The Criminal Defense Association of Lewis & Clark Law (CDALCL) is a student-run organization focused on recruiting and preparing students for a career in criminal defense, establishing connections between students and criminal defense attorneys, and maintaining an open environment where anyone interested in criminal defense can come learn more about the field. Oregon is currently experiencing a public defense crisis that is worsening with each arrest. Over 3,000 criminal defendants in Oregon are without assistance of counsel. With the effective repeal of Measure 110 through HB 4002, this unrepresented list will expand. For those students who want to help the average citizen, for those students who want to fight back against the ever growing power of the police state, for those students who want less people in cages, CDALCL is here.
Officers/Members
President: Isaiah Putnam
Vice President: Christian Larson
Treasurer: Sergio Del Carmen
Secretary: Maxwell Bernhaus
Advisor: Prof. Aliza Kaplan
Isaiah Putnam ’26 President
Legal interests: criminal defense, drug law.
I grew up watching family going in and out of prison. I met public defenders when I was very young and knew that was what I wanted to do. Public defense to me means protecting the individual citizen against the ever-growing powers of the police state. Oregon is experiencing a horrific public defender shortage that will only get worse. I feel called to jump in the fray and start fighting back against the prison industrial complex.
Christian Larson Vice President ’26:
Legal Interest: Public Defense, Legal Aid
I was born and raised in California where, after attending UCSB and getting a degree in Political Science, I began work at a nonprofit that assisted houseless and low-income seniors. Throughout my time working there, I found out how much good an attorney could do and what a profound need there was in my community for legal services. Soon after joining L&C Law, I started working at Metropolitan Public Defender and felt like I found a group of attorneys doing the good work I came to law school to do. I’ve had the chance to CLS with MPD for the past year and have been very proud to join these attorneys in advocating for the rights and dignity of those the criminal legal system seeks to harm.
Sergio Del Carmen, ’26 Treasurer
I knew I wanted to be an attorney since I was in high school, but I didn’t know what kind of attorney I wanted to be. Throughout undergrad I worked an unsatisfying job at a coffee shop most of my time. School was something I did whenever I found the time to breathe. That experience led me to believe I was going to be an employment attorney. After going through criminal procedure, taking some employment classes, and working at the Bureau of Labor and Industry I made a shift into public defense. Since January I have been working at MDI as a CLS and I am not looking back. From my first days of law school I knew that what mattered to me most, in regard to what type of law I practice, is to put my skills to use for people that I feel comfortable having them. Public defense lets me put my skills to use for regular people, and I am happy everyday I get to serve clients in the criminal justice system.
Maxwell Bernardi, ’26, Secretary
I was born and raised in Portland’s Foster-Powell neighborhood and attended the University of Oregon. I came to Lewis & Clark with a desire to advocate for the legal rights of working class Americans, and quickly came to the conclusion that public defense was the best field for me to do so. I am passionate about the role of public defenders in advocating for their clients’ dignity and fundamental rights in the face of an overreaching state.