Click here to view Pam's Resume
Pam began her advocacy career in 1971 in the environmental protection arena. As
program director of the Newfound Harbor Marine Institute, a year round environmental
education center she helped establish in 1970-71 on Big Pine Key Florida, she was
actively involved in organizing and mobilizing a grass roots effort which successfully
defeated big business and resort development in ecologically fragile Coupon Bight,
located in the Florida Keys.
In 1973 Pam joined the then fledgling organization known as NOW in Dallas Texas
and with a small core group of NOW members helped establish Dallas’s first rape
crisis center. She advocated for reform of rape laws unfair to rape victims, education
of the public about the crime of rape, creation of counseling and legal support
services for rape victims and coordination of efforts and response of police, hospital
and district attorney offices for more effective prosecution of rape crimes.
These twin experiences propelled Pam to attend Duke Law School in 1974 to obtain
training, advocacy skills and knowledge of the law, which she believed was necessary
to making a difference and effecting change for the better. At Duke, Pam gravitated
to trial work and litigation, areas of practice she has continued throughout her
career.
Pam has practiced law in a variety of settings in both the public and private sectors
since graduating from Duke University Law School with distinction in 1977. In addition
to her 5 years as an Assistant District Attorney in York County and her 6 years
working at small and large firms in Portland, Pam has been a solo private practitioner
concentrating in family law for the majority of her more than 31 years of legal
practice.
Pam has been actively involved in advancing the rights of gay and lesbian clients
and the recognition of gay and lesbian families.
She is a member of local, state and national law associations. She has lectured
and presented seminars in family law and served on the Board of the National Lesbian
and Gay Law Association as well as on various Boards of non-profit organizations.
She is the mother of three grown children (whom she raised as a single parent) and
the grandmother of twin grandsons. Aside from spending time with her family, she
has a variety of interests, including skiing and recreational ski racing, biking,
hiking, walking with her dogs Sophia and Nina, jogging, RVing, motorcycle riding,
tennis, SCUBA, opera, and the theater.