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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2006)
APRIL 21. 2006 jUStjOUt 13 ! northwest Justice for All Tu won Equity Foundations Bill & Ann Shepherd Legal Scholarship Fund for his commit Minority rights champion runs for judge ment to equal rights and justice for queers. His vari by Malka Geffen ous awards and fellowships are too numerous to ormer Multnomah County Circuit Court brother, Phu. He also devotes his time mention, but all of his accolades are testaments to judge David Gernant, the first openly gay and energy to the financially disad his professionalism and leadership and to the respect male judge in Oregon, retired this month, vantaged, who have been historically of his fellow students, professors and colleagues. leaving the fourth district position open blocked from equal access to the judi Tu handles a variety of commercial, business, and highly contested. At the age of 32, cial system because of their socioeco corporate, legal malpractice defense, real estare and Trung Tu is the youngest of the five candidates nomic status. Tu speaks of the two employment cases, and he represents a diverse set vying for the position. He is also the only gay ways he keeps this balancing act of clients, which he says gives him the experience candidate in the race. going: “Lots of energy and a well- he needs for the bench. Before joining McEwen tuned calendar.” Gisvold in 2003, he had a broad and varied legal When the circuit court judge seat opened, Tu was encouraged hy his mentors and colleagues to Tu also realizes he owes much of his run. “1 have wanted to he a judge for as long as 1 tenacity to the struggles he encoun can remember,” he says, “and it’s rare to he able to tered as both a racial and sexual run for this position.” minority. He was born in Phan Thiet, South funding for prohibiting military recruitment on Circuit court judges usually retire midterm, at Vietnam, in 1973 and moved to Portland as a young their campuses. He says the military’s “don’t ask, Tu distinguishes himself from his many oppo which point the governor appoints a successor. The child and refugee of the Vietnam War. He did not don’t tell" rule makes it impossible for member nents by having “a broader background in civil incumbent judge tends to run unopposed in sub speak English when he arrived and said he was often institutions of the Association of American Law law." sequent elections. Tu says he is not entrenched in taunted, teased and heat up because of his immi Schools to comply with policies of prohibiting Philbrook, Cheryl Albrecht and Kathleen Payne the “legal culture,” which has an unspoken rule grant status. He remembers when his family was on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation mainly practice criminal and family law. Another that only more seasoned attorneys qualify as welfare and had no understanding of their new legal and demanding the same of any employer to which difference, which might be most significant to the appointees. He hopes Multnomah County citizens system. Despite the inequities he and his family the institution grants access for employment. As an queer community, is that Tu is the only candidate will realize they have a rare opportunity to elect faced, Tu worked hard and, in 1995, graduated from attorney, Tu continues supporting underdog causes to be endorsed by Oregon Supreme Court Justice someone with a fresh perspective to a judiciary University of Notre Dame. He returned to Portland by mentoring minority law students and providing Rives Kistler, the only openly gay supreme court that, as he says, “is seriously lacking in diversity.” to receive his juris doctor from Lewis &. Clark pro bono work for Q Center. justice in the United States. Tu is young and hip and does more hy the Portland litigation and appellate attorney Trung Tu is running for Multnomah County Circuit Court judge. career. After he clerked at the Oregon Department of Justice, he worked at the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco. He says challengers Lane Borg, Julia “My goal is to give back to the community,” he College in 2000. lamplight of the midnight hour than most of us do “It is important to be out and be respected,” Tu says. “As a circuit court judge, I’ll be in a better Meet T rung T u and Oregon Supreme Court all day. When he’s not handling a variety of civil says about coming out in his college years. He position to ensure that all litigants have equal candidate Virginia Linder over coffee and snacks cases at McEwen Gisvold, he is serving on the remembers the zeal with which, as a law student, he access in the legal system regardless of who they are 12:30 p.m. April 23 at Bridgeport United Church of Oregon State Bar’s committee on affirmative fought against the Solomon Amendment, which and that they’ll be treated with respect, dignity and Christ, 621 N.E. 76th Ave. RSVP to Susie action and single-handedly raising his 11-year-old denies institutions of higher education federal compassion.” Shepherd at 503'286' 1752. VJh’f list with V>ridge4ovin Fealty? 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