A few weeks ago, we welcomed 177 first year law students and four new faculty to campus. Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson and I addressed the group in the amphitheater and joined them for the above photo.
The energy at the start of the academic year is fantastic, in no small part because of the excitement and anticipation of the 1Ls. It is such a memorable time, full of hopes and fears. Justice Nelson shared some of her own first-year experience with an inspirational story and these words of advice, "No one is born into the law. Keep at it, don't be afraid to ask for help.”
Help, as we know, comes from many places, and is occasionally unexpected. This summer, Lewis & Clark Law School received a $3.7 million bequest from the estate of
Washington environmental advocate John E. Diehl to support post graduate fellowships. This bequest is the second largest gift we have ever received. Wow! We will match this generous gift with the award of Diehl Scholarships each fall.
We are also grateful to alums and friends who are helping us launch the Center for Business Law and Innovation. The Center provides a new framework for integrating our many fine business law programs with advisors and lawyers serving the Northwest business community.
We are off and running for 2019-20 and looking forward to a fabulous year. I hope to see many of you at one of our alumni events around the country!
Warm regards,
Lewis & Clark Receives $3.7 Million Bequest for Environmental Fellowships, Scholarships
This summer the law school received a $3.7 million bequest for public interest environmental law fellowships and scholarships. This is the second largest single gift ever made to the law school. Read More...
Center for Business Law and Innovation Launched
The Center for Business Law and Innovation (CBLI), launched this fall, creates a new framework to provide business law training and opportunities for students - helping them and the Oregon business community thrive. An "Innovation Board" comprised of Oregon's leading general counsels and law firm partners are providing input for the Center's co-curricular activities.
Two Wins for Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC)
The Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) recently prevailed on two court cases.
The clinic successfully won a motion to dismiss in front of the U.S. District Court, and received a concession from the IRS in the U.S. Tax Court. LITC students were instrumental to the success of these two arguments. Read more...
Portland suffers from some of the highest levels of diesel pollution in the United States. A recently released report from the Green Energy Institute (GEI) at Lewis & Clark Law School describes strategies to effectively address this pollution, in “Deconstructing Diesel: A Law & Policy Roadmap for Reducing Diesel Emissions in the Portland Metropolitan Area.” Read more...
Lucero '03 Appointed to Multnomah County Circuit Court Bench
In August, Angela Franco Lucero ’03 was appointed to the Multnomah County Circuit Court by Governor Kate Brown ’85. While a student at Lewis & Clark Law School, Lucero tutored fellow minority law students and served on the admissions committee. Now, as an alumna, she serves as a mentor to current students and as a volunteer judge for the law school’s mock trial. Read more...
Profs Kanter & Kaplan Work with State Legislature to Limit the Death Penalty
This June, the Oregon legislature passed a bill to substantially narrow Oregon’s death penalty, SB 1013. Governor Brown ’85 signed the bill into law on August 1, 2019, in a ceremony attended by Emeritus Dean and Professor of Law Steve Kanter and Director of the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic, Professor of Law Aliza Kaplan, Legislative Director of ACLU Kimberly McCullough ’13, and Legislative Director of Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Mary Sofia ’10. Each of them has dedicated countless hours to get this bill passed into law. Read more...
Powers Receives Oregon State Bar Award
The Oregon State Bar (OSB) is presenting its 2019 Sustainability Award to Lewis & Clark Law Professor Melissa Powers for her “contributions to the goal of sustainability in Oregon’s legal profession through education, advocacy, leadership in sustainable business practices, or other efforts.” Read more...
New Director for International Environmental Law Project (IELP)
Professor Erica Lyman (‘05) will lead IELPt (IELP) as of September 1, 2019. Professor Chris Wold, who founded IELP in 1994, and served as its director until now, will continue to be involved while transitioning to a larger classroom role.
