The Oregon Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society will be celebrating Oregon's progressive legal community at its Annual Dinner on March 18, 2026. The program will feature ACS President Phil Brest and keynote remarks from Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
Keynote Speaker:
Hon. Dan Rayfield, Oregon Attorney General
The program will honor:
Rising Star Award
Introduced by Justice Martha Lee
Presented to Caitlin Mitchell, Partner at Johnson Johnson Lucas & Middleton
Hans A Linde Award
Introduced by Barbara Coombs Lee
Presented to Kevin Díaz, President and CEO at Compassion & Choices
Thank you to our sponsors:
Benefactor: ACS Oregon Lawyer Chapter Board, Compassion & Choices, and Stoll Berne
Partner: Buchalter, Keller Rohrback, Markowitz Herbold PC, Johnson Johnson Lucas & Middleton, and O'Hagan Meyer
Friend: Anfuso Law, P.C., Barg Singer Hoesly PC, and Tonkon Torp LLP
Public Interest Partner: Willamette University School of Law
If you are interested in sponsoring the 2026 Dinner, please contact Meghan Paulas at mjpaulas@acslaw.org.
Caitlin Mitchell is a partner at Johnson Johnson Lucas & Middleton in Eugene. She specializes in civil rights litigation and employment law, with a particular focus on gender discrimination / LGBTQ+ rights, the rights of prisoners, and the rights of families impacted by incarceration and the child welfare system. Prior to joining JJLM she worked for Youth, Rights & Justice in Portland, where she represented children and parents in juvenile dependency proceedings in the trial court and on appeal. Caitlin graduated from Yale Law School in 2012. She earned a B.A. in English and Women's Studies from Yale University in 2006. She clerked for Justices Adrienne C. Nelson and Martha L. Walters on the Oregon Supreme Court.
Kevin Díaz is President and CEO of Compassion & Choices and the Compassion & Choices Action Network, where he leads national efforts to advance compassionate, patient directed end-of-life care grounded in constitutional principles of liberty, dignity, and equal justice under law. With nearly 30 years in public interest law, Díaz has built and led integrated litigation, policy, and advocacy strategies reflecting a deep commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and the vital role of state constitutions in protecting individual rights. Throughout his career, he has embraced the promise of state constitutionalism as a means of bringing constitutional principles closer to the people they serve.
Prior to becoming CEO, Díaz served as Compassion & Choices’ Chief Legal Advocacy Officer and General Counsel. He previously was Legal Director of the ACLU of Oregon and began his legal career advocating for immigrants and farmworkers. His work spans numerous state and federal jurisdictions and is defined by principled, institution strengthening advocacy that centers constitutional values over expediency. His leadership and legal work have been recognized by Harvard Law School, Basic Rights Oregon, the ACLU of Oregon, and the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association.
Díaz is deeply committed to mentoring law students and emerging public-interest lawyers, with an emphasis on ethical leadership and moral integrity. He currently serves as board chair of the Northwest Workers Justice Project and has held numerous nonprofit leadership roles, including seven years with Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette.
