November 2024
Lawyers associated for justice, service, professionalism, education and leadership for our members and our community
Multnomah
Lawyer
Est. 1906
Why Care About CourtCare? by Tyler Volm MBF President Many of us are familiar with the importance of the CourtCare program, which provides free drop-in childcare to families who have business at Multnomah County’s Central Courthouse, downtown federal courthouse or the Justice Center. Operated by Volunteers of America, and funded by donations solicited through the MBF, the program is designed to increase access to, and the administration of, justice. Books, blocks, games, puzzle, playsets, and stuffed animals provide a safe space for the kids to engage in supervised play, while their parents tend to stressful matters. In a world where kids are seemingly growing up faster than ever before, CourtCare allows kids to be kids. But don’t take it from us, take it from the kids directly: “Thank you for helping me make money for the cash register and for coming to my store we made. And thank you for eating my sandwich I made you. And I told my Mom that you would save my Batman for me, because I forgot him last time, she didn’t think so, but I knew you would.” (from a seven-year-old boy who In a world where loves playing “restaurant”) “I love you can make my baby brother kids are seemingly quiet. He is always bugging me. Can you growing up faster come to my house and hold onto him so I than ever before, can build things? I wish we can bring you CourtCare allows and the blocks to home.” kids to be kids. Since opening its doors in 2001, CourtCare has cared for more than 18,000 children, and has served as many as 80-100 children in a given month. We like to think of that as 18,000 carefree smiles accumulated over the last 23 years (or 782.6 smiles per year or 2.1 smiles per day). And while we like to think that you cannot put a price on these smiles, the program does have operational costs, and those costs, like many things, continue to increase year-over-year.
620 SW FIFTH AVE., SUITE 1220 PORTLAND, OREGON 97204
U.S. POSTAGE PAID PORTLAND, OR PERMIT NO. 00082
mba CLE NOVEMBER
11.6 Wednesday Divorce Mortgage Planning: Better Outcomes for Divorcing Clients Theresa Springer, CDLP 11.12 Tuesday Multnomah County Presiding Court Update Presiding Judge Judith Matarazzo Barbara Marcille
During the annual May campaign, we published the article “Stretching Your Dollar and Your Heart.” In that piece we highlighted the increased cost of the program, due in part to inflation and in part to the rising cost of childcare amidst a staffing crisis within the industry. The MBF Board established the Court Operations Task Force to review the CourtCare process and its budget. The goal was two-fold: to identify cost-cutting measures on the one hand, and to solidify existing donation sources and establish new donation sources on the other. The idea being to maintain and expand the program’s runway, allowing it to operate efficiently well into the future. While this is an ongoing process, the task force has been busy this year and has made significant headway in helping this program emerge from the pandemic (and all of its attendant issues). This year the MBF challenged firms, ...join us in making individual donors, and our institutional a difference in the donors to increase their donation lives of our most amounts to help the program keep pace with rising costs. Many of you precious resource... answered that call and for that we are very grateful, but there is still a need for increased donations. Please join us in making a difference in the lives of our most precious resource and in supporting a program that represents the best in our legal community. While we can’t do much about annoying younger siblings, we invite you to please do what you can, individually and collectively, to help us keep this important program running and that smile tally increasing.
mba EVENT PRSRT STD
Volume 70, Number 10
See details on p. 3. Visit www.mbabar.org/cle and input your OSB number to register at the member rate.
To make a charitable donation to the Multnomah Bar Foundation, or learn more about CourtCare and the work of the MBF, please visit www.mbabar.org/mbf or contact us at 503.222.3275.
MULTNOMAH BAR ASSOCIATION
November 2024
Bench Bar & Bagels Wednesday, November 13 7:30-8:30 a.m. Tonkon Torp 888 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 1600 The MBA is hosting the 15th annual “Bench Bar & Bagels” event on Wednesday, November 13, 7:308:30 a.m. at Tonkon Torp, 888 SW 5th Ave. Ste. 1600. Please join your colleagues and members of the judiciary for a light breakfast and coffee. This event is offered at no cost to MBA members and judges. Non-members: $10. Special thanks to our sponsor and host:
11.20 Wednesday Get to Know Your New Family Law Judges Judge Pamela Haan Judge Amy Holmes Hehn Judge Chris Martin Judge Michael Riedel
DECEMBER 12.3 Tuesday Guardianships for Minors & Oregon’s Third-Party Custody Law Judge Jacqueline Alarcón Erin Morris 12.12 Thursday Lawyer Well-Being: Leading with Values & Compassion in the Legal Field Kirsten Blume
JANUARY 1.15 Wednesday Annual Probate Update Judge Jacqueline Alarcón Judge Susie Norby Judge Janelle Wipper Amy Cross Jeff Petty
In This Issue CLE �������������������������������������������������� 3 Announcements ������������������������������� 5 Ethics Focus ������������������������������������� 5 Around the Bar ��������������������������������� 6 Candidate Statements ���������������������� 8 News From the Court ������������������������ 8 Tips From the Bench ������������������������� 8 YLS �������������������������������������������������10 The Corner Office ����������������������������� 13 Member Resource Center ����������������� 15 Classifieds ��������������������������������������16 Pro Bono Volunteers ������������������������16
Multnomah Bar Association 620 SW 5th Ave Suite 1220 Portland, Oregon 97204 503.222.3275 www.mbabar.org
Please RSVP to Kathy Modie, kathy@mbabar.org
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