Julie Frantz ’67, a Westridge ‘lifer’, graduated from Stanford University, followed by law school in Oregon where she was one of five women in her class. She has been a trailblazer, visionary leader and mentor in all realms of her life. Dedicated to strong advocacy for the indigent, she became the first woman to head the Portland office of the Metropolitan Public Defender, and subsequently the first woman partner in the civil litigation firm of Schulte, Anderson et al. She led the Oregon Law Foundation which provides funding to organizations that support access to justice and civic education. In 1992, Julie was elected the first woman President of the Oregon State Bar in its 57 year history. She was appointed to the Multnomah County Circuit Court in 1994, where she became one of its presiding chiefs, and elected President of the Oregon Circuit Judges Association by her statewide colleagues.

In 2014, Julie was named President of the National Association of Woman Judges, the first from Oregon, an organization whose mission is to ensure access to and equal treatment in our courts, protect individual rights under the rule of law, and promote the advancement of women and minorities in the legal profession. Human trafficking, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and the importance of a independent judiciary are among the key issues addressed. Last spring, Judge Frantz was the recipient of the Justice Betty Roberts Award by Oregon Women Lawyers for her pioneering efforts, mentoring of women, and service to the community. On a different note, Julie was the first State of Oregon women’s racquetball champion in 1977.

In recognition of her dedicated service and collaborative leadership, Julie has received the Oregon Women’s Political Caucus ‘Hero’ award, the Distinguished Graduate Award from her law school, her county’s bar association Award of Merit, the Fred A. Stickel Public Sector Award, and Oregon Episcopal School’s award for trustee excellence for her leadership as board chair during a time of transition.

Julie has been a passionate community volunteer, serving on the boards of Habitat for Humanity, I Have a Dream Foundation, Meals on Wheels and her children’s school. She has actively engaged in delivering meals to seniors for two decades, building houses locally and internationally in Ethiopia and El Salvador, coaching high school mock trial teams, and annually organizing Take Your Child to Work mock trials for hundreds of kids from diverse backgrounds and through NAWJ’s Color of Justice program. To celebrate her 60th birthday, Julie invited 35 women friends to help build a Habitat house in Portland.

Julie, who recently retired from the bench, lives with her husband in Oregon where she enjoys outdoor adventures, theater, bicycling, kayaking, travel and time with her grown children and her broad family of friends. She continues with her volunteer activities as well as an active mediation practice. As part of her ‘rewirement,’ as she refers to it, Julie is preparing for a Habitat build in India.

Julie Frantz was the 2018 Mary Lowther Ranney Distinguished Alumna Award recipient. Learn more about this award here.