Officers

Maxwell Bernardi ’26

Legal interests: Public Defense, Juvenile Advocacy, Post-Conviction Advocacy

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.

Alexander Gersovitz ’26

Legal interests: criminal defense, plaintiffs’ law, family law

I was born to and raised in western Montana by a public defender father and journalist mother; and I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon for over 10 years. I attended Reed College, where I wrote my thesis on radical environmentalism and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Prior to attending LC Law, I worked with attorneys to secure compensation for wrongfully terminated employees, to defend the rights of defendants charged with crimes, to advocate for people in family law matters, to ensure fair treatment for people injured in accidents, and to advocate for children at Youth, Rights, and Justice in Portland.

My passion for criminal defense is inspired by police violation of citizen rights, police misconduct, and police state overreach.

Isaiah Putnam

Legal interests: public defense, drug law.

I grew up watching family going in and out of prison. I met public defenders when I was veryyoung and knew that was what I wanted to do. Public defense to me means protecting theindividual citizen against the ever-growing powers of the police state. Oregon is experiencing ahorrific public defender shortage that will only get worse. I feel called to jump in the fray andstart fighting back against the prison industrial complex.