Susan P. Graber
Encyclopedia
Susan Pia Graber is an American
attorney and jurist. She is currently a circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
. A native of Oklahoma
, she previously was the 90th Associate Justice
of the Oregon Supreme Court
, and served on the Oregon Court of Appeals
.
, on July 5, 1949. After high school Graber attended Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts
. She graduated from Wellesley with a Bachelor of Arts
in 1969. Susan Graber then went on to law school
at Yale
where she earned her Juris Doctor
in 1972. At Yale she was classmates with Hillary Rodham
(now Clinton) and Bill Clinton
.
Bureau of Revenue where she continued until 1974. That year she entered private law practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico
until 1975. In 1975 she moved to Ohio
where she returned to private practice, this time in Cincinnati, Ohio
until 1978. Then in 1978 Graber moved to Portland, Oregon
where she became an associate at Stoel Rives Boley Jones and Grey (now Stoel Rives LLP). In 1981 she became a partner.
when she was selected to serve as a state district court judge in 1983 on a temporary basis, remaining until 1988. She was also a mediator
for the U.S. District Court
from 1986 to 1988. In 1986, the Northwest Women’s Law Center gave her their Founder’s Award. Next, Oregon Governor
Neil Goldschmidt
appointed her to the Oregon Court of Appeals
. She was appointed on February 11, 1988 to replace judge Thomas F. Young who had died in office. Susan Graber served on the court of appeals until May 2, 1990 when she resigned her position. While on the bench she served as president of the Oregon Appellate Judges Association.
On May 2, 1990, Graber was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court to replace Robert E. Jones
by Governor Goldschmidt. However, Jones, prior to resigning his position, filed for re-election and won the election. Thus Jones resigned a second time and Goldschmidt appointed Graber a second time on January 7, 1991. She became the second woman to serve on that court, following Betty Roberts
. Graber then won election to a full six-year term in 1992, but resigned on April 1, 1998, before the term expired. While on the court she was considered to be a candidate for appointment to the United States Supreme Court.
Graber resigned because on July 30, 1997, President Bill Clinton
nominated her to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to replace Edward Leavy
who assumed senior judge status
. She was subsequently confirmed by the United States Senate
in a 98-0 vote on March 17, 1998 and received her commission two days later. With her appointment she became the first female judge to serve on that court from the state of Oregon. In 1998, the Northwest Women’s Law Center named her Legal Citizen of the Year, and in 2001 she received the For Country Award from Yale University
. Graber was selected to be chairperson of the American Bar Association
’s Committee on Appellate Practice in 2001.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney and jurist. She is currently a circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
. A native of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, she previously was the 90th Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
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...
.
Early life
Susan Graber was born in Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
, on July 5, 1949. After high school Graber attended Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
. She graduated from Wellesley with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1969. Susan Graber then went on to law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
at Yale
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
where she earned her Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1972. At Yale she was classmates with Hillary Rodham
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
(now Clinton) and Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Legal career
Upon graduation Graber became an assistant attorney general for the New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
Bureau of Revenue where she continued until 1974. That year she entered private law practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
until 1975. In 1975 she moved to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
where she returned to private practice, this time in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
until 1978. Then in 1978 Graber moved to 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...
where she became an associate at Stoel Rives Boley Jones and Grey (now Stoel Rives LLP). In 1981 she became a partner.
Judicial career
Graber began her career as a 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...
when she was selected to serve as a state district court judge in 1983 on a temporary basis, remaining until 1988. She was also a 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...
for the U.S. District Court
United States District Court for the District of Oregon
The United States District Court for the District of Oregon is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union...
from 1986 to 1988. In 1986, the Northwest Women’s Law Center gave her their Founder’s Award. Next, Oregon Governor
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...
appointed her to 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...
. She was appointed on February 11, 1988 to replace judge Thomas F. Young who had died in office. Susan Graber served on the court of appeals until May 2, 1990 when she resigned her position. While on the bench she served as president of the Oregon Appellate Judges Association.
On May 2, 1990, Graber was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court to replace Robert E. Jones
Robert E. Jones (judge)
Robert Edward Jones is an American politician and judge in Oregon. He is currently a senior judge for the United States District Court for the District of Oregon in the Portland...
by Governor Goldschmidt. However, Jones, prior to resigning his position, filed for re-election and won the election. Thus Jones resigned a second time and Goldschmidt appointed Graber a second time on January 7, 1991. She became the second woman to serve on that court, following Betty Roberts
Betty Roberts
Betty Cantrell Roberts was a politician and judge in the U.S. state of Oregon. She was the 83rd Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, the highest state court in Oregon. She was the first woman on the Oregon Supreme Court, and had also been the first woman on the Oregon Court of Appeals...
. Graber then won election to a full six-year term in 1992, but resigned on April 1, 1998, before the term expired. While on the court she was considered to be a candidate for appointment to the United States Supreme Court.
Graber resigned because on July 30, 1997, President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
nominated her to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to replace Edward Leavy
Edward Leavy
Judge Edward Leavy is a judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. Prior to these positions, Leavy was a judge for the U.S...
who assumed senior judge status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
. She was subsequently confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in a 98-0 vote on March 17, 1998 and received her commission two days later. With her appointment she became the first female judge to serve on that court from the state of Oregon. In 1998, the Northwest Women’s Law Center named her Legal Citizen of the Year, and in 2001 she received the For Country Award from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. Graber was selected to be chairperson of the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
’s Committee on Appellate Practice in 2001.