January 2010
Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation has awarded its annual grants to several organizations which advance the Foundation’s mission to promote greater access to the justice system for women and minorities. The grant recipients are:
Domestic Violence Clinic and Stop Violence Against Women Clinic Project at Lane County Legal Aid and Advocacy Center - Program gives services to low income survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Service is provided by third year law students and three staff attorneys – two of whom work primarily with Latina and rural outreach. They are working to develop a base of pro bono attorneys to help. Funds will be used to bring a nationally renowned speaker in the area of domestic violence to Eugene.
Child Centered Solutions - Program provides pro bono legal representation for children in high conflict divorce and custody cases in Multnomah County and trainings/consultations to attorneys representing children and other service providers in other parts of the state. Approximately half of CCS’s cases involve minority clients.
Small Business Legal Clinic - The SBLC provides business transactional legal services to new and emerging (low income) small businesses. 77% of the businesses are owned by women, minorities or recent immigrants. Funds will be used toward a pro bono coordinator who will assess needs throughout the state, put together community outreach seminars and organize pro bono projects in other regions of the state.
CASA For Children (Multnomah and Washington Counties) - Money will be put toward getting one new CASA volunteer.
September 29, 2008
The Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of three outstanding third year law students as recipients of this year’s Armonica Law Student Grants. This year’s recipients are Jessica McKie of Lewis & Clark Law School, Jemine Mode of University of Oregon School of Law, and Angela Wanak of Willamette College of Law.
The Armonica Law Student Grant Program was created in honor of the late Armonica Gilford, a former Foundation board member. The grant is available to 3rdyear law students attending the three Oregon law schools who can demonstrate a commitment to the Foundation’s goals through their personal, volunteer or education experience. Each recipient receives a book grant in the amount of $500 and an opportunity to be mentored by an ethnic minority female judge or attorney. This year’s mentors are Judges Adrienne Nelson and Youlee You of the Multnomah County Circuit Court and Judge Darleen Ortega of the Oregon Court of Appeals.
September 2007
Foundation Selects Three Armonica Grant Recipients
The Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of the Armonica Law Student Grant Program recipients for 2007-2008.
Linda Barrera, a third year student at Lewis & Clark Law School, is a law clerk for the Washington County District Attorneys Office. In addition to being the only black and Hispanic person carrying out the clerk duties in the office, she also serves as a mentor to female and minority students at the Portland OIC Rosemary Anderson High School.
Vanessa Nordyke, a third year student at the University of Oregon Law School, is a clerk with the Oregon Department of Justice. At UO, she is the Co-Director of the Women's Law Forum and President of the American Constitution Society. Vanessa was also instrumental in creating a pro bono group project in Eugene which introduces high school students to legal resources and the rights of domestic violence victims.
Shenoa Payne, a third year student at Willamette University College of Law, is a clerk for the Oregon Advocacy Center. Shenoa serves as President of the Willamette University Public Interest Law Project, which raises funds to support students working for organizations who provide access to justice for low-income Oregonians and other organizations who serve diverse and indigent populations.
Each recipient received a text book grant in the amount of $500 and was matched with an ethnic minority female judge who will serve as mentor during 2007-2008.
August 2007
Foundation Announces New Grant Program for Law Students
The Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of the Armonica Law Student Grant Program in honor of late Foundation Board member Armonica Gilford. The grant is available to 3rd year students attending the three Oregon law schools who can demonstrate a commitment to the Foundation's goals through their personal, volunteer, or educational experience. Ethnic minorities and women are especially encouraged to apply. Annually, one recipient is selected from each of the Oregon law schools to receive a text book grant in the amount of $500. In addition to the monetary grant, each recipient is matched with an ethnic minority female judge or attorney, who serves as the student’s mentor for the year.
For 2007-2008, applicants must complete the on-line application form by 5:00 pm on Friday, September 7, 2007.
May 2007
Foundation Hosts Women's History Display Celebration
On May 17th, the Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation hosted an event at the Oregon State Bar Center to celebrate the Women's History in the Law display, which is a museum-quality wall display. The display was installed at the Oregon State Bar center in February and features many women lawyers from all around Oregon over the course of our history (since 1885). The creation of the display was a project of the Queen's Bench Historical Perspectives Committee over the course of the last 3 years.
Foundation Co-Sponsors Vernellia Randall Event
On May 3rd, Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation co-sponsored a special event featuring Vernellia Randall, a University of Dayton Law School professor and the author of a recently released book entitled "Dying While Black". During the event, Randall was able to reconnect with her Portland friends, including many Foundation board and OWLS members, and she made a short presentation about her book and conducted a booksigning. The Foundation co-sponsored the event with Lewis & Clark Law School, OWLS, and the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association.
April 2007
Foundation Announces 2007-2008 Officers
Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation announces the Board officers for 2007 to 2008: Libby Davis, President; Kathleen Bricken, Vice President/President-Elect; Dady Blake, Treasurer; Terri Kraemer, Secretary; and Trudy Allen, Historian.
Foundation Awards Four Vernellia R. Randall Bar Exam Grants
Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation awarded four Vernellia R. Randall Bar Exam Grant to third year law students who will take the Oregon bar exam in July. Among the receipients are Laura Forester, who will graduate from Lewis & Clark Law School in May, who is the single custodial parent of two children, ages 3 and 5 years old; and Darin J. Dooley, who will graduate from Willamette University College of Law in May, who is the single custodial parent of two children, ages 8 and 10. In addition, the Foundation awarded the bar exam grant to another graduating student from Willamette, who is a single parent to a 5 year old son, and to a University of Oregon School of Law graduating student, who is the single parent to a 16 year old daughter.
March 2007
Foundation Hosts Another Successful Silent Auction
As part of the OWLS Roberts-Deiz Dinner, the Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation once again hosted its annual auction on March 19, 2007, raising a record amount of more than $20,000. The great success of the auction is attributed to a wonderful auction committee and the more than 150 donors who contributed items including artwork, entertainment tickets, weekend trips, and many baskets of special gifts. This year’s auction committee was co-chaired by Foundation Board members Libby Davis and Yumi O’Neil.
The list of top donors includes Hon. Betty Roberts, Dady Blake, Roscoe C. Nelson, Dan Christopher Photography, Wachovia Securities, Steve Gotter, Lewis & Clark Law School, Becker Capital Management Inc., Deloitte & Touche, Kathryn Jackson, Williams Love O’Leary Craine & Powers and Karen Story. Each donation received was very important, and the Foundation would like to sincerely thank each donor for contributing.
January 2007
Foundation Makes Annual Grants
Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation has awarded its annual grants to several organizations which advance the Foundation’s mission to promote greater access to the justice system for women and minorities. Volunteers of America (Multnomah County CourtCare), CASA for Children, Portland Women’s Crisis Line, and St. Andrew Legal Clinic each received a significant grant from the Foundation in 2006.
The Foundation also awarded the Vernellia R. Randall Bar Exam Grant to two third year law students who will take the Oregon bar exam in February. Anne Marie Clark, a Lewis & Clark Law School student, is the single parent of three children and has balanced law school with her significant parenting responsibilities. Samantha Copeland, a Willamette College of Law student, is also a single parent to an 8 year old child. The Foundation board congratulates these two deserving students on their success in law school and encourages them to do all they can in their careers to advance the interests of women and minorities in the justice system.
