Forms part of the United States District Court Oral History Project.
Collection is open for research.
Gift of the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society, July 2018 (Lib. Acc. 29310).
Michael Robert Hogan was born in Oregon City, Oregon, in 1946. He grew up on a ranch in Myrtle Point, Oregon. In 1968, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon, and in 1971, he earned a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. While in D.C., he also worked as a Capitol police officer. In 1970, he and Christine Campbell were married; they later had three children. His first legal job was as a law clerk for Judge Robert C. Belloni. He was a lawyer with the firm that later became Miller & Nash in Portland for one year, then served as a federal magistrate judge, from 1973 to 1989, and a federal bankruptcy judge, from 1973 to 1980, for the District of Oregon in Medford. He became a judge on the U.S. District Court of Oregon in 1991, and served as chief judge from 1995 to 2002. He took senior status in 2011, and in 2012, he opened a private mediation practice. Hogan died in 2025.
Sources: Vital records in Ancestry.com; information provided by Hogan in his interview; Hogan's obituary in the Eugene Register-Guard, December 11, 2025 (accessed December 12, 2025),
Forms part of the United States District Court Oral History Project.
Oral history interview with Michael R. Hogan, by Jan Dilg, SR 11210, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
This oral history interview with Michael R. Hogan was conducted by Jan Dilg at Hogan's office in Eugene, Oregon, from February 27, 2013, to May 22, 2014, as part of the United States District Court Oral History Project. The interview was conducted in six sessions, and a transcript is available. Digital audio and video were recorded simultaneously for sessions 5 and 6.
In this interview, Hogan discusses his family background and early life on a ranch in Myrtle Point, Oregon. He talks about his experiences at the University of Oregon, and at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., while also working full-time as a Capitol police officer. He speaks about his early legal career as a law clerk for Judge Robert Belloni and as a lawyer in private practice. He discusses serving as a federal bankruptcy judge and a federal magistrate judge for the District of Oregon in Medford, and serving as a judge on the U.S. District Court of Oregon from 1991 to 2012. He speaks at length about his involvement in the design and construction of the Wayne Lyman Morse U.S. Courthouse in Eugene.
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 February 27, 2013, Hogan discusses his family background and early life on a ranch in Myrtle Point, Oregon, including daily chores, his education, and his recreational activities. He talks about his experiences at the University of Oregon, and at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., while working full-time as a Capitol police officer. He also talks about some of his professors. He talks about his early law career, and about his marriage to Christine Campbell.
In the second interview session, conducted on July 24, 2013, Hogan further discusses his experiences studying law at Georgetown University, while working full-time as a Capitol police officer. He talks about working as a law clerk for Judge Robert C. Belloni, talks about cases he worked on, and shares his experiences of appearing before Judge Gus Solomon. He talks about working as a lawyer in private practice, then discusses serving as a federal bankruptcy judge and a federal magistrate judge for the District of Oregon in Medford. He speaks about cases he worked on and about his fellow lawyers, and reflects on his accomplishments. He also talks about his marriage and family life.
In the third interview session, conducted on July 30, 2013, Hogan discusses serving as a judge on the U.S. District Court of Oregon from 1991 to 2012. He describes the appointment and confirmation process, talks about having law clerks, and discusses the unique role of magistrate judges in Oregon. He discusses hearing and mediating district court cases, including cases on grass burning and assisted suicide.
In the fourth interview session, conducted on August 22, 2013, Hogan continues to discuss hearing and mediating district court cases, including cases on free speech, and on sexual abuse of children in the Archdiocese of Portland. He talks about the process of mediation, and about his involvement in legal organizations.
Audio and video recordings of this session were made simultaneously. In the fifth interview session, conducted on January 31, 2014, Hogan speaks at length about his involvement in the design and construction of the Wayne Lyman Morse U.S. Courthouse in Eugene, and about collaborating with architect Thom Mayne. He also shares his experiences with receiving death threats.
Audio and video recordings of this session were made simultaneously. In the sixth and final interview session, conducted on May 22, 2014, Hogan talks about people he considered mentors, including Judge Robert Belloni; about changes in the legal profession during his career, including changes in technology; and about the politics involved in the process of nominating judges. He closes the interview by discussing his retirement from the U.S. District Court of Oregon.