Jerry Lidz is a retired attorney whose law practice focused on advising and advocating for state and local governments.  Jerry graduated from the U of O law school in 1977.  After an appellate court clerkship and two and a half years as a civil litigator in a Portland firm, in 1982 he joined the Oregon Department of Justice, where he held three different positions for approximately five years each. First, he provided general counsel advice to the state colleges and universities and litigated on their behalf.  Next, Jerry served as Chief Civil Attorney in the Appellate Division.  Then, he moved back to the General Counsel Division as head of the Natural Resources Section, which advised a wide range of state agencies.

 

After ten years of a daily commute to Salem, in 1996 Jerry joined the Harrang Long firm in Eugene, where his practice focused on advising cities ranging in size from 1200 to 160,000 and representing them in trial and appellate courts on topics ranging from telecommunications to public records.  

 

In 2010, he returned to the Attorney General's office Solicitor General (head of the Appellate Division) but resigned in 2011.  He then worked part-time in the Eugene City Attorney's office until full retirement in 2017.

 

Jerry also served on Oregon's Land Conservation and Development Commission from 2011 to 2019 and as chair from 2017 to 2019.  For the last three years, he has coached a mock trial team at a local high school.  He is the author of the chapter on Home Rule in the Oregon State Bar's Oregon Constitutional Law book.