Professor Ron Lansing (1932-2021)
We note with sadness and respect that Lewis & Clark College Law Emeritus Professor and USDCHS 2016 Lifetime Service Award recipient passed away on May 28, 2021. Professor Lansing taught at Lewis & Clark Law School 1967-2008, focusing on Torts and Evidence. Former USDCHS board member Stephen Raher notes, “I had many outstanding teachers in law school, but Prof. Lansing was unique in that he lived and breathed a commitment to the entire intellectual and pedagogical experience of law school as an institution. In some ways he embodied Lewis & Clark Law School more than any other faculty member—it is no coincidence that he carried the ceremonial mace at every…
Billy J. Williams: A U.S. Attorney’s Tenure Like No Other
By Scott Bradford During the early weeks of March 2015, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams received a phone call from Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General during the majority of President Barack Obama’s administration. The incumbent U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Amanda Marshall had decided to step away from her duties. Attorney General Holder said to Williams, “You’re now the U.S. Attorney.” As Acting (and later the Senate-confirmed) U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, Williams faced unprecedented challenges, starting with the need to right and steady an office roiled by U.S. Attorney Marshall’s resignation. It is likely not a path Williams thought about for himself when…
Moving Pictures: Digitizing Our Collection
By Adair Law Since the 1980s the USDCHS has recorded various ceremonial (and often jovial) aspects of the life of the court for the District of Oregon. Our archives contain recordings made in a variety of different formats between the late 1980s to the present. Among the recordings are investitures, portrait unveilings, retirement parties, and memorial services. We are grateful to the courtroom technologists who made these recordings over the years, and especially to Houston Bolles, the videographer behind the camera for most of these particular recordings. With the financial support of the Attorney Admissions Fund, the vision of our president and board, and the wrangling/administrative skills of USDCHS…
U.S. Marshal Reginald Madsen: Behind the Scenes Yet Ever Present
By Adair Law U.S. Marshal Reginald Madsen (1940-2021), who served the U.S. District Court in that capacity from 1994 to 2001, recently passed away in Island City, Oregon. Known by most as Reg, Mr. Madsen was born in Keshena, Wisconsin on the Menominee Indian Reservation. He served in the U.S. Navy, received a degree from Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, and later attended the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He began his career in law enforcement as a police officer in the Vancouver Police Department. He went on to serve the Oregon State Police. He capped off the last three years of his service (1968-93) there as superintendent. After…
Your Case is Set for Trial… by Zoom!
By Joseph Carlisle In January 2021, I tried an arbitration case by Zoom. While the five-day arbitration hearing went smoothly, with only a few hiccups, it required an extra amount of planning, preparation, and coordination. All litigators know that, as the trial date nears, time is in short supply. When trying a case by video conference during the tenth month of the COVID-19 pandemic, coordinating such crucial but seemingly mundane things as the delivery of exhibit binders to various witnesses’ homes and attending test runs of the video conference platform itself eats into preparation time. It requires an extra layer of quality control to make sure all your exhibit…