Our History

Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) publicly-supported foundation (download IRS recognition letter in PDF format), enjoys a rich history of volunteerism and initiative. Founded in 1996, the Foundation was created by active members of Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLS) who believed it was important to fund, as well as support, organizations and people striving to give women and minorities greater access to the justice system. The Foundation began making grants in 1998. Some of the most significant grants are listed below:

The Vernellia R. Randall Bar Exam Grant

In 2003, the Foundation was inspired to create this grant by Vernellia Randall, one of the founding board members of OWLS and now a professor emerita at the University of Dayton Law School. Randall was named one of the “Top 10 Most Influential African-Americans” on the 2001 Black Equal Opportunity Employment Journal list. The grant was originally designed for single parents taking the Oregon bar exam but was expanded to include any parents taking the exam, and each monetary award is designed to assist with their costs during their exam preparation. Usually, two such grants are awarded each year, one for the February exam and one for the July exam.

The Armonica Law Student Grant

In 2007, the Foundation instituted this program, which provides a monetary textbook grant each year to one or two third-year students at each of the three law schools in Oregon and matches each recipient with a judge or lawyer who serves as the student’s mentor for the academic year. Those who identify as women and/or as members of other historically disadvantaged groups are especially encouraged to apply. The grant program was founded in memory of Armonica Gilford, the first African-American female attorney in the Oregon Department of Justice, who had served on the boards of both OWLS and the OWLS Foundation.

The Justice Betty Roberts Leadership Conference Grant

In 2013, the Foundation created this grant to help people who identify as women and/or as members of other historically disadvantaged groups and are members of executive committees of bar organizations attend national leadership conferences if they would not otherwise have the funds to attend. This grant was created as a memorial to retired Oregon Supreme Court Justice Betty Roberts, a 2006 recipient of the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession’s Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award and a former president of the OWLS Foundation.

Over the years, the Foundation has made grants to OWLS for such things as scholarships for students and low-income attorneys to attend continuing legal education programs and for co-sponsorships of community efforts such as the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association’s Inspiring Minority Attorneys Toward Growth and Excellence (“IMAGE”) retention program, designed to build skills, networking, and leadership for racial and ethnic minority attorneys as they begin their legal careers in Oregon.

In addition to the above grants, the OWLS Foundation has supported several new programs. In 2017, the OWLS Foundation made a founding grant of $10,000 to be the first sponsor of the Mid-Valley CourtCare program (MVCC), which was organized by the OWLS Mary Leonard Chapter to provide child care for children of litigants at the Marion and Polk county courthouses. The Foundation has since made grants totaling $2,500 to MVCC. As a partner in the Multnomah Bar Association’s “Bar Fellows” fellowship program, which was founded in 2018, the Foundation has funded grants for law students working at organizations providing free or low-cost legal services.

In 2019, in celebration of OWLS’ 30th anniversary, the Foundation launched the Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation Legacy Society to honor donors who have pledged a gift to the Foundation through their estate or financial plans.

Visit the OWLS website to learn more about the history and current activities of Oregon Women Lawyers.