Forms part of the United States District Court Oral History Project.
Session 9 is restricted until 2037, and that portion of the interview has been redacted from the transcript. The rest of the collection is open for research.
Gift of the U.S. District Court Historical Society, July 2018 (Lib. Acc. 29310).
Diarmuid Fionntain O'Scannlain was born in New York, New York, in 1937. In 1957, he earned a bachelor's degree from St. John's University. In 1963, he earned a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School. That same year, he and Maura Nolan were married; they later had eight children. From 1955 to 1978, he served in the U.S. Army Reserve. After passing the New York Bar in 1964, he worked as a tax lawyer for Standard Oil, and in 1965 he came to Portland, Oregon, to join the law firm now known as Stoel Rives. In 1969, he became deputy attorney general for Oregon, and in 1971, he became Oregon public utility commissioner. From 1973 to 1974, he was head of the Department of Environmental Quality, and in 1974, he ran unsuccessfully for the First Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He then returned to private practice. He was on President Ronald Reagan's transition team, and served as Oregon Republican Party chair from 1983 to 1986. He also served on the Northwest Power Planning Council, which is now known as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. He served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1986 to 2016, when he took senior status. In 1992, he also earned a master of law degree from the University of Virginia.
Forms part of the United States District Court Oral History Project.
Oral history interview with Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain, by Michael O'Rourke, SR 11214, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
This oral history interview with Diarmuid O'Scannlain was conducted by Michael O'Rourke in Portland, Oregon, from June 20, 2008, to April 10, 2010, as part of the United States District Court Oral History Project. The interview was conducted in nine sessions, and a transcript is available. Sessions 7 and 8 were recorded as digital video; the rest of the interview was recorded as digital audio. Session 9 is restricted until 2037.
In sessions 1 through 5, O'Scannlain discusses his family background, including his father's involvement in the Irish Republican Army and his Irish heritage; talks about his education at St. John's University and Harvard Law School; and about his career as a lawyer for Standard Oil, and for private law firms in Portland, Oregon. He speaks at length about his involvement in Republican politics, including his service as Oregon deputy attorney general under Lee Johnson, as Oregon public utility commissioner, and as director of the Department of Environmental Quality. In addition, he talks about his 1974 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives, and his role on President Ronald Reagan's transition team.
In sessions 6 through 9, O'Scannlain discusses his service as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1986 to the time of the interview. He talks about cases he heard, about his judicial philosophy, and about his 1986 confirmation to the court.
Joint copyright held by the Oregon Historical Society and the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society. Use of this interview is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted:
In the first interview session, conducted on June 20, 2008, O'Scannlain discusses his family background, including his father's involvement in the Irish Republican Army and his Irish heritage. He talks about his early life in New York City, including his education; about his experiences at St. John's University and Harvard Law School; and about his early involvement in Republican politics.
In the second interview session, conducted on July 3, 2008, O'Scannlain continues to discuss his early involvement in Republican politics, particularly his work with the Second Atlantic Conference of Young Political Leaders and the World Assembly of Youth. He also continues to discuss his experiences at St. John's University and Harvard Law School, including some of his professors and classmates. He talks about his marriage to Maura Nolan, about working as a tax lawyer for Standard Oil, and about his service in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1955 to 1978.
In the third interview session, conducted on August 28, 2008, O'Scannlain discusses working as a lawyer for the firm that later became Stoel Rives in Portland, including his fellow lawyers, and some of the cases he worked on. He talks about his service as Oregon deputy attorney general under Lee Johnson, as Oregon public utility commissioner, as director of the Department of Environmental Quality, and about his 1974 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. He also shares his thoughts about the Watergate scandal.
In the fourth interview session, conducted on September 30, 2008, O'Scannlain discusses his return to private law practice in 1975, and talks about some of the cases he worked on, particularly one regarding Alumax and the Bonneville Power Administration. He speaks further about his involvement in Republican politics, talks about his role on President Ronald Reagan's transition team, and discusses Reagan's energy policy.
In the fifth interview session, conducted on October 31, 2008, O'Scannlain continues to discuss his involvement in Republican politics, and talks about serving as Oregon Republican Party chair from 1983 to 1986, about the rise of the religious right, and about his experience as a member of President Ronald Reagan's transition team.
In the sixth interview session, conducted on November 17, 2008, O'Scannlain continues to discuss his involvement in Republican politics, and talks about his experience as a member of President Ronald Reagan's transition team, and about serving as Oregon Republican Party chair from 1983 to 1986. He speaks about his appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1986. He then talks about his children, their families, and their careers.
In the seventh interview session, conducted on May 14, 2009, O'Scannlain speaks further about his appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1986, and talks about the concept of judicial activism. He speaks about his service on the bench, including cases he heard, and his fellow judges. He shares his judicial philosophy, and talks about his acquaintance with U.S. Supreme Court justices.
In the eighth interview session, conducted on June 9, 2009, O'Scannlain continues to discuss his service as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1986 to the time of the interview. He talks about cases he heard, including several regarding the Establishment Clause, and speaks further about his judicial philosophy. He also discusses the possibility that he might be nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court; his views regarding splitting the Ninth Circuit; and the landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases Roe v. Wade and Bush v. Gore.
This session is restricted until 2037.