Washington County has a new circuit court judge as of last week, following the appointment of Hafez Daraee, replacing retired Judge Beth Roberts, who left the office in September of last year.
“Hafez Daraee’s exceptional courtroom skills and dedication to public service make him an excellent addition to the Washington County bench,” Governor Tina Kotek said in a press release announcing the appointment by Kotek. “His intellect, authenticity, and passion for justice will be an asset for the people of Washington County.”
Appointed January 4, Daraee, most recently of the Lake Oswego-based Luby/Daraee Law Group he founded in 2012 with law partner Kevin Luby has a long history in the legal profession in Oregon.
According to information furnished by the governor’s office, Daraee earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon, and a law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School.
He’s been a member of the Oregon State Bar for 31 years and worked for a number of small and mid-sized law firms before opening Luby/Daraee.
This won’t be his first stint as a public official; from 1997 to 2006, he served as a member of the Rivergrove City Council—a tiny city straddling the Clackamas and Washington County lines—and as Rivergrove’s mayor from 2006 to 2008.
Of note for our readers, Daraee has also served on the board of the Gales Creek Camp for Diabetic Children Foundation, the organization that runs Gales Creek Camp, a facility off Highway 6 for children with Type 1 Diabetes.
He’s served in a variety of other roles in organizations and groups including the PTA at Rivergrove Elementary School, the Interfraternity Council of the University of Oregon, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the University of Oregon Alumni Association, the Washington County Bar-Bench Committee, and is involved in two other legal associations in Oregon, the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and the Oregon Arab Iranian Bar Association.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Gales Creek Journal and sister news publications the Banks Post and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
