From humble beginnings to recognized community leader

Darleen grew up in Banks, Oregon from the age of 10. Both diversity and adversity are part of her origin story; she is the daughter of a Mexican American mother and an Anglo father, who often struggled with the limits of their resources to support her, a sister, and two adopted African American brothers in small-town Oregon. While Darleen’s parents could not afford to send her to college and did not understand why she would go, Darleen felt called to break barriers. She beat the odds when she graduated as valedictorian from Banks High School in 1980 and then with honors from George Fox College in Newberg in 1984. Darleen then graduated with honors from one of the highest rated law schools in the country, University of Michigan Law School. She began practicing law in Detroit and then moved back to Oregon in 1992 to continue her practice. In 2003, she was appointed to the Oregon Court of Appeals. She won elections in 2004, 2010, and 2016.

In her time on the bench, Darleen has distinguished herself as a court and community leader on issues of juvenile dependency, access to justice, and addressing racism.

Darleen also draws from her life experiences to listen well to those who are struggling. She navigated the complexities of the health care system to care for her partner during a protracted illness. She is devoted to her two grandsons and to hundreds of students and lawyers who she has mentored to never give up. She is also an avid film and theater critic and a friend to the arts.

Darleen brings EXPERIENCE, LEADERSHIP, AND INTEGRITY.

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  • EXPERIENCE

    Darleen has authored well over 800 opinions and has participated in thousands of cases during her time on the Court of Appeals. She strives to approach each case with care and compassion, and to make her written work accessible and accountable to the public's need for transparency, thoughtfulness, and humility from its leaders.

  • LEADERSHIP

    Darleen has received numerous awards for judicial and community leadership, including on issues of access to justice. She is a frequent speaker and discussion leader on addressing the gaps that exist between the goal of justice and the lived experience of people who interact with the legal system. She relentlessly makes space for the voices of the unheard and leads by example in a practice of listening to those voices herself.

  • INTEGRITY

    Darleen has committed her life's work to the ideal of justice for all. She knows there is much to do to make that ideal a reality and is tireless in engaging that work. In addition to heavy community involvement that includes service on boards and committees both inside and beyond the legal community, she mentors, teaches, and works relentlessly to learn from scores of students, lawyers, and community members, most especially those at the margins.

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Judge Ortega in the Community

Willamette University College of Law will welcome Judge Ortega as commencement speaker on May 15, 2022. 2022 Commencement Day, Willamette University College of Law

 

Judge Darleen Ortega is recognized on Trimet’s bus wrap celebrating Hispanic heritage and leaders.  Celebrating Hispanic Heritage and Leaders, TriMet.org

 

Judge Ortega frequently speaks and writes about the hard issues of true anti-racism work, and what is needed to engage in meaningful equity, diversity, and inclusion work.

·       “[I]f we don’t begin to understand tokenism and take it seriously, we undermine the prospects for real and lasting change.” We must overcome tokenism to achieve real equity, Street Roots, Aug. 3, 2018

·       “‘Implicit bias has become a popular topic in legal circles, as ‘diversity’ has begun to wane. Unfortunately, the way both these topics are discussed in our legal community does not genuinely challenge our behavior and assumptions enough to meaningfully address the persistent inequities that bias and lack of diversity implicate.” The Judges’ Forum by Judge Darleen Ortega, Oregon Women Lawyers Advance Sheet, Summer 2017

·       Judge Ortega discusses how listening well and recognizing one’s social location are critical in efforts to bring about a more equitable society that affords agency to those who have historically been marginalized. Such skills require hard, ongoing work that is very much worth doing. The Judges’ Forum by Judge Darleen Ortega: Of Optimism and Listening Well, Oregon Women Lawyers Advance Sheet, Summer 2016; ICYMI: Of Optimism and Listening Well, Meyer Memorial Trust (mmt.org), Aug. 20, 2016

·       Judge Ortega discusses how navigating and transcending the gravitational pull of privilege and structural bias to work for justice in the legal system requires intention, deep listening, and relentless questioning of the dominant culture and current systems. Keynote Address, Women in Prison Conference, Oct. 2018

 

Judge Ortega’s “own story touches on perseverance and the power of diverse perspectives.” Because of her insights and presence at the Court of Appeals, “the conversation [they’re] having is a different conversation than it would be without [her] being there.” Colleagues who know her well understand that “[e]very case in front of her is not just numbers on a paper. . . To Judge Ortega they are living, breathing individuals.” Darleen Ortega, raised near Banks, becomes Oregon’s first Latina Court of Appeals judge, The Oregonian

 

After many years mentoring hundreds of law students and lawyers, Judge Ortega has “learned a thing or two about the bar exam” and spoke out against unsubstantiated fear-based criticism of Oregon opting to “join Utah and Washington in granting emergency diploma privilege in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Judge Ortega explains, “The fact that the test is difficult and that significant numbers of people fail it each time does not prove its legitimacy. The passing score is set to ensure that a significant percentage fails, lending to the appearance that the examination is screening for competence without actually doing so.” Veteran State Court Judge Rips Bar Exam, Says Test 'Does Not Function To Protect The Public', Above the Law, Jan. 8, 2020

 

“The Oregon Supreme Court suspended [Vance] Day from the Marion County court in March 2018 after finding the Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability had proven Day was guilty of six out of eight misconduct charges and ordered the judge be suspended for three years.” The ethics investigation, among other claims, “looked into claims that Day refused to marry same-sex couples, hung a portrait of Adolf Hilter in a courthouse art display and bullied a referee at his son's soccer game.” Controversial former Marion County judge Vance Day to run for Oregon Court of Appeals, Statesman Journal, Mar. 9, 2022; yahoo!news, Mar. 9, 2022

 

Judge Ortega was honored by the Oregon Women Lawyers in 2011, receiving the Judge Mercedes Deiz Award. Recipients of this award are persons who have “influenced minorities to pursue legal careers, opened doors for minority attorneys, or advanced opportunities for minorities within the profession.” OWLS Honors Judge Darleen Ortega and Secretary of State Kate Brown, Oregon Women Lawyers Advance Sheet, Spring 2011; Judge Mercedes Deiz Award, Oregon Women Lawyers;

 

Through her classes at the three Oregon law schools, Judge Ortega challenges students to think more deeply about the law, the legal system, and the concept of justice. While many have entered the law because they care about justice, many soon learn that justice is hard to find in the current legal system. Judge Ortega and her students work to equip themselves to ask the hard questions and develop the courage it will take to work for justice as legal professionals. Access to Justice class syllabus, Willamette University College of Law, Spring 2022

 

Recipient of the 2009 Armonica Law Student Grant recognizes the invaluable mentorship of Judge Ortega. Grant Recipient Pays it Forward, Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation

 

For years, Judge Ortega has reviewed films and plays for The Portland Observer – lifting up the stories of marginalized communities that are an integral part of this country but too often go unheard and unseen. Stories by Darleen Ortega, The Portland Observer

 

“The path Darleen Ortega took to become a judge of the Oregon Court of Appeals was anything but typical.” Profiles in the Law: An Eye for Public Service, Oregon State Bar Bulletin, Nov. 2003

 

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the State of Oregon Law Library talks with “Judge Darleen Ortega – the first and only Latina appellate judge in Oregon. She was also the first woman of color appointed to an Oregon appellate court. For Judge Ortega, stories are the key to empathy, resilience, and creating an equitable, inclusive world.” Oregon’s First Latina Appellate Judge, State of Oregon Law Library, Oct. 15, 2020

 

Judge Ortega, who has served on the Oregon Court of Appeals since 2003, was the Portland Tribune’s movie critic for October 2021. “Diversity is something Ortega values in films. Much of her film criticism comes at looking at films through a lens many other critics don't, she said.” Film critic brings judge’s eye to Portland Film Festival, Portland Tribune, Oct. 4, 2021