Lynn Nakamoto
| Lynn Nakamoto | |
|---|---|
| 103rd Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court | |
|
Taking office January 4, 2016 | |
| Appointed by | Kate Brown |
| Succeeding | Virginia Linder |
| Judge of the Oregon Court of Appeals | |
|
In office January 3, 2011 – January 4, 2016 | |
| Appointed by | Ted Kulongoski |
| Preceded by | Jack Landau |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 24, 1960 Los Angeles |
Lynn R. Nakamoto (born May 24, 1960) is an American judge from Oregon who will serve, from January 2016, as the 103rd justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, to which she was appointed by governor Kate Brown. She had previously served since 2011 on the Oregon Court of Appeals.
Early life
Nakamoto was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Orange County, California. Nakamoto, who is the first member of her family to graduate college, received an A.B. in philosophy with honors from Wellesley College (1982) and attended the University of California at Berkeley (1980-81).[1][2] She earned her law degree at New York University School of Law (J.D., 1985).
Legal career
From 1985 to 1987, she worked at Bronx Legal Services in New York City before moving to Oregon in 1987, when she became a staff attorney and acting director of Marion-Polk Legal Aid Service. In 1989, she joined Markowitz, Herbold, Glade & Mehlhaf, a Portland law firm focusing on business litigation, eventually becoming its managing shareholder. She worked there until her appointment to the bench in 2011.[2]
She served as vice chair of the Oregon Board of Bar Examiners in 2001 and chair of the Oregon State Bar's affirmative action committee in 2006.
The Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association (OAPABA) presents an award called the Lynn Nakamoto Award at its annual gala dinner.[3]
Judicial career
In 1989, Nakamoto had served as a summer clerk for United States District Judge Helen J. Frye.
In 2011, governor Ted Kulongoski appointed Nakamoto to the Oregon Court of Appeals, to fill the seat created by Jack Landau's appointment to the Oregon Supreme Court.[4] She was elected unopposed to a six-year term at the 2012 election.
In 2015, governor Kate Brown named Nakamoto to the Oregon Supreme Court, to fill the vacancy created by Virginia Linder's retirement. Her appointment made her the first Asian American to serve on the supreme court.[1]
Personal life
Nakamoto was a founding member of the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association and sat on the board of the Q Center, an LGBT community center in North Portland.[4]
Nakamoto is a lesbian.[5] She and her partner have a daughter, adopted from Vietnam.[6]
She serves as one of eight openly LGBT supreme court justices in the United States, alongside fellow Oregonian Rives Kistler, Colorado Supreme Court justice Monica Marquez, Hawaii Supreme Court justice Sabrina McKenna, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court justice Barbara Lenk, Connecticut Supreme Court justice Andrew J. McDonald, Vermont Supreme Court justice Beth Robinson, and Washington Supreme Court justice Mary Yu.
References
- 1 2 Friedman, Gordon (December 7, 2015). "Lynn Nakamoto first Asian-American on Oregon Supreme Court". The Statesman Journal.
- 1 2 Oregon Court of Appeals. "Judge bios: Lynn Nakamoto".
- ↑ Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association (OAPABA). "OAPABA is pleased to announce Julia Markley as the recipient of this year’s Judge Lynn R. Nakamoto Award during its Annual Gala Dinner".
- 1 2 Markowitz, Herbold, Glade & Mehlhaf (December 7, 2011). "MHGM Managing Shareholder Lynn Nakamoto appointed to the Court of Appeals".
- ↑ Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN). "Openly LGBT elected in Oregon".
- ↑ Weinberger, Dawn. "A Good Move". Oregon Super Lawyers.
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