Mandatory eFiling Coming to a Court Near You!

Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas A. Balmer has approved a plan for a mandatory eFiling requirement for attorneys filing cases in Oregon's circuit and appellate courts. The Oregon Judicial Department will circulate proposed court rules in the upcoming months for comment. The plan calls for a mandatory date of December 1, 2014 for the eleven circuit courts that currently have the eFiling component of the Oregon eCourt system, and includes a transition plan for those courts implementing the system later.

Mandatory eFiling for attorneys filing in the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court is expected to begin in the spring of 2015, following an amendment to the Oregon Rules of Appellate Procedure. Mandatory eFiling for the Oregon Tax Court will be assessed at a later date.

Click here for more information from the Oregon State Bar.

2014 Appellate Almanac: Submissions Requested

As chair of the Appellate Practice Section, I invite section members to contribute to the 2014 Appellate Almanac.  The section is looking for articles, stories, or interesting data on the Oregon appellate courts or Oregon-related cases in the federal appellate courts.  Academic articles, profiles, funny stories, or the real reason digital clocks mysteriously appeared on the podiums overnight are all welcome additions to this year’s almanac.

If you are interested in contributing this year, please contact me directly.  If you need some inspiration from authors past, prior almanacs are available on the section’s website and provide myriad examples of submissions suitable for publication.  I hope to hear from you! 

American Constitution Society Event!

The Oregon Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society presents U.S. Supreme Court Review and Preview. Please join the society to hear a distinguished panel dissect the United States Supreme Court’s decisions from this past term, debate the direction of the Court in the upcoming term, and provide their views on what the that means to lawyers and lay people alike.

What:  U.S. Supreme Court Review and Preview

When: Wednesday, October 1, 2014, 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Perkins Coie 

             1120 NW Couch Street, 10th Floor 

             Portland, Oregon

Please RSVP here.

Invitation to Attend the Matthew Paul Deady Event!

The Board of Directors of the Pioneer Courthouse Historical Society invite you to a late-afternoon reception and conversation about early Oregon jurist and first federal judge Matthew Paul Deady and his architectural legacy, the historic Pioneer Courthouse.

When: Thursday, October 23, 2014, 4:00 PM

Where: Pioneer Courthouse, S.W. Sixth Avenue between Yamhill and Morrison

RSVP by October 17, 2014 to info@pioneercourthouse.org to ensure a seat!  Seating is limited to the first 80 guests so please respond soon!

First Article Published for the 2014 Appellate Almanac!

The Executive Committee is pleased to present our members with the first article for the 2014 Appellate Almanac, a profile of the Honorable David Schuman, who recently retired from the Oregon Court of Appeals.  Danielle Lordi, a former clerk for Judge Schuman, kindly volunteered her time to author the article.

Again, if you would like the opportunity to contribute to the 2014 Appellate Almanac, please let the Executive Committee Chair know.

What Just Happened? A Review of Significant 2013 Appellate Decisions

The OSB Appellate Practice Section presents a brown bag CLE on Thursday, February 13, 2014, from noon-1:30 p.m., at Tonkon Torp LLP, 888 SW Fifth Avenue, 16th Floor, Portland Oregon 97204 .

This panel on important 2013 appellate decisions will feature Oregon Supreme Court Justice Rives Kistler, Court of Appeals Judge Rebecca Duncan, Oregon Solicitor General Anna Joyce, and Willamette Law Professor Jeff Dobbins. The speakers will identify and discuss key decisions covering a range of topics.

Supreme Court Building Turns 100!

February 14, 2014 marks the 100^th anniversary of the historic Oregon Supreme Court Building.  In honor of the occasion, the court will have a brief program in the third floor courtroom at 3:00 p.m., followed by a reception in the lobby and tours of the courthouse.  I hope members of the section will be able to participate. Feel free to invite your colleagues, friends... and valentines!