Cynthia Easterday

As newly appointed Yamhill County Circuit Judge Cynthia Easterday prepares for her swearing in, she isn't underestimating all the hard work the coming months will bring.

The McMinnville attorney will be sworn in at 4:15 p.m. Thursday, July 2, in Presiding Judge John Collins' courtroom at the Yamhill County Courthouse. Her first day on the District 25 bench will be Monday, July 6, and she will join Ronald Stone, Cal Tichenor and Collins.

"That first week was a whirlwind; I was treated like a queen," said Easterday, recalling the days following her June 4 appointment by Gov. Ted Kulongoski. "Now they're stacking up the work.

"There will be no grace period," Easterday said. "I'll have a full docket the first day. With all my jobs, it's not as though anyone is going to hold my hand for a few weeks. I've got to get in there and do it."

The vacancy Easterday fills was created by the December death of Judge Carol Jones. Formerly in private practice, Jones was appointed to the seat in August 2004 after illness forced the late John Hitchcock to step down. She won election to a full term in November 2004.

"The more it sinks in the more I realize what a big position this is," Easterday said. "I become more and more honored and humbled. I'm realizing that, wow, this position has the capability of influencing a lot of lives."

Easterday said she hopes to exercise a lot of solid leadership for the good of some excellent programs within the county's judicial system. Her focus will be on family law with an emphasis on delinquency and dependency cases.

"Carol Jones did so many good things," Easterday said. "I hope to pick up and continue her leadership. She did a great job. I'm excited about following her."

Easterday said she has been going to a lot of meetings. She will oversee the Family Law Advisory Committee and Juvenile Dependency Excellence Committee as part of her duties. Those groups meet monthly.

There originally were seven applications for the position. The other six were District Attorney Brad Berry and McMinnville attorneys Janmarie Dielschneider, Brent Goodfellow, Cynthia Kaufman-Noble, Paula Lawrence and John Tiedge. A screening panel conducted interviews with the four finalists - Easterday, Berry, Dielschneider and Kaufman-Noble. The panel included Yamhill County Commissioner Mary Stern, who practiced law before winning election to office.

Easterday spent 16 years with the district attorney's office. She served as chief deputy district attorney from November 1994 to July 2006 and interim district attorney from October to December in 1996. She was appointed by then Gov. John Kitzhaber after John Mercer resigned.

Easterday left in July 2006 to join the Oregon State Bar's Client Assistance Office, where she investigated complaints against fellow lawyers. She joined Haugeberg, Rueter, Gowell, Fredricks, Higgins & McKeegan the following year to handle cases involving civil litigation, contested probate filings, domestic relations and criminal defense.

She is wrapping up her practice, and her last day with the firm will be Tuesday, June 30. Easterday said she has developed a close relationship with many clients and she will miss her association with them.

Two days later she will attend her swearing in, which will be attended by colleagues, family members and friends.

Easterday has invited Chief Federal Judge Ann Aiken of Eugene to take part in the ceremony, and Aiken has told her she will attend. President Bill Clinton nominated her to a seat on the U.S. District Court for Oregon, vacated by Jim Redden, in January 1997.

She received her commission in February 1998, and became chief judge of the court February 2009. She was the first woman to hold that position on the Oregon court.

"I heard her speak about a month ago at the Oregon Community Foundation Luncheon and was so impressed," Easterday said. "I left that luncheon telling myself, 'That's the kind of judge I want to be.'

"She is so passionate. And here she is, this big judge, and she's still in the trenches working for children. She's raised five boys, and the youngest is in high school."

Oregon State Bar President Gerry Gaydos is also expected to attend the ceremony.

Among Easterday's family members who will be on hand will be her parents, Robert and Elizabeth Smith of Portland.

A Portland native, Easterday is a graduate of Lincoln High School, the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash., and the University of Oregon School of Law.