List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Oregon

This is a list of the first minority male lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Oregon. It includes the year in which the men were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are men who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.

Firsts in state history

McCants Stewart: First African American male lawyer in Oregon (1903)

Minoru Yasui: First Japanese American male lawyer in Oregon (c. 1939)

Lawyers

First Native American male: Silas B. Smith (1876)^[1]
First African American male: McCants Stewart (1903)^[2]
First known Chinese American male: Seid Beck Jr. (1907)^[3]^[4]
First Japanese American male: Minoru Yasui (c. 1939)^[5]
First undocumented male: Thomas Kim in 2018^[6]^[7]

State judges

First African American male: Aaron Brown Jr. (1959) in 1969^[8]^[9]
First Latino American male: Joseph Ceniceros (1968)^[10]
First openly gay male: David Gernant in 1994^[11]
First openly gay male (Oregon Supreme Court): Rives Kistler (1981) in 2003^[12]
First Hispanic American male (Chief Justice; Oregon Supreme Court): Paul De Muniz (1975) in 2006^[13]
First Filipino American male (Oregon Court of Appeals): Steven Powers in 2017^[14]
First Vietnamese American male:^[15] Thanh H. Tran in 2023

Federal judges

First Jewish American male (United States District Court for the District of Oregon): Gus J. Solomon in 1949^[16]
First African American male (U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon): Ancer L. Haggerty (1973) in 1994^[17]
First openly gay male (U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon): Michael J. McShane (1988) in 2013^[18]
First Hispanic American male (magistrate judge; United States District Court for the District of Oregon): John Acosta in 2008^[19]
First Hispanic American male (United States District Court for the District of Oregon): Marco A. Hernández in 2009^[19]
First Muslim American male (magistrate judge and judge; United States District Court for the District of Oregon): Mustafa T. Kasubhai in 2018 and 2024 respectively^[20]^[21]

Assistant Attorney General

First African American male: H.J. Belton Hamilton in 1954^[22]

District Attorney

First Hispanic American male: John Haroldson in 2008^[19]

Political Office

First Taiwanese American male (U.S. House of Representatives): David Wu (1982) in 1999^[23]^[24]

Oregon State Bar Association

First Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation male (admitted): William D. Johnson (1975)^[25]
First openly gay male (president): Mark Johnson Roberts in 1998^[22]
First Hispanic American male (president): Angel Lopez in 2002^[19]

Firsts in local history

Eddie Yoon (1976):^[26]^[27]^[28] Reputed to be the first Korean American male lawyer in the Pacific Northwest
Raymond Dean Crutchley (1999):^[29] First African American male judge in Eastern Oregon (2018)
John Haroldson:^[19] First Hispanic American male to serve as a District Attorney for Benton County, Oregon (2008)
Thanh H. Tran:^[15] First Vietnamese American male to serve as a Judge of the Clackamas County Circuit Court, Oregon (2023)
Robert Johnson:^[30] First African American male judge in Douglas County, Oregon (2022)
Seid Beck Jr.:^[3]^[4] First Chinese American male to graduate from the University of Oregon School of Law (1907)
Derrick Bell:^[31] First African American male to serve as the Dean of the University of Oregon School of Law (1981)
Mustafa T. Kasubhai:^[19] First South East Asian male judge in Lane County, Oregon (2007)

References

^ "1638 – 1899 – Diversity Storywall". Retrieved 2022-03-05.
^ Smith, J. Clay Jr. (1999-01-01). Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844-1944. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0812216857.
^ ^a ^b "1900 – 1959 – Diversity Storywall". storywall.osbar.org. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
^ ^a ^b Davis, Teresa Bergen and Heide (2021-09-06). Historic Cemeteries of Portland, Oregon. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-4861-0.
^ Woo, Elaine (2003-08-14). "Kenji Ito, 94; Attorney Was Found Not Guilty at Spy Trial in 1942". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
^ Altstadt, Roberta (2021-03-04). "Two new members bring more diversity to TriMet's Board of Directors". TriMet News. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
^ Pursinger, Geoff. "Hillsboro DACA recipient becomes one of Oregon's first undocumented lawyers". Hillsboro News Times. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
^ "Did you know? Celebrating Black History Month with interesting facts - Black Law Student Association - Law School - Lewis & Clark". law.lclark.edu. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
^ Pioneers, Oregon Black; Moreland, Kimberly Stowers (2013). African Americans of Portland. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738596198.
^ "The Great White Bench". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
^ "David Gernant, Oregon, 1994 · Out and Elected in the USA: 1974-2004 · OutHistory.org: It's About Time". outhistory.org. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
^ "A Rising Tide, Rocking Boats". Newsweek. 2004-05-16. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
^ "Former Chief Justice Paul J. De Muniz bio" (PDF). Oregon.gov.
^ "Two Willamette Law alumni appointed judges". Willamette College of Law. July 13, 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Governor Kotek Appoints Judges to the Clackamas and Marion County Circuit Courts". State of Oregon. August 24, 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
^ Long, William R. (April 2006). "Oregon Legal Heritage: Judging Solomon". www.osbar.org. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
^ "Drawing to a Final Verdict". Retrieved 2018-01-19.
^ "Gay marriage: Openly gay judge, Michael McShane, in spotlight overseeing Oregon case". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "2000 – 2014". Diversity Storywall. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
^ "Oregon Federal District Court Appoints First Muslim American to be a Federal Judge". Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
^ "Mustafa Kasubhai appointed U.S. District Judge of Oregon in historic confirmation". KOIN.com. 2024-11-20. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
^ ^a ^b "Pioneers of diversity in Oregon courts". OregonLive.com. January 14, 2015. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
^ Barkan, Elliott Robert (2013). Immigrants in American History: Arrival, Adaptation, and Integration. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-59884-219-7.
^ Zia, Helen (2000-03-09). Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-1-4299-8085-2.
^ Aney, Kathy. "Johnson: 'It's for my own tribe. I can't imagine not doing it.'". East Oregonian. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
^ "Time to vote — API candidates that will be on your ballot". Northwest Asian Weekly. 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
^ "Eddie Yoon (Pages - Online Voters' Guide)". wei.sos.wa.gov. 2014. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
^ "A recap of all races in the Washington and Idaho 2014 Election". Spokesman.com. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
^ Lewis; Portl, Clark Law School 10015 S. W. Terwilliger Boulevard; USA 503-768-6600, Oregon 97219. "OSB Diversity Section and First Year Law Students Celebrate Judges". law.lclark.edu. Retrieved 2019-06-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ "2023 Oregon Law Alumni Award Winners Announced | School of Law". law.uoregon.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
^ "History". School of Law. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2022-03-15.

[1] "1638 – 1899 – Diversity Storywall". Retrieved 2022-03-05.

[2] Smith, J. Clay Jr. (1999-01-01). Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844-1944. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0812216857.

[:2-3] "1900 – 1959 – Diversity Storywall". storywall.osbar.org. Retrieved 2016-10-10.

[:3-4] Davis, Teresa Bergen and Heide (2021-09-06). Historic Cemeteries of Portland, Oregon. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-4861-0.

[5] Woo, Elaine (2003-08-14). "Kenji Ito, 94; Attorney Was Found Not Guilty at Spy Trial in 1942". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-10-15.

[6] Altstadt, Roberta (2021-03-04). "Two new members bring more diversity to TriMet's Board of Directors". TriMet News. Retrieved 2022-10-26.

[7] Pursinger, Geoff. "Hillsboro DACA recipient becomes one of Oregon's first undocumented lawyers". Hillsboro News Times. Retrieved 2022-10-26.

[8] "Did you know? Celebrating Black History Month with interesting facts - Black Law Student Association - Law School - Lewis & Clark". law.lclark.edu. Retrieved 2018-01-11.

[9] Pioneers, Oregon Black; Moreland, Kimberly Stowers (2013). African Americans of Portland. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738596198.

[10] "The Great White Bench". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2022-05-23.

[11] "David Gernant, Oregon, 1994 · Out and Elected in the USA: 1974-2004 · OutHistory.org: It's About Time". outhistory.org. Retrieved 2019-07-22.

[:16-12] "A Rising Tide, Rocking Boats". Newsweek. 2004-05-16. Retrieved 2018-01-15.

[13] "Former Chief Justice Paul J. De Muniz bio" (PDF). Oregon.gov.

[14] "Two Willamette Law alumni appointed judges". Willamette College of Law. July 13, 2017.

[:4-15] "Governor Kotek Appoints Judges to the Clackamas and Marion County Circuit Courts". State of Oregon. August 24, 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-28.

[16] Long, William R. (April 2006). "Oregon Legal Heritage: Judging Solomon". www.osbar.org. Retrieved 2022-04-15.

[17] "Drawing to a Final Verdict". Retrieved 2018-01-19.

[18] "Gay marriage: Openly gay judge, Michael McShane, in spotlight overseeing Oregon case". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2018-01-15.

[:0-19] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "2000 – 2014". Diversity Storywall. Retrieved 2018-12-24.

[20] "Oregon Federal District Court Appoints First Muslim American to be a Federal Judge". Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Retrieved November 27, 2019.

[21] "Mustafa Kasubhai appointed U.S. District Judge of Oregon in historic confirmation". KOIN.com. 2024-11-20. Retrieved 2024-11-21.

[:1-22] "Pioneers of diversity in Oregon courts". OregonLive.com. January 14, 2015. Retrieved 2019-01-04.

[23] Barkan, Elliott Robert (2013). Immigrants in American History: Arrival, Adaptation, and Integration. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-59884-219-7.

[24] Zia, Helen (2000-03-09). Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-1-4299-8085-2.

[25] Aney, Kathy. "Johnson: 'It's for my own tribe. I can't imagine not doing it.'". East Oregonian. Retrieved 2020-06-19.

[:17-26] "Time to vote — API candidates that will be on your ballot". Northwest Asian Weekly. 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2018-02-14.

[:64-27] "Eddie Yoon (Pages - Online Voters' Guide)". wei.sos.wa.gov. 2014. Retrieved 2018-02-14.

[:65-28] "A recap of all races in the Washington and Idaho 2014 Election". Spokesman.com. Retrieved 2018-02-14.

[29] Lewis; Portl, Clark Law School 10015 S. W. Terwilliger Boulevard; USA 503-768-6600, Oregon 97219. "OSB Diversity Section and First Year Law Students Celebrate Judges". law.lclark.edu. Retrieved 2019-06-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[30] "2023 Oregon Law Alumni Award Winners Announced | School of Law". law.uoregon.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-05.

[31] "History". School of Law. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2022-03-15.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]