The Oregon State Bar (OSB) recognized three Willamette Law alumni at its annual awards luncheon on Nov. 7. The bar honored judges and lawyers for their contributions to their communities and the legal profession.
The Honorable Beth A. Allen JD’96 received the President’s Membership Service Award, which honors attorneys for contributions made to the profession. Judge Allen has served on the bench of Multnomah County Circuit Court since February 2013 and currently sits on the Family Law Bench. She is a past board member of numerous organizations, such as Oregon Women Lawyers, the National LGBT Bar and the Oregon LGBT Bar. She is currently on the Diversity Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar.
Ryan W. Collier JD’97 and Stephanie M. Palmblad JD’12 were awarded the President’s Special Award of Appreciation. This award is presented to people who have made recent outstanding contributions to the bar, the bench and/or the community. Collier is an estate planning and probate attorney in Salem, Oregon. He is also an avid volunteer and supporter of the Salem community and serves as the board chair for the Salem Foundation, a charitable community foundation that makes grants to area nonprofits. Palmblad practices estate planning and probate law in Salem and became a partner at Collier Law in January 2018. She volunteers with Family Building Blocks, an organization that partners with families who are facing multiple stressors while raising young children in Marion and Polk counties.
Read the full award announcement here.
About Willamette University College of Law
As the first law school in the Pacific Northwest, Willamette University College of Law boasts an innovative program designed to prepare leaders in government, private practice, and business with the lawyering skills needed in the 21st Century. Willamette Law’s small class sizes foster an interactive learning environment among our diverse student population with a thriving externship and clinical program, ample practical skills courses, and a new Business Lawyering Institute. With a “one student at a time” placement approach, our students are given individualized development plans and tools for success in today's legal job market. In recent years, outside industry watchers such as Moody’s and The National Jurist Magazine have recognized Willamette Law for its positive job placement results. Willamette lawyers are the best dealmakers, problem solvers, community leaders, and change-makers in the most innovative and exciting region in the country. Our location — nestled in the heart of the Willamette Valley and across the street from the Oregon State Capitol, Supreme Court and many state agencies — is an advantage that cannot be matched anywhere in the region.