Carley Pouland
Sherwood, Oregon

As a recipient of a PILP Award I was able to spend the summer at the City of Sherwood City Attorney’s Office. While there, I drafted multiple resolutions for review by the City Council and I was given the opportunity to present one such resolution myself. It was a little nerve-wracking, but I am grateful to have had the chance to see a project through from beginning to end. I worked on proposing changes to chapters of the municipal code that directly impacted the community, such as restrictions on dogs in public spaces and cannabis regulation. I was also able to assist in preparation for litigation to enforce a CC&R, which was the first issue the City has had to bring to court in many years. Working for a city gave me great exposure to many different areas of law that I could not have gained in other workplaces. The City Attorney was a fantastic mentor, both in providing detailed feedback on my work and finding projects that fit my interests. He and the City staff were welcoming and friendly, and I am lucky to have spent my first summer of law school in such a supportive environment.
The City of Sherwood has a rapidly growing residential population but does not yet have a strong commercial tax-base. My first weeks in the office saw a revision to the City’s five-year plan that included eliminating City positions and moving the City Attorney’s legal assistant to part-time. It was clear that having an unpaid internship position is very important to the City and the City Attorney, and as such, I was given a variety of interesting and substantive projects. It was very rewarding to be working toward making the City a better place for its residents and I am grateful to PILP for making it possible for me to gain this invaluable experience.
Public Interest Law Project (PILP) is located in McCarty Classroom Complex.
MSC: 51
email pilp@lclark.edu
voice 503-768-6782
fax 503-768-6729
President: Natalie Hollabaugh
Auction Directors: Faith Fox & Hanah Morin
More Stories

Claire Walters
SOAR Immigration Legal Services

Christian Larson
Community Law Division, Metropolitan Public Defender
Portland, Oregon

Gabby Renae
Parent Child Advocacy Division at Portland Metropolitan Public Defense
Portland, Oregon

Aidan Hall
Catholic Charities of Oregon