Martha Lee Walters (born October 23, 1950) is an American labor attorney and who served as the 43rd chief justice of Oregon from 2018 to 2022; she was a member of the court from 2006 to 2022. She became the first female justice on the state's highest court in three years when she was appointed in 2006 and the first female chief justice when she was elected by her fellow justices in 2018. A native of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, she worked on the

Casey Martin Casey Martin (born June 2, 1972) is an American professional golfer and the current men's golf head coach at the University of Oregon. Early life Martin was born in Eugene, Oregon and still resides there. He was educated at Stanford Universit ...

lawsuit against the

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...

while in private legal practice.

Early life and education

Walters was born on October 23, 1950, in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

, where she grew up. After high school she attended the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, where she graduated in 1972 with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree. Walters earned a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from the

University of Oregon School of Law The University of Oregon School of Law is a public law school in the U.S. state of Oregon. Housed in the Knight Law Center, it is Oregon's only state funded law school. The school, founded in 1884, is located on the University of Oregon campus in ...

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...

, graduating in 1977 and earning

Order of the Coif The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. The name is a reference to the ancient English order of advocates, the serjeants-at-law, whose courtroom attire included a coif—a white lawn or silk skullcap, whi ...

Career

Walters was the founder and president of the Eugene law firm of Walters, Chanti & Zennache. In 1998, she was given the Public Justice Award by the Oregon Trial Lawyers. She served as a delegate to the

National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws The Uniform Law Commission (ULC), also called the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, is a non-profit, American unincorporated association. Established in 1892, the ULC aims to provide U.S. states (plus the District of C ...

and as a member of the

American Law Institute The American Law Institute (ALI) is a research and advocacy group of judges, lawyers, and legal scholars established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of United States common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. ...

. While in private practice, she was a specialist in employment and

labor law Labour laws (also known as labor laws or employment laws) are those that mediate the relationship between workers, employing entities, trade unions, and the government. Collective labour law relates to the tripartite relationship between employee, ...

. She represented disabled golfer

in his lawsuit against the

to allow Martin to use a golf cart during tournaments.Martha Walters Elected President of ULC.
Uniform Law Commission. Retrieved November 26, 2007. She was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court as a justice by Governor

Ted Kulongoski Theodore Ralph Kulongoski ( ; born November 5, 1940) is an American politician, judge, and lawyer who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative As ...

and was sworn into office on October 9, 2006, to replace Justice R. William Riggs who had retired. Walters was the first female justice on the court since 2003 when Susan M. Leeson left the court. In 2007, Walters was elected as the president of the

Uniform Law Commission The Uniform Law Commission (ULC), also called the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, is a non-profit, American unincorporated association. Established in 1892, the ULC aims to provide U.S. states (plus the District of Co ...

, becoming that organization's first female president. Walters won election to a full six-year term on the court in 2008, and was re-elected in 2014. In June 2018, Walters was elected as chief justice of Oregon by her colleagues on the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

, and replaced Thomas A. Balmer in that role effective July 1, 2018. In October 2022, Walters announced her retirement effective December 31, 2022.

Personal life

Walters is married to John VanLandingham IV, a low-income housing advocate and mobile home-housing specialist.Upcoming CDC Events.
Association of Oregon Community Development Organizations. Retrieved December 9, 2007. The couple has two children.

References

External links

Press release announcing appointment to Supreme Court

Oregon Daily Emerald article
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Walters, Martha Lee 1950 births Living people 21st-century American judges 21st-century American women judges Chief Justices of the Oregon Supreme Court Justices of the Oregon Supreme Court Lawyers from Eugene, Oregon Politicians from Eugene, Oregon Politicians from Grand Rapids, Michigan University of Michigan alumni University of Oregon School of Law alumni Women chief justices of state supreme courts in the United States