George Van Hoomissen
Encyclopedia
George Albert Van Hoomissen (born March 7, 1930) is an American
attorney in the state of Oregon
, United States
. He previously served as the 87th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
and served on the Oregon Court of Appeals
. The Portland, Oregon
native was also the district attorney for Multnomah County, Oregon
, and served as a Democrat in the Oregon Legislature.
, in 1930. His primary education was parochial, and he graduated from Central Catholic High School
in Portland in 1947. He then went on to the University of Portland
where he earned a bachelors degree in business in 1951. Van Hoomissen then joined the United States Marines and served in that branch during the Korean War
. In the Marines he attained the rank of colonel. After serving in the armed forces he attended law school at Georgetown University School of Law
where he earned a juris doctorate in 1955 and a LL.M in labor law in 1957. In 1986 he completed his education with an LL.M in judicial process from the University of Virginia School of Law
.
George Van Hoomissen worked as a law clerk for the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1957 until 1959. In 1959, he went into private legal practice in Portland and served as a 28 year-old Democrat to the Oregon Legislature. Van Hoomissen won re-election to the Oregon House of Representatives
in 1960. In 1962, he began an eight year stint as the district attorney
(DA) for Multnomah County
after defeating Charles E. Raymond in the election. As the DA he hired future Oregon Supreme Court justices Jacob Tanzer
and W. Michael Gillette
, and future judges Garr M. King, George M. Joseph, and William L. Richardson. He won re-election in 1966 and 1970, but ran unsuccessfully in 1968 for the Secretary of State
office losing to Clay Myers by approximately 12,000 votes. In 1971, he resigned as the DA and moved to Texas to become dean of the National College of District Attorneys and a professor at the University of Houston
’s Bates College of Law
.
who had resigned to join the Oregon Supreme Court
, beginning service in 1981. Van Hoomissen won re-election to a second six-year term in 1986, and then resigned from the court on September 30, 1988.
He resigned to join the Oregon Supreme Court after winning the election to replace Berkeley Lent
on May 17, 1988. While on the court Van Hoomissen wrote the majority opinion in Portland General Elec. Co. v. Bureau of Labor and Industries, 317 Or. 606, 859 P.2d 1143 (1993), the court’s most cited opinion. In 1996, he wrote the majority opinion overturning voter approved Measure 8 in Oregon State Police Officers' Ass'n v. State, 323 Or. 356, 918 P.2d 765 (1996), holding that the measure violated the United States Constitution
’s Contract Clause
. Van Hoomissen won a second six-year term on the state’s highest court in 1994 and then resigned on December 31, 2000 at the end of that second term after not seeking re-election.
for the state of Oregon, allowing the Supreme Court Chief Justice to appoint him to any judicial position on a temporary basis. He also works as a private mediator
and teaches at the Oregon Law Institute. He previously served as president of the Oregon District Attorneys Association and the Oregon Appellate Judges Association.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney in the state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He previously served as the 87th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
and served on the Oregon Court of Appeals
Oregon Court of Appeals
The Oregon Court of Appeals is the state intermediate appellate court in the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of the Oregon Judicial Department, it has ten judges and is located in Salem...
. The Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
native was also the district attorney for Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
, and served as a Democrat in the Oregon Legislature.
Early life
George Van Hoomissen was born in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, in 1930. His primary education was parochial, and he graduated from Central Catholic High School
Central Catholic High School (Portland, Oregon)
Central Catholic High School is a co-educational, private high school in Portland, Oregon, United States. Central Catholic is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, and is the only archdiocesan high school in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland....
in Portland in 1947. He then went on to the University of Portland
University of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
where he earned a bachelors degree in business in 1951. Van Hoomissen then joined the United States Marines and served in that branch during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. In the Marines he attained the rank of colonel. After serving in the armed forces he attended law school at Georgetown University School of Law
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
where he earned a juris doctorate in 1955 and a LL.M in labor law in 1957. In 1986 he completed his education with an LL.M in judicial process from the University of Virginia School of Law
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
.
Legal career
After law schoolLaw school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
George Van Hoomissen worked as a law clerk for the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1957 until 1959. In 1959, he went into private legal practice in Portland and served as a 28 year-old Democrat to the Oregon Legislature. Van Hoomissen won re-election to the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
in 1960. In 1962, he began an eight year stint as the district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
(DA) for Multnomah County
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
after defeating Charles E. Raymond in the election. As the DA he hired future Oregon Supreme Court justices Jacob Tanzer
Jacob Tanzer
Jacob B. Tanzer is an American attorney in the state of Oregon, United States. Prior to private practice Tanzer served as the 81st Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court...
and W. Michael Gillette
W. Michael Gillette
W. Michael Gillette is an American attorney and retired judge in the state of Oregon. He was an associate justice on the Oregon Supreme Court, where he served from 1986 until 2010...
, and future judges Garr M. King, George M. Joseph, and William L. Richardson. He won re-election in 1966 and 1970, but ran unsuccessfully in 1968 for the Secretary of State
Oregon Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...
office losing to Clay Myers by approximately 12,000 votes. In 1971, he resigned as the DA and moved to Texas to become dean of the National College of District Attorneys and a professor at the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
’s Bates College of Law
University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is a law school located in Houston, Texas. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1947, the Law Center is one of 12 academic colleges of the University of Houston...
.
Judicial career
In 1973, Van Hoomissen returned to Oregon and was appointed as a judge for Multnomah County. From 1973 to 1978 he worked in the Department of Domestic Relations, and from 1978 until leaving the court in 1981 he worked in the General Trial Department. In 1980, Van Hoomissen was elected to the Oregon Court of Appeals to replace J. R. CampbellJ. R. Campbell
J. R. “Doc” Campbell is an American attorney in the state of Oregon, United States. He was the 82nd Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court and served on the Oregon Court of Appeals. The Navy veteran from Montana also worked as a circuit court judge in Oregon.-Early life:On July 9, 1918, J....
who had resigned to join the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
, beginning service in 1981. Van Hoomissen won re-election to a second six-year term in 1986, and then resigned from the court on September 30, 1988.
He resigned to join the Oregon Supreme Court after winning the election to replace Berkeley Lent
Berkeley Lent
Berkeley "Bud" Lent was an American politician and jurist in the state of Oregon. He was the 38th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, serving from 1982 to 1983. Elected to the court in 1976, Lent remained until 1988...
on May 17, 1988. While on the court Van Hoomissen wrote the majority opinion in Portland General Elec. Co. v. Bureau of Labor and Industries, 317 Or. 606, 859 P.2d 1143 (1993), the court’s most cited opinion. In 1996, he wrote the majority opinion overturning voter approved Measure 8 in Oregon State Police Officers' Ass'n v. State, 323 Or. 356, 918 P.2d 765 (1996), holding that the measure violated the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
’s Contract Clause
Contract Clause
The Contract Clause appears in the United States Constitution, Article I, section 10, clause 1. It states:The Contract Clause prohibits states from enacting any law that retroactively impairs contract rights...
. Van Hoomissen won a second six-year term on the state’s highest court in 1994 and then resigned on December 31, 2000 at the end of that second term after not seeking re-election.
Later life
George Van Hoomissen is currently a senior judgeJudge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
for the state of Oregon, allowing the Supreme Court Chief Justice to appoint him to any judicial position on a temporary basis. He also works as a private mediator
Mediation
Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution , a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement...
and teaches at the Oregon Law Institute. He previously served as president of the Oregon District Attorneys Association and the Oregon Appellate Judges Association.