Recent history has demonstrated how the ethical
lapse of a few can bring critical scrutiny on
the whole of business. In order to confront
these generalized opinions, a heightened
sensitivity to keeping public trust is
necessary. The road to that trust is paved with
what we refer to as Ethics. If we follow basic
ethical rules of honesty and integrity, then we
receive the trust of the public, those with whom
we do business and those who have a stake in the
business for which we are responsible. The
origin of the rules may differ between
individuals, depending upon our educational
background, family experience, culture and
discipline. For this reason, limits may differ
depending upon the underlying principles on
which we base them. Consequently, their validity
may vary. Therefore, it is worth our time to
identify our rules, seek out their origin and
examine whether we should follow, deny or
compromise those rules. Ethics apply to all
aspects of life, whether business, family,
social or governmental. Thus, the premise under
which we operate affects all aspects of life.
Judge Marsh was born in Portland, Oregon, on
September 24, 1928. He grew up in McMinnville, Oregon, and served in
the United States Army in 1946-47. He attended the University of
Oregon Law School from September, 1951 to graduation in June of
1954.
He was admitted to the Oregon Bar Association on September 21, 1954,
and practiced law in Salem, Oregon, from 1954 to 1987 in the firm
that evolved into Clark, Marsh, Lindauer and McClinton where he
specialized in product liability and malpractice cases. He is
currently a member of the American Bar Association, a Fellow in the
American College of Trial Lawyers, and an inactive member of the
Oregon State Bar Association.
On March 24, 1987, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to
the position of United States District Judge and now sits in that
capacity in Portland, Oregon, where he and his wife, Shari, now make
their home. On April 16, 1998, he took senior status.
Malcolm and Shari have three grown children: Kevin, Carol and Diane,
and seven grandchildren.
