June 27, 1997 Contact John R. Crosiar (541) 346-3135 EUGENE--An Oregon man is the scholastic leader of the 1997 graduating class of the University of Oregon School of Law. Daniel Joseph Gunter, 755 Armstrong Ave., Eugene, has been named first academically among the 153 UO law school graduates this spring. He is one of 15 new alumni who have been recognized for their academic achievement by being elected to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society for law students who represent the top 10 percent of their graduating class. In addition to Gunter, Oregon law alumni who were elected to the Order of the Coif for 1997 are: * Joanna L. Jenkins, 23250 S.W. Hackett Lane, Beaverton. * Niki L. O'Neel, 3390 S.W. Cascade Ave., Corvallis. * Donna Meredith Matthews, 31728 Owl Rd.; and Kathryn Denise Piele, 2026 Morning View Dr., both of Eugene. * Ava Bartley Clark, 13035 S.W. 61st Ave., Portland. * Justin Michael Thorp, 36910 Edgehill Rd., Springfield. UO law alumni from other states who were elected to the Order of the Coif include: * Anita Christine O'Neil, 723 E. Griffith Way, Fresno, Calif. * James R. George, 263 Bowie Dr., Los Osos, Calif. * Kristina Marie Woodworth, 2838 Graysby Ave., San Pedro, Calif. * William Lawrence Underwood, 1712 4th St. S., Waite Park, Minn. * Shari Lee Del Carlo, 16020 Edmonds Dr., Reno, Nevada. * Laura L. Hoehn, 10909 Acton Dr., St. Louis, Mo. * Andrea Susan Powers, P.O. Box 106, Ritzville, Wash. * John Henry Guin, 4815 S. Perry St., Spokane, Wash. -30- #H-2244/Hometowns,OrLaw