Gov. Kate Brown appoints 2 local civil attorneys to Lane County Circuit Court
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Two women will join the bench in Lane County to replace retiring circuit court judges.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Tuesday that she would appoint Michelle Bassi and Beatrice Grace to the Lane County Circuit Court.
Bassi will fill the Position 2 vacancy created by Judge Charles Carlson's retirement, and Grace will fill the Position 11 vacancy created by Judge Lauren Holland's retirement. The two judges retired effective June 30, and Brown started accepting applications for their replacements in May.
Both appointments are effective immediately, according to a news release from the Governor's Office.
Bassi and Grace have "impeccable qualifications" matching the needs of the circuit court, Brown said in the release.
"For years, both women have served their community with compassion and integrity, helping individuals navigate challenging circumstances," Brown said. "I have no doubt that Michelle and Beatrice will hit the ground running, ensuring that our justice system continues to serve people with fairness and equity."
Bassi has been a civil litigator at Springfield-based firm Thorp, Purdy, Jewett, Urness & Wilkinson since 2013 and a partner since 2018. Her practice focuses primarily on complex civil litigation and she also represented defendants in misdemeanor cases until 2019.
Before joining her current firm, she clerked for the Honorable Douglas Mitchell and the Honorable Jodie Mooney of the Lane County Circuit Court. She also served as a public defender for the Umpqua Valley Public Defender in Roseburg.
Grace was an emergency room nurse for more than 20 years before switching careers, and she currently represents plaintiffs in personal injury and medical malpractice cases. She clerked for U.S. Magistrate Judge Mustafa Kasubhai when he was on the Lane County bench and helped him establish his chambers after he was appointed to the federal court.
The positions are elected, and both seats are on the ballot in November.
One person has filed so far, according to the Oregon Secretary of State's database. State Rep. Marty Wilde, a Democrat from Eugene, is running for Position 11 after announcing he wouldn't run for reelection to his seat in the Oregon House of Representatives.
Contact city government watchdog Megan Banta at mbanta@registerguard.com. Follow her on Twitter @MeganBanta_1.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Michelle Bassi, Beatrice Grace appointed to Lane County Circuit Court
