Page 14 - OWLS Spring 2017 AdvanceSheet

Meet OWLS Board Member Aruna Masih

By Shaun Morgan

ortland-based attorney Aruna short term, OWLS IN members are en-
Masih, whose practice focuses on gaging with other diversity and specialty
Pemployee and labor rights and pub- bar members and working separately to
lic pensions, has been an OWLS member educate themselves on the barriers that
since 1998 and has served on the OWLS prevent people from having the diffi-
Board of Directors since 2014. She served cult discussions about race and gender
on the Board of Directors of the Oregon issues that are necessary to effectuate
Women Lawyers Foundation from 2005 to real change.
2016, often spearheading the auction at Aruna notes two barriers that currently
the annual Roberts & Deiz Awards Dinner. impede honest engagement: white privi-
She was also previously a co-chair of the lege and white fragility. Both concepts re-
Oregon Minority Lawyers Association. flect the fact that those of the dominant
Aruna is a founding member of OWLS culture are either unaware of or unwilling
IN, an intersectionality network that to accept the experiences of people of col-
connects OWLS members with members or and the non-dominant culture. White
of Oregon’s other diversity and specialty fragility posits that white Americans are Aruna Masih
bars. The long-term mission of OWLS IN in a better position to avoid difficult and and perceptions about their race, reli-
is to strengthen networks to promote uncomfortable conversations about race gion, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity
recognition and understanding of inter- and its impact on people, because they affect how they are perceived and treated
sectionality through meaningful partner- can simply walk away from the conver- by others. This insulated environment
ship with the specialty bars, affirmative sation, while people of color can never of protection for the dominant culture
programming, and promotion of diversity escape (or at least have a more difficult builds expectations for comfort while
throughout our legal community. In the time escaping) the fact that stereotypes
at the same time lowering the ability of
those in the dominant culture to tolerate
U.S. District Court Update stress regarding these issues.
Aruna’s commitment to diversity and
he U.S. District Court for the resentatives facilitate communication social change extends to her practice as
District of Oregon is proud to between the bar and the judges in the an employment and civil rights lawyer for
Tnow offer lactation rooms in District of Oregon and also represent Bennett Hartman Morris & Kaplan. She
the Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse in practitioners at the annual Ninth Cir- works on behalf of employees and labor
Eugene and the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. cuit Judicial Conference. Other lawyer unions to protect their access to pensions
Courthouse in Portland. In the Eugene representative duties include planning and other labor and employment rights.
courthouse, the lactation room is located the district’s semi-annual District Court Her work protects firefighters, teachers,
on the third floor in room 3102, which is Conference, which is next occurring on and other employees.
just outside courtroom 4. In the Portland October 6, 2017, and planning other Aruna joined a prior iteration of Ben-
courthouse, the lactation rooms are locat- educational events for the bench and bar. nett Hartman as a law clerk in 1997, soon
ed on the ninth floor in room 904, which Serving as a lawyer representative is an became an associate, and then left the
is just around the corner from courtroom excellent way to get involved with the firm with some partners in 2001 to join
9A, and on the 15th floor in room 1504, federal courts, get to know the judges McKanna Bishop Joffe. In 2003, she was
which is just around the corner from in this district, and assist the court with invited to return to Bennett Hartman
courtroom 15A. ensuring that cases proceed in the most to work on PERS litigation. She’s now a
These rooms offer safe, comfortable expeditious, inexpensive, and fair way partner at the firm.
spaces for nursing mothers and are open possible. The District of Oregon has Aruna’s mother, the daughter of British
to attorneys, court participants, jurors, nine lawyer representatives; the judges missionaries, was born in and lived most
and anyone else visiting the courthouse. appoint three representatives each year of her life in the Punjab region of India.
The rooms have locking doors, comfort- for staggered three-year terms. The Aruna’s late father, a Punjabi Christian,
able chairs, and refrigerators, in which court will select the next three repre- was born in a small village and was the
pumped milk may be stored during the sentatives in late summer or early fall, first in his family to attend college, which
day in labeled containers. The court is with nominations due in mid-to-late he followed with a medical degree. Aruna
grateful to the clerk’s office, especially spring. Self-nominations are welcome. was born in New York, while her father
Chief Deputy Clerk Susan Miller and If you actively practice in federal court, was completing his medical training.
Division Manager Christy Weller, and are interested in the work of the Ninth When she was six months old, the family
to Judge Stacie Beckerman for help in Circuit Judicial Conference, and are returned to India, so her father could take
getting these rooms ready for use. willing to actively contribute thereto, over as the medical director of a rural
The court also continues its efforts to please consider nominating yourself by mission hospital in the Punjab region.
appoint Ninth Circuit lawyer represen- sending a paragraph of intent along with As a small child, Aruna spoke mostly
tatives who are diverse in terms of their your résumé to Chief Judge Michael W. Hindi in the house. She later attended
gender, ethnicity, religion, geographic Mosman’s law clerk Gosia Fonberg at
location, and practice area. Lawyer rep- Gosia_Fonberg@ord.uscourts.gov. Continued on page 16

OREGON WOMEN LAWYERS AdvanceSheet 14 SPRING 2017