Meet Some of the Attorneys at DOJ
Amesbury, Susan | Dubanevich, Keith | Dunbar, John | Carlson, Dee | Fogarty, Jean | Hart, David | Jackson, Scott | Joyce, Anna | Kamins, Jacqueline | Kron, Michael | Lagesen, Erin | Pyle, Don | Ryerson, Deena | Tucker Davis, Joanna | Weston, Sarah | Whang, Simon | Williams, Mary
Susan Amesbury
Senior Assistant Attorney General, General Counsel
Government Services Section
EDUCATION:
University of California at Berkeley, A.B. magna cum laude 1993
University of Oregon School of Law, J.D. 1996
Susan Amesbury joined the Department in 1998 as an Honors Attorney. Susan is the primary legal advisor to the Oregon Youth Authority regarding all aspects of the juvenile justice system, including jurisdictional and records confidentiality issues and conditions of confinement. Susan's diverse practice also includes: advising the Oregon Department of Corrections on contracting for inmate food and treatment services; counseling the Secretary of State's Business Services Division on audits of executive agencies; and assisting the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission with drafting Oregon's statewide Sentencing Guidelines. Prior to joining the Department, Susan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Herbert Y. C. Choy of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Honolulu, and later as a law clerk to the Honorable Alan A. McDonald of the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Susan is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Keith Dubanevich
Chief of Staff and Special Counsel to the Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
EDUCATION:
Northeastern University, B.S. with High Honors 1980
Tulane University School of Law, J.D. cum laude 1983
Keith Dubanevich joined the Department as Special Counsel to the Attorney General in January 2009 and was subsequently appointed Chief of Staff. Keith advises the Department on the areas of consumer protection, Medicaid fraud, civil rights and charitable activities. Keith also leads the Attorney General's Business Advisory Council. Keith was previously a shareholder at the firm Garvey Schubert Barer in Portland and a partner with Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP in Houston, Texas. A native of Vermont, Keith took up hiking and mountain climbing at a young age and has summited the highest peak on three continents.
John Dunbar
Attorney in Charge, Trial
Special Litigation Unit
EDUCATION:
University of Notre Dame, A.B. with High Honors 1979
University of Washington Law School, J.D. with Honors 1984
John Dunbar joined the Department in April of 2009 after many years of practicing complex business litigation with the firms Ball Janik, LLP in Portland and Jenner & Block, LLP in Chicago. Early in his career John clerked with the Honorable Owen M. Panner, U.S. District Judge, and served as Executive Managing Editor of the Washington Law Review. Cases assigned to the Special Litigation Unit (SLU) typically include constitutional challenges to state laws and programs, class action lawsuits, and other challenges to the institutions and operation of government. Such cases often involve politically-sensitive subject matter and are likely to be appealed. SLU has represented the State as plaintiff in many high-profile cases, such as defending the U.S. Attorney General's effort to override Oregon's Death With Dignity Act. SLU also pursues a range of cases on behalf of the State as a plaintiff, such as environmental litigation that seeks to protect dwindling salmon populations and to halt clean water violations.
Dee Carlson
Senior Assistant Attorney General, General Counsel
Tax and Finance Section
EDUCATION:
Brigham Young University B.A. 1977
Harvard Law School, J.D. 1980
Dee Carlson joined the Department in February of 1989 after a number of years practicing business, product liability and health-related law with Stoel Rives, LLP in Portland. Initially, his work for the Department emphasized enforcement proceedings and general counsel work for various divisions within the Department of Consumer and Business Services. Now Dee predominantly focuses on finance, real estate and probate law. As the contact attorney for the Oregon Investment Council and the Investment Division of the State Treasury, Dee advises on divestiture in response to grievous acts committed by foreign nations, such as Sudan and Iran. A Salem native, Dee is actively involved in local sporting, charitable and community activities.
Jean Fogarty
Director, Child Support
EDUCATION:
University of California at Berkeley, B.A, with Great Distinction 1978
University of Oregon, School of Law, J.D. 1981
After graduating from law school, Jean Fogarty clerked for Judges Jonathan Newman and Tom Young on the Oregon Court of Appeals. Jean was in private practice for one year before she realized that public law was her calling. Since joining the Department in 1984, Jean has represented DHS Child Welfare and the Oregon Child Support Program. She has done trial work; general counsel work; legislative drafting, lobbying and testifying; and has served on numerous national, statewide and intergovernmental workgroups. Following a nationwide search, Jean was selected in June 2009 to lead the Division of Child Support, one of the state's most crucial programs for children and families. Jean rose to the top based on her experience and knowledge of the program, her reputation and skills as an attorney, and her years of commitment to Oregon's children.
David Hart
Assistant Attorney in Charge, Civil Enforcement
Financial Fraud and Consumer Protection Section
EDUCATION:
Oberlin College, B.A. 1979
New York University, B.S. cum laude 1984
Lewis and Clark Law School, J.D. cum laude 2000
David Hart practiced as a physical therapist in New York City, Hawaii, Washington and Oregon for 15 years before becoming an attorney. Today he protects the public health by taking on large pharmaceutical companies in major multi-state drug marketing investigations and health care fraud cases. David is largely responsible for the Oregon Department of Justice's role as a national leader in cracking down on health care fraud, recovering tens of millions of dollars for Oregon consumers.
Scott Jackson
Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Justice
District Attorney Assistance Section
EDUCATION:
University of Oregon, B.A. 1978
Willamette University College of Law, J.D. 1983
Scott came to the Department of Justice in 2002. Prior to that he was a Deputy District Attorney in Clackamas County for 18 years and has also been a Reserve Deputy with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. The District Attorney Assistance Program provides prosecutorial and investigative assistance in counties across Oregon. Scott's duties frequently take him to some of the most rural parts of the state to assist with the prosecution of complex aggravated murder cases.
Anna Joyce
Solicitor General, Appellate
EDUCATION:
University of Oregon, B.A. 1996
University of Oregon School of Law, J.D. Order of the Coif 2001
Anna Joyce joined the Department of Justice as an Honors Attorney after serving as a judicial clerk with the Honorable Rives Kistler on the Oregon Court of Appeals. After serving in DOJ's Appellate Division for seven years, Joyce was appointed Solicitor General in 2011. In addition to briefing cases in the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, Anna is a member of the Department's recruitment committee, supervises law clerks, manages the mandamus caseload, mentors new attorneys, helps oversee the hiring process for the Honors Attorney program, and devotes herself tirelessly to learning the proper rules of hyphenation.
Jacqueline Kamins
Assistant Attorney General, Trial
Criminal and Civil Rights Section
EDUCATION:
Columbia University, B.A. 1997
University of Virginia Law School, J.D. 2002
Jackie Kamins is privileged to represent the State in civil rights and habeas corpus cases in federal court. Prior to joining the Department, she practiced at Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal, LLP in Washington D.C. She also clerked for Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw on the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and was Editor-in-Chief of the University of Virginia Law Weekly. In addition to her legal practice, Jackie is also an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark Law School.
Michael Kron
Assistant Attorney General, General Counsel
Administration Section
EDUCATION:
University of Oregon, B.A. magna cum laude 1998
New York University, M.A. 2001
Columbia University Law School, J.D. 2004
Michael Kron's work at the Department involves advising the State of Oregon on government transparency and public records issues. His other responsibilities include researching and drafting Attorney General Opinions and Chief Counsel Letters of Advice. At Columbia Law School, Michael was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and was awarded a Hamilton Fellowship. Michael also holds a masters degree in English Literature. Before coming to the Department, Michael practiced law in Juneau, Alaska, with a focus on education and civil defense. He was a regular contributor to the local public radio station in Juneau, offering analysis of court cases.
Erin Lagesen
Assistant Attorney General, Appellate
EDUCATION:
Williams College, B.A. cum laude 1991
University of Oregon, MS 1993
Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Ed.M. 1994
Willamette University, J.D. summa cum laude 2000
Erin Lagesen first joined the Department of Justice in May 1998 as a law clerk in the Trial Division's Special Litigation Unit. She returned to the Department in October 2004 as an Assistant Attorney General in the Appellate Division. In the interim, she clerked for the Honorable Susan P. Graber of the U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and practiced in the litigation section of Stoel Rives, LLP in Portland. She handles civil, administrative and criminal appeals before the Oregon Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Erin taught high school math in Milwaukie, Oregon.
Don Pyle
Senior Assistant Attorney General, General Counsel
Natural Resources Section
EDUCATION:
Princeton University, A.B. magna cum laude 1972
Temple University School of Law, J.D. 1976
Lewis & Clark Law School, L.L.M.1999
Don Pyle joined the Department in 2008 after 32 years with the Portland firm Lane Powell, PC. A seasoned litigator, Don represented clients in a wide array of environmental and toxic tort lawsuits. Don is currently responsible for coordinating the State's legal interests in the Portland Harbor Superfund clean-up effort and claim for natural resource damages.
Deena Ryerson
Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Justice
DUII Resource Prosecutor
EDUCATION:
University of Portland, B.A. 1995
University of Oregon School of Law, J.D. 1998
Before coming to the Department, Deena Ryerson worked as a prosecutor at the Washington County District Attorney's office for six years. During that time, she prosecuted countless DUIIs, both alcohol and drug related, and began an outreach campaign to address substance abuse issues. In July 2006, Deena became Oregon's DUII Resource Prosecutor to assist district attorneys across the state. Deena recently aided in the prosecution of a Yamhill County man with four prior drunk-driving convictions who killed four people on their way home from a church event. The judge sentenced him to 43 years in prison.
Joanna Tucker Davis
Assistant Attorney General, General Counsel
Business Activities Section
EDUCATION:
Colgate University, B.A. magna cum laude 1993
Binghampton University, M.A. 1995
Harvard Law School, J.D. cum laude 1998
Joanna Tucker Davis began her legal career at the Manhattan District Attorney's office prosecuting crimes that ranged from violent felonies, domestic violence and child pornography cases. During her tenure, she was promoted to the specialized sex crimes unit. As a staff attorney at the National Crime Victims' Law Institute (NCVLI) at Lewis & Clark Law School, Joanna worked on emerging legal issues regarding crime victims' rights. An article she wrote for the NCVLI newsletter on the history of victims' rights was recently cited in an amicus curiae brief filed with the U. S. Supreme Court. Throughout her career, Joanna has been dedicated to working for the public interest on cutting-edge issues with collegial people. Joanna feels very lucky that in her work at the Business Activities Section, these professional intentions have been met in abundance.
Sarah Weston
Honors Attorney
Office of the Attorney General
EDUCATION:
Middlebury College, B.A. 2003
Harvard Law School, J.D. 2008
Harvard School of Public Health, M.P.H 2008
Sarah Weston came to the Department of Justice through the Honors Attorney program in 2008. She spent her first year litigating juvenile dependency and termination of parental rights cases with the Child Advocacy Section, and is currently assigned to the Office of the Attorney General. Prior to practicing law, Sarah was a research assistant in the field of public health, first working on a multi-state study examining pesticide exposure among migrant farm workers, and then spending two years working on international health policy projects at the Institute for Global Health in San Francisco. A native Oregonian, Sarah is delighted to be back in the Pacific Northwest after spending nine years living in Vermont, Chile, California, Massachusetts, and Washington D.C.
Simon Whang
Assistant Attorney General, Civil Enforcement
Financial Fraud & Consumer Protection Section
EDUCATION:
Johns Hopkins University, B.A. 1992
New York University School of Law, J.D. 1999
In college, Simon Whang was president of the Johns Hopkins University debate team and a nationally-ranked debater, a source of both pride and embarrassment. Simon started his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan. He moved back to Oregon in 2003, prosecuting property and financial crimes at the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. Simon continued prosecuting securities and investment fraud for the State Division of Finance and Corporate Securities, until he joined Department of Justice in 2008. He enjoys working at the Financial Fraud and Consumer Protection Section, where he specializes in mortgage and foreclosure fraud cases.
Mary Williams
Deputy Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
EDUCATION:
University of South Dakota, cum laude B.S. 1980
University of Oregon, M.A. 1983
Lewis & Clark Law School, J.D. magna cum laude 1990
Mary Williams joined the Department as an Honors Attorney in September 1991. She was appointed Assistant Solicitor General in 1997 and Solicitor General in 2002. While serving as Solicitor General, she took the lead in briefing four cases in the U. S. Supreme Court and argued three of them. The State won all four of those cases. Mary became Deputy Attorney General in January 2009. Previous to joining the Department, Mary worked at Oregon Health and Sciences University in the Psychiatry Department of the School of Nursing and co-authored a book on the Psychiatric Security Review Board.
