Justice Wallace P. Carson, Jr. and Judge Mary J. Deits To Be Honored at Roberts-Deiz Dinner March 9th

Oregon Women Lawyers is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2007 Justice Betty Roberts and Judge Mercedes Deiz Awards. Judge Mary Deits, former Chief Judge of the Oregon Court of Appeals, has been selected to receive the Justice Betty Roberts Award for the promotion of women in the law, and Justice Wallace P. Carson, former Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, will receive the Judge Mercedes Deiz Award for promotion of minorities in the law. The award recipients will be honored at the 15th Annual Awards Dinner, on March 9, 2007 at the Governor Hotel, in Portland.

Judge Mary Deits has served not only as one of Oregon's first women appellate judges, but also as a respected role-model, advisor, and friend to many of Oregon's best women lawyers. One such lawyer noted that, "working with Mary, I learned to trust my abilities and stand on my own ‘legal feet.' Perhaps more importantly, I learned that effectively asserting your opinions and staying true to your own style is not inconsistent with collaboration and fostering good will." Another noted that, "Judge Deits is not one of those people who tells you how to succeed. She shows you. Her example speaks more forcefully and more eloquently than any lecture."

In fact, Judge Deits was only the second woman to serve as a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals, after Justice Betty Roberts herself. Once on the Court of Appeals, Judge Deits earned the respect of her peers and became the only woman to serve as Chief Judge of that court. She also earned the position of President of the national Chief Judges Association.

As Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, Judge Deits instituted many innovative programs that helped make our court a national leader on many fronts. For example, she developed and promoted the appellate mediation program, which is now nationally recognized. She also expanded the appellate school outreach program. Approximately once a month, now, a panel of judges of the court hears arguments in a high school away from Salem. "This effort gives the students the opportunity to see the court and the lawyers in real work. On most occasions, one or more of the panel and the lawyer advocates are women. It is a most appropriate role-modeling experience for the students," noted one nominator.

All who have had the opportunity to work with Judge Deits are struck by her class, skill, aplomb and sincere humility. A nominator noted that, "one of the most impressive things about Mary is humility and utter lack of self-promotion. She has never trumpeted her accomplishments but, instead, has been a strong, resolute leader in Oregon's judiciary who has been content to let others take the credit." Another noted that, "in countless ways, some big and some small, Mary brought about a major shift in court culture. I doubt she consciously set out to do that. But I am confident that she aimed to be approachable, to make everyone feel valued, to make institutional decisions that took into consideration the views of those affected, and to do all of that for the common good, rather than for her personal prestige. In doing so, she has been an undeniable agent of change."
OWLS is proud, therefore, to recognize Judge Deits' contribution to our legal community and to women in our profession by awarding her the 2007 Justice Betty Roberts Award.

Justice Wallace P. Carson, Jr., in the words of his nominators, "is a silent, yet constant, presence in the lives and careers of many minority attorneys and law students. In his silent presence, we find support, comfort and, most importantly, a place for us in Oregon."

As Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, Justice Carson insured that there was adequate funding for the Task Force on Ethnic Issues. After the Task Force issued its report, Justice Carson appointed an Implementation Committee under the Chairmanship of then Court of Appeals Judge, now Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Paul DeMuniz to implement the recommendations of the Task Force. "The committee did an outstanding job in meeting its charge, and Chief Justice Carson did everything asked of him to insure success," noted a participant and nominator. Today, the committee continues with that responsibility and is called the Access to Justice Committee. Committee members note that Justice Carson's "commitment continues to this day."

For the last five years, Justice Carson has also responded faithfully to the calls for assistance of the Oregon State Bar Affirmative Action Program's Opportunities for Law in Oregon (OLIO). "He has left his various demands in Salem to meet minority law students at an orientation in Central Oregon. He recognizes the value of OLIO and what these students will bring to Oregon. And the students recognize and appreciate the unique opportunity of meeting one-on-one the Chief Justice of the State of Supreme Court," noted a nominator.

Justice Carson also frequently lends his support and presence to events organized by the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association (OMLA). "He personally calls to apologize when his schedule prohibits his attendance. We see him time and time over again," noted an OMLA officer. "During the reauthorization of the Affirmative Action Program earlier this year, Justice Carson's presence brought a sense of strength to those of us working to ensure the future of the program. His presence has in fact become a fixture of our lives and our careers. He does not do these things out of a sense of obligation, but rather because he has a sense of what is right. Law students and attorneys of color can recognize his commitment to our success and view it as a reflection of the Oregon legal community. He will be greatly missed but his legacy will live on in those of us he has supported throughout the years."

As he steps off the Oregon Supreme Court, after a long and distinguished career, OWLS is pleased to also recognize Justice Carson's considerable contribution to the promotion of minorities in our community by awarding him the 2007 Judge Mercedes Deiz Award.