Twelve law students worked with the National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI) at Lewis & Clark Law School to convene the 2025 Crime Victim Law Conference in Portland in May 2025. This student-volunteer-supported, three‑day event stands as the premier national gathering for legal professionals and advocates dedicated to enforcing victims’ rights. Over 200 attended the conference, including national-level victims’ rights attorneys, legal scholars, government officials, and representatives from nonprofits and academia.
The event highlighted trends in victim law, including the enforcement of victims’ rights. It showcased emerging litigation strategies to ensure that a victim of a crime is seen, heard, and protected throughout the judicial process. By focusing on hate crimes, general rights enforcement, and legal strategies, the gathering aimed to equip professionals with the tools needed to advance justice for crime victims nationwide.
Hannah Beaulieu, a 3L at Lewis & Clark studying human rights law and a volunteer at the Conference, shared her thoughts, “It was inspiring to be surrounded by so many people who are passionate about victims’ rights and who traveled across the country to become the most effective advocates they can be for victims in their communities.”
NCVLI, based at Lewis & Clark Law School, champions victims’ legal rights through education, advocacy, impact litigation, and technical assistance. This is the organization’s 24th annual Crime Victim Law Conference, hosting over 200 legal professionals from 32 states, as well as the Virgin Islands and Australia.
The Conference spanned three days. On May 19, the first day, attendees participated in an intensive half-day session designed primarily for attorneys. The day offered law-heavy analysis and best-practice strategies—an opportunity to delve deeply into a single subject, which this year was legal services for victims of hate and bias crimes. The second and third days, from May 20 to 21, attendees could participate in various sessions covering cutting-edge legal approaches in topics ranging from data privacy to employment law to internet crimes. The Conference emphasized the importance of advocacy at every stage and field of law.
The Conference could not run without the support of volunteers from Lewis & Clark Law School. Volunteers participate in victims’ rights-focused initiatives and collaborate with legal professionals who advocate for victims worldwide. With decreased funding for the year ahead due to shifts in federal administration priorities, NCVLI will rely on student volunteers more than ever before. “We could not pull off these events without volunteers. They each went above and beyond this year!” says Professor Meg Garvin, director of NCLVI and event organizer of the national conference. Next year’s Conference is scheduled for May 27-29, 2026.
