Congressman extends advice for UO law school graduates.

Byline: SCOTT MABEN The Register-Guard

Enron and ethics. Civil liberties and national security. Cloning and stem cell research. Logging and salmon. Reproductive rights and assisted suicide.

For young lawyers about to embark on their careers, the issues are ponderous and the challenges momentous.

"As a nation, we seem more narrowly divided over a host of important issues than at any time in our recent history," U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio told 172 graduates of the University of Oregon School of Law at Sunday's commencement at the Hult Center.

"But what cuts through the controversy and makes the U.S. unique among nations," DeFazio continued, "is our ability to settle the most extraordinarily complex, controversial disputes peaceably through the rule of law."

The Springfield Democrat delivered a fast-paced, slightly partisan address to the first class to attend all three years at the new William W. Knight Law Center.

DeFazio listed some of the most prominent legal controversies of the day: the disputed presidential election of 2000, the influence of money in politics, and the clash of civil liberties and national security stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks.

"Do we need to sacrifice due process and other constitutional protections to apprehend and prosecute terrorists and potential terrorists?" he asked. "I think not, but I was in a small minority in voting against the USA Patriot Act. Ultimately, the courts will decide."

The Patriot Act, signed into law last October, gives new powers to domestic law enforcement and international intelligence agencies in the fight against terrorism.

DeFazio said the courts may have a role in deciding who controls end-of-life decisions, and resolving emerging questions about cloning.

"Now that they've mapped the genetic code, we have to wonder how it will impact our ability to get health insurance, life insurance, a job, a spouse, have children," he said.

He also pointed to the collapse of energy giant Enron, saying the largest corporate bankruptcy in history "presents a host of ethical and legal issues for those of you venturing into the complex minefield of corporate America."

"The law is a powerful tool. Wield it with wisdom and discretion," he said.

But he also counseled the graduates to look for unexpected opportunities.

"So stay alert. Believe in yourself. Expect a miracle."

That advice resonated with Robert Matthews, who hopes to practice environmental law and will clerk this summer for a Lane County circuit judge.

"I think that a lot of the graduates are pretty idealistic in their aspirations," Matthews said. "It seems that whatever path you start off on, it seems to have great consequence. So it's the proverbial two roads diverging in the woods. You've got to decide which way you want to start going. Do you go into the corporate field? It's unlikely that you'll come back and start doing environmental law. So it's daunting."

Michael Thomas, who is going into public interest law and will begin a job this August with the Social Security Administration in Denver, said he chose to attend the UO law school because of its commitment to public service and ethical behavior.

"The collapse of Enron was largely based on unethical behavior by people in powerful positions, so I think as law graduates it's incumbent upon us to behave ethically," Thomas said. "Like (DeFazio) said, the law is a powerful thing. When it's misused or abused, people are hurt."

The class of 2002 gave two gifts to the school: a $7,000 contribution to a memorial fund for Wayne Westling, a UO law professor who died of cancer last August; and the development and launch of a loan repayment assistance program to help students afford the steep cost of law school.

AWARD WINNERS

The UO School of Law presented two Meritorious Service Awards, given to individuals who've made extraordinary contributions to legal education and the law, at Sunday's commencement:

Norman Wiener: The 82-year-old Portland attorney graduated from the school in 1947 and went on to a long career in complex litigation and forest products law at the Miller Nash law firm. His clients included Willamette Industries and Louisiana-Pacific Corp. He endowed a fund for student and faculty research in legal ethics and other topics.

Minoru "Min" Yasui: The late civil rights attorney earned his UO law degree in 1939 and was the school's first Japanese-American graduate. At great personal cost, Yasui challenged the constitutionality of restrictive laws against Japanese-Americans during World War II. In the 1980s, he was party to a successful set of lawsuits that overturned WWII-era convictions related to these laws and helped lay the groundwork for a federal apology and reparations payments to internment camp survivors. Yasui died in 1986.