Caroline Taylor

Brief Background: 
After getting my undergraduate degree, I moved to Portland and worked in a coffee shop for a year while trying to get a job in the legal field. During a brief stint at a family law firm, I ran into one of my former coffee patrons, a local lawyer who was looking for a legal assistant and recommended I apply. One very nerve-wracking interview later, I got the job and worked as his legal assistant for the next two and a half years on everything from medical malpractice cases to civil rights claims for excessive force by police. I already loved the local legal community and chose Lewis & Clark to get my JD

Activities I’m Involved In:
Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLS): I am one of the student liaisons for the local chapter of OWLS, the Queen’s Bench. This group of women lawyers have really welcomed me and mentored me as an upcoming woman lawyer.

Favorite Class at L&C:
Lawyering – I loved learning the ins and outs of legal research and writing and building friendships with my classmates.

Meaningful experience at L&C:
My 1L mentor really supported me throughout the year – she reached out when we went into quarantine and made sure I was doing ok, offered her support on everything from classwork to networking to inviting me to events. Her support bolstered me in moments when I was unsure.

Advice on choosing a law school:
Law school is an academic experience, but it is also the beginning of your professional legal career. When picking where you want to go to school, think about clinics, externships, and the legal community near each law school. Where is it located? If you want to work in a particular practice area or type of office, are those experiences available for students in the local legal community? Will you be close to federal courts as well as state courts? Think about all the different ways the law school you choose can begin to open doors for you while you are a student. It’s also a good idea to look at bar passage rates and employment numbers post-graduation!

My favorite places around Portland:

1. Renata – great place for a fancy date,
2. Mt. Tabor Park – one of the best views in Portland,
3. Cathedral Park – a great place to hang out and have a picnic, Revolution Hall rooftop bar- meet a group of friends for a drink to watch the sunset, it’s the best.