Judge, Advocate, Trailblazer

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Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Virginia Linder is her modesty. A woman who has achieved so many firsts must have a bit of ego driving her, but that isn’t Virginia’s style. She is thoughtful, engaged, and focused on bettering the lives of others.

Virginia Linder has served on the Oregon Supreme Court since January 2007 as our ninety-ninth Justice. She was born in Colorado, the daughter of two teachers. Virginia earned her first degree in political science from Southern Oregon State College in Ashland in 1975. She later graduated from Willamette in 1980 with a Juris Doctor. While in school, she clerked at the Oregon Department of Justice during both her second and third years of law school. In 1997, Virginia was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Governor John Kitzhaber and was re-elected in 1998 and 2004. She has also received the Department of Justice’s Meritorious Service Award more times than any other employee. Virginia is the first woman elected to the Oregon Supreme Court. In 1987, she was honored by SOU as a Distinguished Alumna.

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