The 2010 Awards Dinner will be held on Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Governor Hotel in Portland. The dinner is sold-out. To RSVP for the OWLS Foundation silent auction, email Shawn.
Sarah J. Crooks has commonly been described as a “tireless advocate” for the advancement of women in the legal profession. Ms. Crooks has already done more to promote women in the legal profession and community in her twelve-year career as an attorney than most do in a career spanning several decades. One of Ms. Crooks’ colleagues stated that ‘[i]t is not a question of “if” women attorneys can succeed to Sarah, but a question of “how.”’ Ms. Crooks is a role model and mentor to women attorneys in her firm, Perkins Coie LLP. She founded, chaired, and/or served on numerous committees focused on the promotion of women and minorities in her firm and legal community. Ms. Crooks served on the OWLS board from 1998 to 2004 and was president from 2003 to 2004. Ms. Crooks’ leadership activities also include serving on the Owen Panner Inn of Court Executive Committee, Oregon State Bar Diversity Section Executive Committee, Multnomah Bar Association Board of Directors and the Campaign for Equal Justice Board of Directors. Ms. Crooks is a volunteer attorney for the Domestic Violence Project at Legal Aid Services of Oregon and has provided pro bono representation to more than twenty domestic violence victims since 2002. Ms. Crooks has also set an example for women lawyers on the national level by serving on the Board of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations since 2004 and is currently serving as president of that organization. Due to her unrelenting commitment to the promotion of women, OWLS is pleased to award the 2010 Justice Betty Roberts Award to Ms. Sarah Crooks.
First Lady Mary Oberst is a steadfast champion of diversity in the legal profession and works tirelessly for equality for all citizens. The First Lady is a staunch supporter of the Oregon State Bar Affirmative Action Program, and a champion of Opportunities for Law in Oregon (OLIO), an orientation program designed to recruit and retain minority law students in Oregon. She is also active in the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association. All who have been touched by her hard work and devotion have described her as a humble yet effective and passionate advocate for minority attorneys. First Lady Oberst also has a deeply held commitment to equal access to legal services for all communities, especially underprivileged and underrepresented communities. She has been involved in the Campaign for Equal Justice since its inception and has made access to justice one of her top priorities. OWLS is pleased to recognize First Lady Oberst’s considerable contribution to the promotion of minorities in our profession and the community at large by awarding her the 2010 Judge Mercedes Deiz Award.
Interested in sponsoring the dinner? Click here for sponsorship levels, or contact OWLS executive director, Linda Tomassi at 503.595.7831.
The Justice Betty Roberts Award
The Justice Betty Roberts Award recognizes an individual
who has made an outstanding contribution to promoting women in the
legal profession and in the community. The recipient of this award
is a person who has influenced women to pursue legal careers, opened
doors for women attorneys, or advanced opportunities for women within
the profession.
Justice Betty Roberts
has long been recognized in Oregon for her contribution to women
in the profession. She has served in the Oregon legislature and was
the first woman judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals. In 1982 she
became the first woman to serve as a justice on the state Supreme
Court. On August 6, 2006, Roberts was recognized for her outstanding
accomplishments when she received a Margaret Brent Women Lawyers
of Achievement Award from the ABA Commission on Women at the Annual
Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Link to past recipients of the Justice Betty Roberts Award
The Judge Mercedes Deiz Award
The Judge Mercedes Deiz Award recognizes an individual
who has made an outstanding contribution to promoting minorities
in the legal profession and in the community. The recipient of this
award is a person who has influenced minorities to pursue legal careers,
opened doors for minority attorneys, or advanced opportunities for
minorities within the profession.
In 1960, Judge Mercedes Deiz
was admitted to the bar and became the first black woman lawyer to
practice in Oregon. Nine years later, her appointment as a district
court judge made her the first woman of color in the Oregon judiciary.
In 1972 she won election to the Multnomah County Circuit Court, becoming
the first black woman to be elected to the bench in Oregon. She exemplified
a high standard of public service through her commitment to making
opportunities available to those with little historical access to
legal resources and careers.
Link to past recipients of the Judge Mercedes Deiz Award
2009 Roberts-Deiz Awards Recipients U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Sullivan and Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Richard C. Baldwin
The Justice Betty Roberts Award
U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Sullivan is the “epitome of professionalism with a human touch.” For twenty-five years, Judge Sullivan has served as a guiding light for women in the legal and general community of Pendleton, Oregon. Whether she is spearheading the Rebecca J. Bloom chapter of OWLS or founding the Pioneer Relief Nursery to prevent child abuse and neglect, Judge Sullivan has blazed a trail for all women in Eastern Oregon to follow. As a wife, mother and civil litigator, her incredible commitment to her family and their well-being is constantly juggled effortlessly with her ability to handle complex civil matters and mentor young lawyers in the community. Judge Sullivan’s personable and down-to-earth manner promotes friendship and a sense of belonging to the legal community and her genuine concern for women in the profession, fight for access to justice, education, and devotion to children and maintaining a high level of professionalism and ethics for all attorneys, has been done with the utmost grace. For those reasons, OWLS is pleased to recognize her contributions to the women of Oregon by awarding the 2009 Justice Betty Roberts Award to the Honorable Patricia Sullivan.
The Judge Mercedes Deiz Award
Judge Richard C. Baldwin has long been an active and outspoken champion of diversity issues in Oregon. He has dedicated his career to educating others on the dynamics of racism in the legal culture and remains committed to eliminating patterns and practices which perpetuate racism in and out of the legal community. Judge Baldwin is a supporter of the Oregon State Bar Affirmative Action Program and of Opportunities for Law in Oregon (OLIO), an orientation program for minority law students in Oregon. Judge Baldwin has been a driving force in the creation of the Oregon State Bar Diversity Section; he has been a leader in establishing, supporting and defending the Elimination of Bias (now Access to Justice) MCLE (EOB) requirement; and he has served as chair of the Oregon Judicial Department Access to Justice Committee. His contributions have also reached the community at large through his work with Uniting to Understand Racism (UUR), by promoting awareness of the dynamics that promote and perpetuate racism in our communities to prevent their reoccurrence. Judge Baldwin’s humility, professionalism and commitment to diversity have garnered tremendous respect and accolades from friends, colleagues, and members of the legal community. He is known as a “true believer” of diversity and equality with a compassion and sensitivity few embody. OWLS is pleased to recognize Judge Baldwin’s considerable contribution to the promotion of minorities in our profession and the community at large by awarding him the 2009 Judge Mercedes Deiz Award.
