Background
Peterson, Edwin J. was born on March 30, 1930 in Gilmanton, Wisconsin, United States. Son of Edwin A. and Leora Grace (Kitelinger) Peterson.
law educator Supreme court justice
Peterson, Edwin J. was born on March 30, 1930 in Gilmanton, Wisconsin, United States. Son of Edwin A. and Leora Grace (Kitelinger) Peterson.
Edwin J. Peterson was born on March 30, 1930. Peterson received his undergraduate bachelor of science in music from the in 1951. While at school he planned to become a Congressman by the age of 35, and attended the Republican National Convention in 1952.
He entered the United States Air Force the following year, attaining the rank of first lieutenant and serving until 1954.
Peterson then returned to school and earned his Bachelor of Laws (Bachelor of Laws) degree in 1957 from Oregon"s law school. He enjoyed the law, and dropped his ambitions for Congress.
He was the 39th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, serving from 1983 to 1991, and is currently a Distinguished Jurist in Residence at Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon. Peterson practiced law in Portland, Oregon for over 20 years with the firm Tooze, Kerr, Peterson, Marshall & Shenker. Following private practice, he joined the Oregon Supreme Court in 1979 when he was appointed May 15 by Governor Vic Atiyeh.
He then was re-elected in 1980, 1986, and 1992.
In 1983 he was elected as Chief Justice of the court by his fellow justices, serving until 1991. While on the court he focused on improving the efficiency of the courts and to integrate all the courts of the Oregon Judicial Department.
As part of these efforts, the time to trial in Oregon dropped almost in half to about one year, and he helped create the rules for trial courts. He was awarded the American Judicature Society"s Herbert Harley Award in September 1992 for his efforts to improve administration of the courts in Oregon.
While on the court he led efforts to study and eliminate racial and ethnic biases in the courts.
This included serving as the chairman of a task force on bias in the Oregon courts. Peterson resigned from the court effective December 31, 1993. After leaving the court he was given the University of Oregon’s Distinguished Service Award, and the Oregon State Bar Association"s President's Award for Affirmative Action in 1995.
Chairman Portland Citizens School Committee, 1968-1970. Vice chairman Young Republican Federation Organisation, 1951. Board visitors U. Oregon Law School, 1978-1983, 87-93,Chairman of the Board visitors, 1981-1983.
Served to First lieutenant United States Air Force, 1952-1954. Member Oregon State Bar (board examiners 1963-1966, governor 1973-1976, vice Chairman.profl. liability fund 1977-1978), Multnomah County Bar Association (president 1972-1973), Phi Alpha Delta, Lambda Chi Alpha.
Married Anna Chadwick, February 7, 1971. Children: Patricia, Andrew, Sherry.