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Keynote Speakers

We are pleased to announce the Symposium's Keynote Speakers:

Tuesday, July 21 - Morning Keynote -

Brandon Mayfield - Practicing, Law Office, USA
brandon mayfield
  A former Patriot Missile Platoon Leader, US Army. Member of the Oregon State Bar licensed to practice in federal courts and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Currently practicing in the area of civil litigation, civil rights, appeals, personal injury, and contracts. He has written and lectured on a number of subjects including, profiling of Muslims, implementation of the war on terror, and fingerprint forensics. Co-author "Improbable Cause".

      • Steven Wax, Legal Director, Innocence Project Oregon, USA
     
    steven wax
      Steven Wax recently retired after 31 years as the Federal Defender for the District of Oregon to help launch Oregon's new Innocence Project as its Legal Director. A cum laude graduate of Colgate University and Harvard Law School, he was a key part of the Brooklyn, N.Y. District Attorney's prosecution of David Berkowitz, a.k.a., "The Son of Sam." Wax and his Federal Defender team successfully represented six men formerly held as "enemy combatants" in Guantanamo. He has taught at the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College, serves as an ethics prosecutor for the Oregon State Bar, and lectures throughout the country. Wax was been honored for his work by,among other groups, the NACDL (2004 President's Commendation), American Jewish Committee (Oregon Chapter 2007 Judge Learned Hand Award), ACLU (Oregon 2007 Civil Rights Award), Federal Bar Association (National 2010 Hon. Sarah Hughes Civil Rights Award and Oregon 2010 Hon. James M. Burns Professionalism Award), American Constitution Society (Oregon Chapter 2014 Justice Hans Linde Civil Liberties Award). He was recently given lifetime achievement awards by the Historical Society for the District of Oregon and the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association. Wax was invited to present the 2009 Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Memorial Peace Lecture at Oregon State University. He is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Kafka Comes To America, Wax's book about his work representing Portland attorney Brandon Mayfield and the men in Guantanamo, has won four national awards, including the prestigious ABA Silver Gavel.

      Created May 8, 2015, Updated June 2, 2021