"Where there is injustice, we should correct it. Where there is poverty, we should eliminate it. Where there is corruption, we should stamp it out. Where there is violence, we should punish it. Where there is neglect, we should provide care. Where there is war, we should restore peace. And wherever corrections are achieved, we should add them permanently to our storehouse of treasures."

-Epitaph of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren (March 19, 1891– July 9, 1974).

Collective Members

Benjamin Haile (Attorney) uses his skills as a trial attorney and litigator to vindicate his clients’ civil rights.  His work has resulted not only in compensation for many clients but also in policy changes such as accommodations for hearing impaired inmates in Multnomah County jails and an end to the Portland Police Bureau’s practice of charging individuals who video tape police arrests.

Ben graduated cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2003.  He received a Bachelor’s degree in Geology with a minor in Physics from Guilford College in 2000.  Ben’s activist experience ranges from organizing with the Community for Creative Non-Violence, an advocacy group for the homeless of Washington, D.C., to documenting military activity and human rights violations in Guatemala. Email him at Ben @ portlandlawcollective.com

Cathy Highet (Attorney) represents labor unions and other progressive organizations.  She has helped unions mobilize and serve their members using a wide range of labor law tools — from large group wage and hour actions to unfair labor practice charges to individual grievances.  She also advises organizations on election law, demonstration permit requirements, and other issues encountered by progressive activists.  She speaks Spanish.

Cathy received her law degree from Boalt Hall at the University of California in 2003.  There she received honors including an Alumni Fellowship, the Victor Van Bourg Memorial Scholarship, and the Order of the Coif.  She received her Bachelor’s degree in Physics with Honors from Reed College in 1993.  Prior to attending law school, Cathy organized on behalf of unions representing janitors, farm workers and retail workers. Email her at Cathy @ portlandlawcollective.com

Kenneth A. Kreuscher (Attorney) practices criminal defense at the trial level, on appeal, and in post-conviction proceedings.   In addition to defending clients in cases ranging from simple misdemeanors to murder, Kenneth has had the honor of fully litigating a criminal case in the Oregon Supreme Court.  An example case of which Kenneth is especially proud is State v. Borowski in which the court threw out a state criminal law used to target demonstrators, ruling that the law violated the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment equal protection clause.  Kenneth also practices civil rights and labor and employment law, and he conducts trainings for community members in civil rights and police interaction skills.

Kenneth graduated cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2006.  During law school, Kenneth helped litigate Guantanamo Detainee cases and is proud to be a member of the unofficial “Gitmo Bar Association.”  He received a B.S. in Education from Indiana University in 2000.  Prior to practicing law, Kenneth was a teacher and an environmental and social justice activist.  Kenneth remains active in many community groups.  Email him at Kenneth @ portlandlawcollective.com

Hudson Munoz (Legal Worker) earned his Bachelor’s degree in 2009 from The Evergreen State College where he focused on community organizing and legal studies. His work included independent research in labor law, prisoners’ rights, and alternative business structures.  During his college tenure Hudson worked with the Civil Liberties Defense Center in Eugene, Oregon and was an intern investigator at The Defender Association in Seattle, Washington.  He also coordinated a successful effort to design, fund and lobby for a program that allows Iraqi refugees to attend the college tuition-free.  After graduating from college, Hudson completed a fellowship at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia where he led investigations into serious felony offenses.

At the Portland Law Collective, Hudson concentrates solely on the organizational and investigative need of the Collective.  Hudson is not an attorney, but he is an active member of the National Lawyers Guild as a legal worker.  Email him at Hudson @ portlandlawcollective.com

All four Portland Law Collective members are active in the Portland Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.