Alumni
Elizabeth Harchenko Makes Her Mark
Most Oregonians probably couldn’t pick Elizabeth S. Harchenko BS’72, JD’76 out of a crowd — but everyone in the state wants her autograph. As director of the Oregon Department of Revenue, her signature graces every tax refund check sent by the department.
Giving back seems inherent to Harchenko’s nature. In addition to serving on the College of Law’s Board of Visitors, she has been active in the school’s Mentor Program since its inception more than 15 years ago. In fact, Harchenko was instrumental in first getting the program off the ground. “Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLS) was formed in 1989,” said Harchenko, a founding board member. “At the time, there were only a few women practicing law. As a group, OWLS knew that the female students needed more mentors and role models.”
Students
West Coast Leading Lady
“I knew being editor in chief was an important job, so at first I was intimidated about taking on such an important responsibility,” said Hanley Smith, the 2006 editor in chief of Willamette Law Review. “I didn’t want the position for any prestige. For me, it was a way to challenge myself with a position of leadership. It was a great opportunity to coordinate a number of people and projects all at once and to represent our school’s journal.”
Faculty
Administering in Good Conscience
“Being a good lawyer is a calling,” said Kathy T. Graham, associate dean for academic affairs at the College of Law. “It’s a calling — not quite in the same way as for a minister or a priest — but it is a position that requires you to put the interests of others ahead of your own. It may sound cliché, but I believe we have a special opportunity to help people.”
