Career Programming for Law Students
Career Services hosts a wide range of events designed to help you explore your career options, make valuable connections, and gain experience.
A Note for 2Ls: Foundations Graduation Requirement
Attending one of these events during your 2L year - or meeting with your Career Advisor - will satisfy your Career Services Foundations graduation requirement. You must RSVP on Career Connect as each event draws near for attendance credit. These events are also open to 1L and 3L students for enrichment purposes, but they do not meet graduation requirements.
Questions? Email lscs@lclark.edu.
Upcoming Events
See Career Connect for a list of our upcoming events.
Explore Our Past Events
Spring 2023 Events:
Oregon Tax Court Externship Info Session
February 14, 2023, 12:00-1:00 p.m. PST via Webex - link in Career Connect!
Learn about the benefits of externing with the Oregon Tax Court from an exciting panel! The Oregon Tax Court is a statewide court with exclusive jurisdiction to hear many kinds of tax appeals under state laws. Questions encouraged! See the event page in Career Connect!
Career Paths in Sustainable and Equitable Energy with WRISE (Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy) - registration link in description!
February 15, 2023, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the LRC student lounge!
Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) PDX chapter is excited to host an evening event to highlight careers in energy law. Join them from 5:30 - 7:30 PM on Wednesday, February 15th at Lewis & Clark Law School to hear women attorneys from the private, nonprofit, in-house, and government sectors discuss their careers in energy law. Following the panel discussion, attendees will have an opportunity for networking. Light refreshments will be provided. The event is open to all – we hope to see you there!
There will be time for questions as well as networking after the panel. Register here! Additional info in Career Connect!
Fireside Chats Lineup
Fireside Chats are small group meetings with an attorney or two for the purpose of networking and advice. 2L, 3L, and recent grads are given priority on attendance. 1Ls will be placed on a wait list and if space allows, will be invited to join 24 hours in advance.
Upcoming Spring 2023 Fireside Chats:
March 2023
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April 2023
- Wednesday, April 12, 12:10-1:00 pm - Jenny Logan, Attorney Advisor for the US District Court of Oregon - topics: civil rights, immigration, housing, clerking, and more!
Career Series Lineup
Career Series events are open to all students and alumni of Lewis & Clark Law School. Each event is a presentation by a subject expert or experts focused on skills, tips, tricks and general info about a unique feature or area of practicing law.
Upcoming Spring 2023 Events:
Past Fall 2022 Events
- Wednesday, October 12, 12:10-1:00 pm - Career Exploration Panel: ABA Forum on Affordable Housing. American Bar Association Forum on Affordable Housing is partnering with Career Services to give a talk about their careers in this practice area across varied government, nonprofit and private law settings. The first 30 students to RSVP on Career Connect will receive a delicious burrito from Laughing Planet (veg options available). Panelists include:
- Jennifer Evert, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
- Kelley Longwell, Coats Rose, New Orleans
- Kelly Rushin Lewis, Jones Walker, Birmingham, AL
and more TBD!
Past SPRING 2022 Events
January 2022
- Thursday, January 13, 12:15 - 1:15 pm - Overview of the Oregon Department of Justice: Practice Areas and How Law Students Can Work With Us. (recording available, email lscs@lclark.edu)
The Oregon Department of Justice serves state government and supports safe and healthy communities throughout Oregon by providing essential justice services. Headed by the Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, it is the main legal branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The DOJ is part of Oregon’s executive branch, and most of its employees work in Oregon’s capital, Salem. For more information and a deeper overview, including how you might work in the many program offices and areas, watch this panel. Speakers include:
Office of the Attorney General - Ellen Rosenblum, Attorney General
Appellate - Nani Apo, Sr. Assistant Attorney General
General Counsel Division - Ella Rauch, Sr. Assistant Attorney General
Criminal Justice Division - Amy Seely, Sr. Assistant Attorney General
Civil Enforcement Division/Child Advocacy Section - Hannah Vaughn, Assistant Attorney General
Civil Enforcement Division - Kate Campbell, Assistant Attorney General
Trial Division - Nate Aggrey, Assistant Attorney General
Human Resources - Mistie Slauson, Sr. Recruiter - Tuesday, January 25, 12:00 -1:00 pm - Meet the Washington County District Attorney’s Office
Come get a sneak peak of the NWPSCF and meet the Washington County District Attorney’s Office in a casual, fun Zoom forum. Ask questions, learn about their work, find out more about current and future employment opportunities, and meet Deputy District Attorney Christina Luedtke. This event is open to all students, even if you are not registered for the NW Public Service Career Fair.
- Wednesday, January 26, 12:30 - 1:30 pm - Oregon Appellate Courts Externships Information Session. Justice Meagan Flynn, Justice Rebecca Duncan, and Judge Aoyagi share the benefits of externing with Oregon’s Appellate Courts. Students will have a chance to ask questions and learn how to apply for these opportunities.
February 2022
- Tuesday, February 15, 12:10 - 1:00 pm - Oregon Tax Court Judicial Externship Panel. The Oregon Tax Court is part of the Oregon Judicial Department. It is a statewide court and has exclusive jurisdiction to hear tax appeals under state laws, including personal income tax, property tax, corporation excise tax, timber tax, local budget law, and property tax limitations. The Tax Court has two divisions: the Magistrate Division and the Regular Division. Learn about Judicial Externships in this court. Speakers: Honorable Judge Robert T. Manicke, Presiding Magistrate Allison R. Boomer, and Staff Attorney Amelia Haynes.
March 2022
- Wednesday, March 16, 12:00 pm - US Patent and Trade Office Panel. The US Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. Staff Attorneys Charlema Grant and Emily B. Sprague from the Office of Enrollment and Discipline will discuss the work of the USPTO, their career journeys, and job opportunities at USPTO. Bring your questions and curiosity! This event is a collaboration of Career Services and the Small Business Legal Clinic (SBLC), which is part of the USPTO’s Law School Clinic Program.
- Friday, March 11, 4:00 pm - Panel for 1Ls: What It’s like to be a 2L Summer Associate at a Large Portland Firm. Career Services will host a panel and small group Q&A featuring large firm recruiters talking with Career Services from all three Oregon Law Schools. Topics covered will be the timing and basics of the application process and how to learn more about the culture of each firm. After the panel there will be break out rooms for each law firm, so that you can pop in to meet attorneys and ask them any specific questions you might have.
While this event is focused on the process of Fall Recruitment for current 1L students (interviews occurring in August 2022 the summer before they start 2L year), part time students, 2Ls and 3Ls are all welcome to attend to learn more about these Portland firms and their practice areas and hiring tips.
Panelists include:
Hiroko Peraza, Davis Wright Tremaine
Sharae Gross, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn
Sharina Nath, Lane Powell
Ariana Howell, Perkins Coie
Alvin Ma, Schwabe Williamson Wyatt
Bethany Brown, Stoel Rives
Jeri Chavis, Tonkon Torp
Past Coffee Chats
November 2022
- Thursday, November 10, 4:00 pm - Kristen Hilton, Senior Assistant Attorney General at Oregon Department of Justice - topics: working in government, data privacy, networking when new to Oregon, and more!
October 2022
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September 2022
- Tuesday, September 27, 12:10 pm - Amy VanHeuverzwyn, Senior Counsel at the AES Corporation - topics: Renewable Energy law practice (what it is and what it isn’t!), Law firms vs. Inhouse, Litigation vs. Transactional work, and more
April 2022
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March 2022
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February 2022
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September 2021
- Thursday, Sept. 9, 5:30 pm - Evening AMA! Holly Puckett is going to open a Zoom Room for you to hang out with her. It’s an Ask Me Anything, let her give you career support and advice.
- Friday, Sept. 10, 10:00 am - Morning AMA! Lexie Zirschky, JD ’14, is going to open a Zoom Room for you to hang out with her. It’s an Ask Me Anything, let her give you career support and advice.
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- Thursday, Sept. 16, 5:30 pm - Evening AMA! Holly Puckett is going to open a Zoom Room for you to hang out with her. It’s an Ask Me Anything, let her give you career support and advice.
- Thursday, Sept. 23, 3:00 pm - Torrey McConnell, JD ’17, and Bryan Brock, Deputy District Attorneys at Clackamas County DA’s Office; topics: human trafficking, community court, criminal law.
- Thursday, Sept. 23, 5:30 pm - Evening AMA! Holly Puckett is going to open a Zoom Room for you to hang out with her. It’s an Ask Me Anything, let her give you career support and advice.
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October 2021
- Tuesday, Oct. 5, 9:00 am - Rachael Federico, Supervising Attorney, Legal Aid Services of Oregon; topics: housing law, domestic violence, serving low income clients.
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November 2021
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Past FALL 2021 Events :
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Tuesday, September 14, 12:10 - 1:00 pm - Overview of the Oregon Department of Justice: Practice Areas and How Law Students Can Work With Us.
The Oregon Department of Justice serves state government and supports safe and healthy communities throughout Oregon by providing essential justice services. Headed by the Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, it is the main legal branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The DOJ is part of Oregon’s executive branch, and most of its employees work in Oregon’s capital, Salem. For more information and a deeper overview, including how you might work in the many program offices and areas, attend this panel.
Speakers include:
Office of the Attorney General - Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum
General Counsel Division - Sr. Assistant Attorney General Jake Hogue
Criminal Justice Division- Sr. Assistant Attorney General Dan Wendel
Trial Division - TBD
Appellate Division - Assistant Attorney General Nani Apo
Civil Enforcement Division (including ChAS)- Attorney-in-Charge Rahela Rehman
Human Resources - DOJ Recruiter Mistie Slauson 
Thursday, September 23rd at 7:00pm - PILP hosts Careers in Public Interest Law, via Zoom. Join panelists Tom Stenson (DRO), Taylar Lewis (Wiscarson Law), and Marc Charmatz (National Association for the Deaf), who practice disability law at national, state, and local levels to learn about public interest law.
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Oregon Legal Recruiters’ Association: Virtual Fall Roadshow
Friday, November 12 th , 12:30-1:45PM (Pacific)Co-hosted by career services of all three Oregon law schools (Lewis & Clark, U of O, and Willamette)
Panel discussion followed by breakout rooms for student Q&A with each law firm.
1Ls – Meet recruiters and attorneys from some of Portland’s most prominent law firms and learn about their 1L Diversity Fellowship Programs for summer 2022. Recruiting for these great fellowships is just around the corner! Curious or confused about the OCI process for 2L Summer Associate positions? We’ll cover that too!
2Ls – Interested in attending to learn more about these law firms and connect with their representatives? We’d love to have you join us!
Featured Law Firms:
***A SPECIAL NETWORKING SERIES: BRUNCH WITH THE BENCH***
Virtual meet & greets with area Justices and Judges:
- Honorable Melvin Oden-Orr, Multnomah County Circuit Court | Tuesday, October 26th at Noon
- Honorable Ramon Pagán, Washington County Circuit Court | Wednesday, October 27th at Noon
- Honorable Morgan Long & Honorable Patrick Henry, Multnomah County Circuit Court | Thursday, October 28th at Noon
- Honorable Josephine Mooney & Honorable Steven Powers | Friday, October 29th at Noon
- Honorable Adrian Brown, Multnomah County Circuit Court | Wednesday, November 3rd at 11:00 am
- Honorable Youlee Yim You & Honorable Michael McShane, US District Court for the District of Oregon | Wednesday, November 3rd at Noon
- Honorable Meagan Flynn, Honorable Lynn Nakamoto, & Honorable Adrienne Nelson, Oregon Supreme Court | Thursday, November 4th at Noon
- Honorable Ricardo Menchaca, Washington County Circuit Court | Friday, November 12th at 9:00 am
You can learn about clerking, ask them about their work, career paths…
Additional Events that Meet the 2L Graduation Requirement:
Our office has not planned or hosted these events, but our wonderful students and community partners have. We know they had quality content and good advice that meets our Career Services high standards of information that qualifies for the 2L Career Foundational Credit for our students. In order to receive 2L Career Series credit for attending one of these events, once you have attended the presentation, email Assistant Dean Hermosilla ( dhermosilla@lclark.edu ) what event you attended and your top three takeaways from the information.
Fall 2021 :
- Thursday, Sept. 9, NOON - Navigating Careers in the IRS’ Office of Chief Counsel. topics: litigation, transactional law, government law, tax law.
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Friday, Sept. 24, NOON - Careers in Immigration Law Panel , via Zoom. Come learn about the work of immigration attorneys at local nonprofits, Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization and Immigrant Defense Oregon, and attorneys partnering at local private firms specializing in removal defense, U-visas, and employment immigration.
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Wednesday, Sept. 29, 12:10pm - Panel on Careers in Business Law, Oregon State Bar New Business Lawyers, in McCarty Classroom 1, A Panel of business attorneys from the OSB’s New Business Lawyers group will speak to students about career opportunities in business law. 1L’s are particularly welcome, but anyone who is interested is urged to attend.
- Tuesday, Oct. 12, 12:10pm - Food & Agriculture Law Society Attorney Panel, via Zoom. Ever wonder what a legal career in food and agriculture looks like? Join us to hear from various practicing attorneys who work in food & agriculture law and policy.
Past Career Services Events
Where possible, we have an option to watch a recording of past presentations. In order to receive 2L Career Series credit for watching a recorded event, once you have watched the presentation, email Assistant Dean Hermosilla ( dhermosilla@lclark.edu ) what you watched and your top three takeaways from the information.
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October 7, 2020 at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm - PANEL: What’s It Like to Be a 2L Summer Associate at a Large Portland Firm? Please email lscs@lclark.edu to receive a link to view this past presentation.
It’s a chance to learn from Recruiters as Career Services hosts a panel featuring recruiters for a talk tailored for students from all three Oregon Law Schools. They talk about the kinds of work and mentorship you might expect working at their offices for a summer program as well as tips and ideas for your application materials. Panelists include:
Hiroko Peraza, Davis Wright Tremaine
Rebecca Schermerhorn, Perkins Coie
Dana Taylor, Stoel Rives
Alvin Ma, Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt -
October 12th, 2020 12:00 - 1:00 pm - Associates at Midsize Portland Firm Offer Career Tips for Law Students. Please email lscs@lclark.edu to receive a link to view this past presentation.
Hear from Lewis & Clark law alums (Emily Clark-Cuellar, Colleen O. Muñoz, and Nicholas D. Rogers, pictured above) who are just a few years into their law practice as they talk specifically on what they did to get where they are (midsize private law practice in downtown Portland) and how they think about job searching, what experiences in school (including clerking) were most helpful to their career so far, and what students might need to know as they are approaching midsize Portland firms.
Areas of practice include: Business & Corporate, Construction, Employment, Estate Planning, Family Law, Fiduciary Litigation, Guardianships & Conservatorships, Litigation, Real Estate, Taxation, Trust & Estate Administration and Litigation, Debtor/Credit
