JD ’04, MA ’11 was appointed by New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez to Division XXV of the 2nd Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County. Levy has advocated for New Mexico families for over 10 years. She has also been a volunteer for organizations that help domestic abuse victims and the homeless. 12/21/16

Ron Opsahl JD ’04 is of counsel at Fennemore Craig PC in Denver, Colorado. Opsahl is a member of the firm’s natural resources, energy, and environmental practice and has experience in public lands issues, wildlife law, resource extraction and use, litigation, real property, and titles matters. 12/21/16

Ben Leedy JD ’05 became a shareholder in Stolle Berne’s real estate and business law group. His practice focuses on commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions, real estate finance, leasing, and real estate development. Leedy was recognized in Oregon Super Lawyers magazine as a Rising Star for 2012 through 2016. 4/17/17

Christopher Mixson JD ’06 has been named a partner in the Reno and Las Vegas law offices of Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin, LLC. He works in the firm’s entertainment and intellectual property resources law and litigation practices. 4/26/17

Eric Meltzer JD ’07 joined Lane Powell as director of strategy and pricing. Meltzer will develop client service initiatives as well as handle project management and process improvement. Previously, he was director of legal services for RGP, a publicly traded global management consulting firm. Meltzer also has experience as a commercial and intellectual property attorney representing startups, nonprofits, and corporations in regard to a wide range of transactional and litigation matters. 9/6/16

Yoona Park JD ’07 became a shareholder in the litigation group at Stolle Berne, having joined the firm in 2007. She concentrates on complex business litigation, securities law, employment class actions, and employment litigation. Park was named in the 2017 issue of Best Lawyers in America. She was also recognized in Benchmark Litigation as an Oregon Future Star in 2015 and in Oregon Super Lawyers as a Rising Star 2009–2013 in the Business Litigation and Employment Litigation categories. Outside of the office, she writes a blog (Yoonanimous), practices yoga, and enjoys Korean barbecue with husband Tom and sons Finn and Tate. 4/17/17

Joseph A. Furia JD ’08 joined the law firm of Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP as a partner. Furia, who is admitted to practice in Oregon and Washington, will focus on environmental and natural resources law. Previously, he served as general counsel and policy director for conservation nonprofit the Freshwater Trust, where he led a four-person legal team and outside counsel on all legal matters including contracts, corporations, fundraising, litigation defense, intellectual property, and employment. He also directed policy efforts on natural resources, water quality, and water quantity issues in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, and nationally. Prior to legal practice, Furia worked in business development and government affairs for a hybrid vehicle company and a Silicon Valley-based technology company. 8/9/17

Anthony Kuchulis JD ’08 has been named the 2017–18 cochair of the American Heart Association’s Men Go Red Portland chapter, which supports the Go Red for Women campaign and seeks to raise funds and awareness to combat women’s heart disease issues. He is an attorney with Barran Liebman LLP. 4/11/17

Colleen Scott JD ’08 was made a partner at Hart Wagner LLP. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the firm’s medical malpractice defense team in Portland. Scott focuses on medical malpractice defense, specializing in birth injury claims, and on representing medical professionals before their licensing boards. 5/8/17

Tyler Volm JD ’08 was appointed president of the Multnomah Bar Association Young Lawyers Section. Volm is an associate at Barran Liebman LLP, where his practice focuses on employment litigation and advice. He works with business owners and in-house counsel to ensure compliance with changes in the law, and defends employers in litigation. 7/14/16

Katie Jeremiah JD ’09 was appointed to the governing board of the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI). Together with the board’s other four members, she will set policies and oversee general operations that guide Oregonians in understanding the risks of natural hazards and the state’s exceptional geology. An attorney with Jordan Ramis PC, Jeremiah focuses her legal practice on construction and mining law. 12/21/16

Oday Salim LLM ’09 joined the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center in Detroit, Michigan, as a senior attorney. Previously, Salim served as senior attorney at Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services and as a staff attorney at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s Environmental Law Clinic. For the past five years, Salim has shared his expertise as an adjunct professor by teaching Lewis & Clark’s two-week summer seminar on oil and gas law, and energy law and regulation at the University of Pittsburgh. 10/13/16

2010s

Dave Bourgeau JD ’10 has been made a partner at Kolisch Hartwell. His practice covers all aspects of intellectual property law, including patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters. With a strong technical background in industrial engineering, nuclear engineering, and computer science, as well as extensive practical experience in manufacturing and business operations, Borgeau supports innovative companies on a broad array of both technical and nontechnical matters. 6/5/17

Samuel Hernandez JD ’10 was elected president of the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association. His term commenced in February 2017 and lasts for one year. 6/12/17

Qingqing Miao JD ’10 has been named a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. A member of Lane Powell’s immigration team, she advises individuals and corporations on navigating the complex U.S. immigration process and general corporate matters, helping their businesses to grow and succeed. 5/26/17

Nawneet Vibhaw LLM ’10 has joined Khaitan & Company as associate partner in Delhi, where he will continue specializing in environmental law. Previously, he set up the environmental law practice for Luthra & Luthra. Vibhaw had joined Luthra in June 2015 from Jindal Global Law School, where he was an assistant professor, assistant dean, and executive director of the school’s Centre for Environment and Climate Change. Vibhaw has also written two books on environmental law and energy law, published by LexisNexis in 2014 and 2016. 4/26/17

Robert Whiting JD ’10 is a deputy district attorney for the 7th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Whiting, the sole prosecutor in Telluride, Colorado, handles misdemeanor and felony cases originating in San Miguel County. He started at the end of May 2016 after serving as a prosecutor for nearly two years in Delta and Montrose Counties. 10/7/16

Aurora (Paulsen) Moses JD ’12, LLM ’16 joined the faculty at Vermont Law School as a clinical professor in the school’s Center for Agriculture and Food Systems. Moses previously worked at the Center for Food Safety, litigating sustainable agriculture issues. She also worked as a judicial clerk at the Oregon Court of Appeals. During her studies at Lewis & Clark, she served as editor-in-chief of the Animal Law Review. She has authored and coauthored several legal publications related to animal agriculture and environmental law. 10/13/16

Patrick Sullivan JD ’12 opened the Law Office of Patrick Sullivan, JD, MBA, in November 2016. The firm is dedicated to Indian law, government affairs, and gaming law in Washington, D.C. 3/8/17

Sullivan and his daughter, Shelby Sullivan, visited with Thomas Chandler JD ’12 and daughter Harper Chandler at Shelby’s second birthday party in Washington, D.C. Shelby and Harper were born three weeks apart. Kelsey Coulter JD ’13 has joined Wiscarson Law, Oregon’s only law firm primarily focused on special education law for families. Coulter brings litigation experience in both civil and criminal law. She will focus her practice on special education law and adult guardianships. Previously, Coulter represented clients in divorce, custody, and guardianship cases at a family law firm in Portland. 4/27/17

Mark “Mac” M. Smith LLM ’11 was named partner at Doney Crowley PC. Smith had been a senior associate with the firm since September 2015. His law practice focuses primarily on environmental, real property, and business litigation. Smith is the chair of the Montana State Bar Natural Resource, Energy, and Environmental Law section. 7/21/16

Andrew Erickson JD ’13 joined Landye Bennett Blumstein’s Anchorage office as an associate attorney. He will focus his practice on Alaska Native law, litigation, and bankruptcy. Erickson has been an active participant in Alaska and environmental affairs. He recently served as the state’s representative for Defenders of Wildlife and was an independent consultant for organizations such as the Center for Biological Diversity, Cook Inletkeeper, and Greater Southeast Alaska Conservation Community. Erickson is also a former law clerk for the Alaska Supreme Court and worked as Miles Conservation Fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Max Baucus. 4/26/17

Matthew T. Merryman JD ’13 joined Justis Law Firm LLC, an environmental litigation firm in Overland Park, Kansas, specializing in Superfund sites. Merryman was with the Missouri State Public Defenders Office for the previous two years. 10/4/16

Sean Worley JD ’13 joined the law firm of Meyer, Fluegge & Tenney. Previously, Worley served nearly three years as a deputy prosecuting attorney at the Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. He plans to use his litigation background to build a practice in civil litigation, labor and employment law, medical malpractice, and municipal law. 10/13/16

Jessica G. Moreno JD ’14 is a deputy district attorney in Imperial County, California. 10/3/16

Samuel Diaz JD ’15 is a senior intergovernmental program analyst in the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. Diaz writes that he would like “to connect with folks who are working on legislation to protect and advance efforts to combat climate change and ensure civil rights for all…we, in California, are continuing to partner with other jurisdictions, especially in light of the shift at the federal level.” He can be reached at samuel.diaz@ opr.ca.gov. 1/31/17

Stephanie Grant JD ’15 joined Tonkon Torp LLP as an associate in its litigation department. Grant, who graduated first in her class, spent the past year serving as a judicial law clerk for Judge Mary Beck Briscoe at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. While pursuing her degree she worked as a summer associate at Tonkon Torp for two summers and as a law clerk with the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Enforcement Section, in Washington, D.C. 12/21/16

Philip M. Thoennes JD ’15 joined the League of Oregon Cities as assistant general counsel. Thoennes will advocate in the areas of constitutional and municipal law, and will help develop training and educational materials for elected officials in municipal government. Previously, he clerked for Justice Rives Kistler of the Oregon Supreme Court, where he met his wife, Lauren Eldridge, who was clerking for Justice Jack Landau. Lauren is currently a staff attorney for the Oregon Workers’ Compensation Board. 11/02/16

Kent van Alstyne JD ’15 joined the southwest Washington law firm of Phillips Burgess. Past associate editor of Environmental Law Review, van Alstyne earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, where he was featured clarinetist in the university’s orchestra. Prior to joining Phillips Burgess, he was a staff attorney with the Pierce County Housing Justice Project. During law school, van Alstyne was a full-time law clerk for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a law clerk for the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, and a summer intern for a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of India. He can be reached at kvanalstyne@phillipsburgesslaw.com. 11/11/16

Katherine M. Acosta JD ’16 works for the Portland law firm Dunn Carney. A former summer associate with the firm, she joined its litigation group as a full associate after graduating. 4/17/17

Anthony Blake Jr. JD ’16 joined the construction and litigation practice groups at Ball Janik LLP in Portland on September 1, 2016. Blake’s practice includes general litigation and representation of residential and commercial owners in construction defect claims of all types. 10/7/16

Jessica Brockway JD ’16 joined Oregon Congressional Representative Cliff Bentz’ staff as legislative director for the 2017 legislative session. She provides policy analysis, bill research, hearing backup, task force process management, and policy development for District 60, which includes Baker, Grant, Harney, Lake, and Malheur Counties. 4/17/17