Jeremy Beckham

Brief Background:

Prior to law school, I worked for animal protection organizations and for a law firm as a paralegal. In these roles, I was fortunate to work closely with incredible attorneys who were using their skills to stop the abuse of animals, defend civil liberties, and hold the powerful accountable for violating the rights of others. After seeing these attorneys in action, I decided that I wanted to do that, too. It seemed daunting at first, but I finally overcame my anxiety about it and made the leap to apply to law school. I’m very glad I did.

Why did you choose Lewis & Clark?

I was considering three “finalist” law schools in three different states, and I chose Lewis & Clark for a few reasons. Lewis & Clark’s location in the beautiful Pacific Northwest was a big factor, because I knew I would enjoy living here. I visited the campus and was awestruck by its natural beauty. Lewis & Clark Law School is also famous for its animal law program, an issue that is close to my heart. Also, I had excellent initial communications with the Lewis & Clark Law School Admissions team. They were extremely responsive to my questions and application. They were excellent to work with and left me with the impression that I was truly wanted as a student at this school.

What’s your favorite class? Why?

My favorite class has been Integrated Evidence and Trial Advocacy with Professor Jo Perini-Abbott. This class teaches you the complicated federal rules of evidence by applying them in a ‘mock trial’ context, where you simulate an actual trial from opening statement to closing argument. It also teaches you a lot of the soft skills of a trial attorney, including how to effectively examine a witness or persuade members of a jury. It will allow me to enter a courtroom with more confidence from day one. And, Prof. Perini-Abbott has been a remarkable teacher, always going above and beyond to show support for her students. Before coming to Lewis & Clark, Prof. Perini-Abbott was a federal public defender and an accomplished litigator, so she can teach from an impressive reservoir of personal courtroom experience. I have been fortunate at Lewis & Clark Law School to learn from faculty with that kind of real-world professional background.

Tell us about your involvement and leadership with the Public Interest Law Project and the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. How does this work complement your academic experience?

Public Interest Law Project (PILP) is a wonderful program to help support students who want to work in public interest law but find it difficult because internship opportunities in this sphere often don’t provide adequate financial support. PILP steps in to provide these students with a stipend so they can pursue these opportunities that benefit the community as a whole. PILP hosts an annual fundraising auction that helps raise funds to support these students, and I’ve been honored to play a role in helping the team procure items to auction off for this purpose.

I’ve also been delighted to serve as the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) External Projects Chair. SALDF is a student organization that is dedicated to bringing about a future where animals are respected under the law as sentient beings, instead of being treated as property without any rights or regard for their well-being. SALDF has invited inspiring speakers to campus to educate the law school community about how we can all use our skills as future lawyers to help make the world more humane. Next semester, I’ll also be involved in coordinating a “Humane Lobby Day,” which will be an event to encourage grassroots lobbying in Salem to advocate for more animal-friendly laws in Oregon.

My participation in extracurricular activities have helped demonstrate that the skills and knowledge we acquire in law school have real world impact. Students shouldn’t view their time in higher education as belonging to an insulated and isolated “ivory tower.” Instead, we are all learning how to be better citizens and members of the community. Extracurricular activities help provide that bridge between academia and the outside world. They also help forge new connections on and off campus, and this networking will pay dividends in your future professional life.

What do you like or find most interesting about your certificate program?

I’m pursuing a certificate in Litigation and Advocacy Skills because this program will help provide me with the skills and knowledge that I want to take into the real world after I graduate. It appears we may be heading into troubled waters in this country. It will be more important than ever that we take action to defend individual rights and civil liberties. My goal after graduating is to become a litigator that defends the constitutional protections that we all cherish. The Litigation and Advocacy Skills certificate program at Lewis & Clark trains students in civil rights law, courtroom advocacy, and general litigation skills that will be necessary for pursuing my goal.

How did your financial aid package influence your decision to attend Lewis & Clark?

I am grateful that Lewis & Clark Law School offered me a financial aid package that made my law school journey feasible. Graduating law school with significant debt is typically unavoidable, but Lewis & Clark helped substantially lighten my burden by offering generous scholarship support. I am also profoundly thankful and humbled to have received scholarships from private foundations representing some of the distinguished alumni of Lewis & Clark Law School.

Did you visit campus before deciding to come to L&C? How did your visit influence your decision to attend?

When I was deciding between three options, Lewis & Clark Law School invited me to attend a Preview Day on campus. This cemented my decision to attend Lewis & Clark. The extraordinary beauty of the law school campus, which is directly adjacent to a spectacular state park, must be seen in person to be understood. Additionally, the Preview Day allowed me to meet some of the impressive professors at the law school and experience a class. My visit to the campus was the prologue to my adventure as a student here, and the catalyst for my decision to attend Lewis & Clark.

What is your favorite thing about living in Portland?

The culture and natural beauty of Portland are exceptional. With dozens of all vegan restaurants and many more restaurants with incredible vegan options, it’s got to be the most vegan-friendly city in the country, which I appreciate. Portland also has abundant options for craft breweries. I love live music, and I have enjoyed living in a hub for live music that bands rarely pass up when they are on tour. In the summer, I also love swimming and kayaking in the Willamette River and going for hikes in Forest Park. And the sheer variety of beautiful landscapes is awesome. Depending on what direction you head from Portland, you are a short drive from the cascade mountains, the high desert, the Columbia River gorge, or the spectacular Oregon Coast. Not to mention that it’s fun and convenient being close to another fantastic city—Seattle.

What did you do/plan to do during the summers?

I worked as a law clerk for a Salt Lake City-based law firm. I assisted with the firm’s civil rights litigation, including a lawsuit brought on behalf of an individual who was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to serve life without parole with hard labor. He served more than 25 years at Louisiana’s notorious Angola state prison for a crime he didn’t commit, convicted after a trial where prosecutors failed to disclose favorable evidence. His resilience is inspiring, and I was honored to be part of the team fighting for him to get fair compensation for all those years of his life that the state wrongfully imprisoned him.

Were you considering any other schools or programs besides Lewis & Clark? What set L&C apart?

I think the single greatest strength of Lewis & Clark Law School is the faculty. I have been extremely impressed with the quality of the professors and instructors at Lewis & Clark Law School. The professors have truly mastered their areas of expertise. And because they’re also skilled lecturers, I looked forward to coming to class each day. Each semester, I have learned an immense amount of material, and that wouldn’t have been possible without remarkable professors. The professors are highly motivated and passionate about teaching and making sure their students get the support they need and are learning the material. I’ve made a lot of valuable connections and learned a tremendous amount in large part because of the superb faculty at Lewis & Clark Law School.

Advocacy Center