History, Hospitality, and Hops
By Carra Sahler For the 17th year—yes, you read that right—Judge Ed Leavy and his family hosted our Annual Picnic at their beautiful, unique, and quintessentially Oregon hop farm. In a moving and emotionally-wrought welcome to his family’s Century Farm, Judge Leavy commented that his parents would be proud to see the state’s leaders and thinkers enjoying their property—a place graced by large oak trees and a wide, green lawn. Judge Leavy told the gathering that he was born a mile down the road, the youngest of ten children, and the first in his family to go to college. He thought his mother, in particular, who attended school only…
The Investiture of U.S. Magistrate Judge Mustafa Taher Kasubhai
By U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman On December 5, 2019, the Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse in Eugene filled with friends, family members, and colleagues to welcome U.S. Magistrate Judge Mustafa Taher Kasubhai to the District of Oregon federal bench at his formal investiture ceremony. Jackie Klein, Judge Kasubhai’s courtroom deputy, opened court and U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane welcomed the crowd. The jury box overflowed with judges from the federal bench, as well as the Oregon Supreme Court, Oregon Court of Appeals, Lane County Circuit Court, and Multnomah County Circuit Court. Several distinguished speakers, with whom Judge Kasubhai has crossed paths throughout his legal career, paid…
The Hon. Danielle Hunsaker: A Gifted, Humble, and Kind Jurist
By Scott Bradford For me, there has always been something different about Judge Danielle Hunsaker. In sports, we call it the “it” factor—there is just something different, something special, about the most talented athletes. They are, of course, gifted, but they are also humble or teachable, have an incredible work ethic, respect the history and rules of their profession, and are able rise to any challenge. Judge Hunsaker has that same type of “it” factor. On September 19, 2019, Judge Hunsaker’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit was sent to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat vacated by Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain when he…
Remembering Judge Dennis Hubel
By Dan Thenell The U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society notes with great sadness the passing of U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Hubel on September 16, 2019. We look forward to posting an extended article in the future based on his oral history. Denny, to his friends and Judge to me and my co-workers, was a trial lawyer’s judge. He followed the law, he treated participants in the judicial system with intense fairness and was never unprepared. Judge Hubel was appointed as a part-time U.S. magistrate judge in 1995, while a partner at Karnopp Petersen in Bend, Oregon. He moved to Portland’s Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse when he assumed…
Song for Judge Anna J. Brown: Doing the Right Thing, the Right Way, for the Right Reasons
Many thanks to Portland Attorney Jim Coon for composing this song (original music and lyrics) in honor of our 2019 USDCHS Lifetime Service Award recipient Judge Anna J. Brown. I was standing on the corner, Southwest Main and Third AvenueThe light was red, but there was nobody comin’I wondered what should I do.I thought “Heck, this don’t take much nerve,” I took one step off the curb Then I looked up, and there stood Anna J. Brown. She was on the other side, waiting patientlyLooking at me over top of her glasses,You prob’ly know what I mean.Well I’m no fool, whatever else I lack,So I just smiled, took one step…