The Board of the Jim Neill Memorial Foundation is pleased to honor, Thomas Brown for his dedication to his commitment to his community as a highly-respected Attorney and advocate for the Classroom Law Project.

Thom Brown came to Portland in 1976 to attend the night school program at Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College.  During law school, Thom served as a clerk to Judge Irving M. Steinbock of the Multnomah County Circuit Court (1978-80).  Following law school, Thom served as a clerk to Judge William L. Richardson of the Oregon Court of Appeals (1980-81).  He then joined Cosgrave Vergeer Kester in 1981.  From 1994-2010, Thom was the firm’s managing partner and is presently special counsel to the firm, serving as an arbitrator or mediator involving a very wide range of civil disputes and issues. On appointment by the Oregon Supreme Court, Thom has served 10 years as a circuit court judge pro tempore, hearing and resolving motions for summary judgment in his 10 years as a pro tem judge.

Beginning in 1999, Thom began his long – and deep – involvement with Classroom Law Project (CLP), serving nearly 20 years on the CLP Board, including two years as Board Chair, serving on multiple CLP committees, including its Golf Committee, and serving as both a state and national finals judge for We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution, sponsored by CLP.  Throughout his time in Portland, Thom has also been involved in a large number of community activities, at the board level and otherwise, and now likes spending more and more time with crossword puzzles, golf,  gardening, music, family, photography, travel, and the family’s two geriatric pugs.

Thomas Brown truly embraces his community like Jim Neill did!