Background
Durham, Robert Donald was born on May 10, 1947 in Lynwood, California, United States.
Durham, Robert Donald was born on May 10, 1947 in Lynwood, California, United States.
Durham’s post-secondary education began at Whittier College located in Whittier, California. At Whittier he played first base on the baseball team and was a lineman on the football team He graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Justice Durham then attended the University of Santa Clara School of Law, graduating with his Juris Doctor in 1972.
After graduation he served as a law clerk to Oregon Supreme Court justice Dean F. Bryson from 1972 to 1974. Lastly, he earned an Master of Laws in 1998 from the.
Previously, Durham was a judge for the Oregon Court of Appeals and a lawyer in private practice. Robert Durham was in private practice in Oregon from 1974-1991 working in Portland and Eugene. He served as chairperson of the Oregon State Bar"s labor law section in 1984, and as chairperson of the Oregon Commission on Administrative Hearings from 1989-1990.
He is a partner in Bennett & Durham in Portland, previously the firm was known as Kulongoski, Durham, Drummonds & Colombo.
Robert Durham’s career in the judiciary began when he was appointed to the Oregon Court of Appeals by the governor on November 19, 1991. Subsequently he was elected to a full term in 1992, but resigned from the court before the end of his term upon his appointment to the state supreme court.
Also in 1992, he served as a faculty at the National Judicial College. From 1992 to 1994 and again from 1996 through 2005 Durham was a member on the Oregon Council on Court Procedures.
Justice Durham was appointed by Oregon Governor Barbara Roberts to the Oregon Supreme Court to replace the retiring Edwin J. Peterson.
His appointment on January 4, 1994, made him the 91st justice since Oregon became a territory in 1848. Durham was then elected to a full six-year term in 1994 and re-elected in 2000 and 2006. He did not seek re-election in 2012.
He serves as an instructor of Judicial Ethics, Judicial Campaign Practices and Transition Issues.
Durham also volunteers for the Classroom Law Project and as a mentor at Willamette University College of Law.
Member American Civil Liberties Union Lawyer's Committee, Eugene and Portland, Oregon, 1978-1991. Member American Academy Appellate Lawyers (ninth circuit screening committee since 1991, rules committee 1994, co-chair appellate courts liaison committee 1994), Oregon Appellate Judges Association (president 1996-1997), Oregon State Bar (chair labor law section 1983-1984, administrative law committee government law section 1986), California State Bar, Willamette Valley Inns of Court (master of bench, team leader 1994-1998).
Son of Robert Donald Durham and Rosemary Constance (Brennan) McKelvey. M.Linda Jo Rollins, August 29, 1970. Children: Melissa Brennan, Amy Elizabeth.