Page 5 - OWLS AdvanceSheet Winter 2017

Judge Julie Frantz & Kasia Rutledge to Be Honored

at Roberts & Deiz Awards Dinner on March 10

By Florence Z. Mao
J udge Julie Frantz of the Multnomah

County Circuit Court has been select-
ed to receive the 2017 Justice Betty
Roberts Award for the promotion of
women in the law and the community.
Kasia Rutledge, an attorney with the
Metropolitan Public Defender in Port-
land, will receive the Judge Mercedes
Deiz Award for the promotion of minori-
ties in the law and the community. The
award recipients will be honored at the Photo: Dreams in Bloom Photography
25th Roberts & Deiz Awards celebration
on Friday, March 10, at the Portland Art
Museum.
The Justice Betty Roberts Award honors
any Oregon-licensed attorney who has
made an outstanding contribution to Kasia Rutledge (left) and Judge Julie Frantz will receive OWLS awards on March 10.
promoting women in the legal profession
and the community. Upon graduating the I Have a Dream Foundation. She has Kasia works tirelessly to promote di-
from Stanford University and Lewis & delivered meals for Meals on Wheels for versity, and she uses her voice effectively
Clark Law School, Judge Frantz began almost 20 years. to speak out for—without speaking
her legal career at the Metropolitan Judge Frantz is described as passionate, over—underrepresented groups in the
Public Defender, where she represented devoted, and inspiring, traits that were legal community and beyond. Colleagues
and tried cases on behalf of indigent also admired in Justice Betty Roberts. and mentees agree that Kasia’s incredible
clients. Five years later she joined the civil Thus, it is with great honor that OWLS ability to listen, learn, and care deeply
litigation firm known today as Schulte presents Judge Julie Frantz with the 2017 about others allows her to build strong
Anderson Downes Aronson & Bittner, Justice Betty Roberts Award. relationships and become an effective ally
where she became the firm’s first female The Judge Mercedes Deiz Award rec- to minorities, people with disabilities, and
shareholder. In 1992 she became the first ognizes any Oregon-licensed attorney the LGBTQ community. Kasia’s mentees
woman president of the Oregon State Bar. who has made an outstanding contri- say that she is “a prime example of law-
Judge Frantz left private practice in bution to promoting minorities in the yering with love” and always takes time
1993, when she was appointed to the legal profession and the community. to mentor young attorneys at her office
Multnomah County District Court. The After graduating from the University of by helping them process the difficult
following year she was appointed to the Missouri, Kasia Rutledge went to Lewis emotional aspects of their work. More
Multnomah County Circuit Court, where & Clark Law School, and while there, she seasoned attorneys are inspired by Kasia’s
she served as chief criminal judge for 18 clerked at the Oregon Law Center and the devotion to raising awareness on issues
years and continues to promote access to Federal Public Defender’s Office. After regarding racial and social privileges to
justice. In 2014–2015 she was president graduating, Kasia went to work at the build a stronger legal community that
of the National Association of Women Metropolitan Public Defender, where she celebrates diversity.
Judges. Like Justice Betty Roberts, Judge currently advocates for indigent clients Judge Mercedes Deiz made an inspiring
Frantz is a trailblazer for women in the charged with misdemeanors and felonies. contribution to promoting minorities in
legal profession. Outside of her demanding day job, the legal profession and the community.
Judge Frantz continues Justice Roberts’s Kasia engages in community outreach Kasia’s colleagues and mentees say she
tradition of serving as a role model and on many levels. She speaks at numer- goes above and beyond to lift under-
mentor for female lawyers. Her peers ous events and trainings in Oregon and represented members of our community
say that she has never said no to young around the country to highlight problems and the legal profession. OWLS thanks
female lawyers and law students when that disproportionately affect people Kasia for helping to advance our mission
they ask for advice and support. Those of color in the criminal justice system. of promoting women and minorities in
who have appeared before her describe Through Opportunities for Law in Oregon the law, and it is with honor that the
her as fair, caring, and respectful, as well (OLIO) and the OSB New Lawyer Mentor- organization presents the 2017 Judge
as a judge who works tirelessly to open ing Program, she mentors minority law Mercedes Deiz Award to Kasia Rutledge
doors of opportunity for female lawyers. students and new attorneys by creating for her outstanding work promoting
They admire her ability to balance her safe and inclusive environments in which minorities in the law and the community.
professional life while being fully present their voices can be heard. Examples in-
as a mother of two children. Outside the clude hosting annual Thanksgiving feasts Florence Z. Mao serves as a judicial law
legal community, Judge Frantz serves on at her home and organizing on-campus clerk for Judge Karin J. Immergut at the
the boards of Habit for Humanity and barbecues for students of color. Multnomah County Circuit Court.

OREGON WOMEN LAWYERS AdvanceSheet 5 WINTER 2017