Sophie von Bergen JD ’20 was recently awarded the 2025 Pro Bono Challenge Award in the “Individual in a Firm” and Oregon New Lawyers Division (ONLD) member categories for reporting the most time providing direct bono services . von Bergen is a member of Miller Nash’s litigation practice team where she focuses on complex litigation, class action defense n, corporate governance and shareholder disputes, and insurance recovery for policy holders.
von Bergen received this award in part because of the time that she spent working on a pro bono case that she and her colleague, Heather Van Meter, took on. They represented an inmate in Oregon’s Department of Corrections who suffered severe medical programs and pain and suffering after a botched eye surgery that ultimately left him completely blind in his left eye. von Bergen and Van Meter were ultimately able to negotiate a favorable settlement for their client in the amount of $1 million dollars a day before trial. (Read more about the case here).
von Bergen grew up in Portland, Oregon and earned her bachelor’s degree in Politics from Occidental College. During college, she was drawn to law, and her participation in a practicum called “Rebellious Lawyering” cemented her interest. After college, she chose Lewis & Clark Law School because she knew she wanted to return to the Pacific Northwest and practice law here in Portland.
Outside of her busy law practice, von Bergen is also the President-elect of the Multnomah Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, a co-chair of the Lawyer’s Campaign for Equal Justice Associates Committee, and she trains for and competes in horseback riding competitions. When asked if she could give one advice to her younger self or to a current law student, she says “Be open. Get to know practitioners and the practice. Even if there is not a current opportunity where you would like to work, stay in touch with the people you meet. The people you meet might move to another firm or organization that aligns with your interests.” She credits her judicial externship with U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie Beckerman as an opportunity during law school where she learned a lot by watching and meeting other lawyers and learning how judges approach cases. von Bergen also stresses the importance of fostering good relationships. You are building those relationships during law school and later on, you find yourself working with those same colleagues in the community. Finally, von Bergen highlights the importance of legal research and writing. Those skills are critical in the practice of law.