Paul J. DeMuniz

The Honorable Paul J. De Muniz was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court in 2000 and served as chief justice and administrative head of the Oregon Judicial Branch from January 2006 to May 2012. He retired from the court in December 2012. Between 1990 and 2000, he sat on the Oregon Court of Appeals and served as a presiding judge. Before ascending to the bench, DeMuniz was in private practice for 13 years. In addition to his many law review articles on the courts and the legal profession, DeMuniz authored A Practical Guide to Oregon Criminal Procedure and Practice, a reference book used by lawyers and judges throughout Oregon, and co-authored American Judicial Power: The State Court Perspective, a legal treatise emphasizing the importance of America’s state courts.

He was raised by his mother in Portland, Ore., and attended Port-land’s public schools. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam. Following his discharge from military service, he received his bachelor of science degree from Portland State University in 1972 and his juris doctor from Willamette University College of Law in 1975. In 2012, Willamette University awarded DeMuniz the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. In 2016, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Portland State University. DeMuniz and his wife, Mary, reside in Salem, Ore., and have three grown children and six grandchildren. He currently teaches at Willamette University College of Law as a Distinguished Jurist in Residence.