91视频

When Ben Eder was in his third year at the University of Oregon School of Law, he asked a simple question.

鈥淚 asked, Who are the best trial attorneys (in Oregon)?鈥� Eder said.

Time and again, Eder heard the same names: William Uhle and Robert Thuemmel.

Eder had known for some time that he wanted to be a trial lawyer. The summer between his first and second years in law school, he interned in the King County prosecutor鈥檚 office. As he neared the completion of his law degree, he was in serious search mode to find a firm that would teach him the finer points of being a trial attorney.

鈥淚 called Bill and Bob over winter break,鈥� Eder said. 鈥淚 told them I was interested in seeing them in trial.鈥�

Uhle and Thuemmel invited Eder to meet with them before the trial. They ran over the details of the case. From that one meeting, Eder progressed to spending his entire winter and spring breaks from school watching more of their trials.

Eder began working as an intern for the firm before being hired as an associate in 2006. It was a first for Uhle and Thuemmel.

鈥淚 was their experiment; they had never hired anyone before,鈥� Eder said.

From picking up appellate work and court appearances for his bosses in his early days with the firm, Eder said he has progressed to the point that between 80 and 90 percent of the cases he handles are his own clients. At the beginning of this year he was named a partner in the firm, which specializes in DUII, and alcohol-and-driving criminal and civil defense.

These days, Eder finds himself trying cases all over the state. Recent trials took him from Astoria to Hood River to Hillsboro.

The changes of courtroom scenery are something Eder takes in stride. It鈥檚 that very dash of the unexpected that drew him in part to choose a career as a trial lawyer.

鈥淓very case is different 鈥� every jury is different,鈥� Eder said. 鈥淵ou can have night-and-day differences, even in the same county, from day to day. It鈥檚 just a roller coaster. It鈥檚 unexpected; it keeps it exciting.鈥�

Tell us something about yourself that might surprise most people.聽

I was an academic All American at the University of Washington as a lacrosse player.

How does the reality of being a lawyer differ from what you anticipated when you started law school?

I enjoy the practice of law much more than I thought I would when I was in school.聽 Representing good people in difficult times has added much more fulfillment than only studying the law.

Finish this sentence: Happiness is …

Spending time with wonderful people over dinner.

What was your first car (year, make, model, 鈥渘ickname鈥�)?聽

1996 Toyota Camry. I didn鈥檛 have a nickname for that car.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

It would be nice to grow a few inches taller.聽 I鈥檓 still hoping for another growth spurt.