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Susan Marmaduke, one of Portland鈥檚 leading litigators and recent recipient of the James M. Burns Federal Practice Award from the Federal Bar Association鈥檚 Oregon chapter, nearly decided to teach English in Tunisia rather than become a lawyer.

Marmaduke majored in arts and letters, with a minor in economics, at Portland State University. As a student there during the early 1970a, she was drawn to the university鈥檚 Middle East Studies Center, where she studied Arabic and Middle East geography and politics.

鈥淚 had some very good teachers, including some excellent adjunct professors who could bring their 鈥榬eal life鈥� experience to the classroom, and I appreciated the fact that many of the students were older and more experienced, as well,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 had the opportunity to get to know foreign students who greatly broadened my horizons.鈥�

Through the center, Marmaduke earned a scholarship from the U.S. Department of Defense to spend a summer in intensive Arabic language study in Tunisia. She received her Arabic Language Certificate at the Bourguiba Institute of Modern Languages in Tunis, Tunisia.

鈥淚 loved Tunisia, and considered staying there and teaching English instead of going to law school,鈥� she says. 鈥淯ltimately, I decided I would rather have a profession that would let me be fully involved as a citizen, instead of living as an expatriate abroad.鈥�

Marmaduke worked as a legal secretary at Legal Aid Services during college, and went on to earn her law degree from the University of California at Berkeley- Boalt Hall in 1977. She says the job market at that time steered her toward litigation.

鈥淛obs in law, like now, were scarce early on in my career, so I just wanted work of any kind,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 clerked and worked at a few different law firms and legal services programs. The various lawyers who supervised me all decided I was best suited to litigation, so that is what I did.鈥�

Now a shareholder at Portland-based Harrang Long Gary Rudnick, Marmaduke specializes in business litigation and appeals, including disputes involving business transactions and torts and a variety of issues at the intersection of law and public policy. She is recognized by Oregon Super Lawyers in business litigation and by Best Lawyers in America for appellate practice and commercial litigation.

A fellow of the American Bar Foundation, Marmaduke is on the Multnomah Bar Association鈥檚 Board of Directors, an Amicus Committee Member of the Oregon Association of Defense Counsel, and is chairwoman of the Local Rules Advisory Committee of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.

Her biggest challenge is accepting defeat, but she says he continues to find the law deeply interesting, even after three decades in practice.

鈥淚 like the close relationship one develops with clients and colleagues when you experience the crucible of litigation together. I love the creative processes o f problem solving and persuasion,鈥� she says.