From Controversy to Counsel: Former Oregon Judge Vance Day Joins U.S. Department of Justice as Senior Counsel

On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, Willamette Week reported that Vance Day, a former Oregon judge with a controversial past, has been appointed to a senior position within the U.S. Department of Justice.

Day, who previously served on the Marion County Circuit Court, confirmed his new role as Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General in an email to the Oregon Journalism Project. He is working under Emil Bove, the current Acting Deputy Attorney General, and began his duties on February 18.

Day’s career has been marked by significant milestones and challenges. Before his judicial tenure, he was a trial lawyer and led the Oregon Republican Party from 2005 to 2009. In 2011, Democratic Governor John Kitzhaber appointed him to the Marion County bench. However, his time as a judge came under scrutiny, leading to a three-year suspension without pay by the Oregon Supreme Court in 2018.

The suspension stemmed from multiple instances of misconduct, including his refusal to officiate same-sex marriages, permitting a felon to handle firearms in his presence, and intimidating a college soccer referee. In 2015, the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness recommended his permanent removal from the bench.

The Oregon Department of Justice also pursued, but later dismissed, criminal charges against Day related to his interactions with a struggling former Navy SEAL involved in his Veterans Treatment Court. The publicity from his suspension elevated Day’s profile among conservative legal advocates.

In 2022, he sought a seat on the Oregon Court of Appeals but was defeated by incumbent Darlene Ortega, receiving 38% of the vote to her 62%.

Day noted that his responsibilities in his new Justice Department role are still being defined as he settles into the position.