Oregon Governor Tina Kotek announced the appointment of Aruna Masih, a long-time employment, worker, and civil rights attorney, to the Oregon Supreme Court. Masih will be Oregon’s first Punjabi, Indian American and South Asian Supreme Court Justice. Born in New York to a Punjabi, Indian father and British mother, when six-months old, they moved back to India as medical missionaries to work at a rural, mission hospital in Punjab, returning to this country when she was in high school.

"Aruna Masih is a decorated civil rights attorney who has worked on behalf of Oregonians for over twenty-five years in both her career and community service," said Governor Kotek. “As a practicing attorney, Aruna will bring direct and recent experience working for people — an invaluable perspective that will strengthen the current Oregon Supreme Court. Aruna’s dedication to public service and passion for equal access to justice is also evident from her long-time leadership in advancing equity and diversity in the legal field. I look forward to seeing her continued service to Oregonians as a Supreme Court Justice.”

Aruna Masih’s experience has been as a practicing attorney in Oregon for over 25 years. For most of her career, she has been a partner in the law firm of Bennett Hartman LLP, providing representation in a variety of areas, including employment, labor, appellate, professional licensure, contract, and constitutional law. Masih has also represented clients at McKanna Bishop Joffe LLP. Her legal background is a depth of technical expertise in nuanced Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and pension case law.

Masih is no stranger to the Oregon Supreme Court, she has been a part of her firm’s PERS team, representing the PERS Coalition of unions and public employees in their fight to preserve retirement benefits before the legislature and the courts. She has testified as an expert witness about public pensions and represented public employees in all the major PERS cases decided by the Oregon Supreme Court since 2003.

Along with her law partner, Margaret Olney, she advises on and litigates election law matters, including filing ballot title challenges before the Oregon Supreme Court.

Masih has served as Chair of the Oregon State Bar’s Advisory Committee for Diversity and Inclusion and as Chair of the Labor and Employment Section. She is a founding member and Vice-President of the South Asian Bar Association of Oregon and currently serves on the Board of the Multnomah Bar Association receiving their Diversity Award, and the Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation. She is also a former board member of the Oregon Women Lawyers and the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association.

Masih attends the Calvary Presbyterian Church in NE Portland serving on the advisory board for their Roseway Recovery Cafe, which serves community members in northeast Portland who have experienced trauma and the results of trauma, such as homelessness, substance use disorder, and addiction.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

“Equal access to the courts is an issue of civil rights,” said Masih. “To meet the challenges of our society that the pandemic has undeniably made apparent, we must renew our purpose and redouble our efforts to create a justice system that is recognized by those who interact with it and are impacted by it to be respectful, accessible, and just. Over the last twenty-five years, I’ve represented the interests of hundreds of Oregonians, and I look forward to bringing my unique perspective to the Oregon Supreme Court. I am committed to being a fair and thoughtful Justice and to continue being a steward of equal access under the law.”

Masih says her “parents modeled the importance of public service, commitment to a larger cause, and equitable access for all. These values have informed my personal and professional life.”

Since this is an elected position, voters are challenged to analyze how well she transitions from a defense attorney to an impartial judge.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-08-16 14:30:59

Last Update: 2023-09-16 16:28:51