Introduction

Lewis & Clark Law School believes in a balanced approach to legal education that ensures a solid theoretical foundation along with hands-on experience in practice. Situated next to a state park, the campus is one of the most beautiful in the nation in one of the most dynamic cities in the nation. Students are only a moment away from an extensive trail system used by joggers, walkers, and bicyclists. The hub of the legal market in Portland’s city center is also just a few miles away by campus shuttle.

Enrollment/Student Body

The approximately 600 students attending the Law School represent a spectrum of ages, experiences, and priorities. Business executives, scientists, students of politics, musicians, and school teachers—people from many disciplines—meet at the Law School in a common pursuit. The atmosphere is one of mutual support during a time of academic challenge. Students and faculty can often be found discussing questions long after class has ended.

Faculty

The full-time faculty were educated at the nation’s most distinguished law schools. They reflect a breadth of experience and interests that give depth and creative energy to their teaching. A number of faculty members have spent sabbaticals teaching in other countries; several have been Fulbright professors in places such as Chile, China, Greece, Germany, Venezuela, Denmark, and Spain.

Library and Physical Facilities

The resources and staff of the Paul L. Boley Law Library well exceed the standards set by the Association of American Law Schools. In addition to a comprehensive collection of Anglo-American legal materials, our collection also includes extensive print and online materials in the areas of environmental law, commercial law, animal law, intellectual property, and legal history. Our librarians are experts in legal research and all have graduate degrees in the information sciences to supplement their Juris Doctor degrees.

The reference desk is open over 40 hours each week, and librarians are available not only in person and by phone but also by email and chat.

The law library provides more than adequate individual, group, and collaborative study space, along with wireless access that covers the entire campus. Nine group study rooms, two reading rooms, a computer lab, 128 study carrels, and over 250 other seats provide a varied mix of study venues, most with a view of the 600-plus acres wilderness park bordering the law school campus. With additional casual seating, a popular reading collection, and lounge space, the library is a pleasant, functional, quiet place to study.

Curriculum

The Law School confers the JD degree and specialized LLM degrees in Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law, and Animal Law. Our joint-degree programs include a JD/LLM in Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law, as well as a JD/MBA with Portland State University.

We also offer a Masters of Studies Program in Environmental, Natural Resources and Environmental Law for those who are interested in gaining a background in environmental law, but do not wish to practice law.

To earn a JD, a student must take a prescribed first-year set of courses. In the upper division, students must take Constitutional Law II, a professional responsibility course, and fulfill two writing requirements. Students choose between a three-year day program and a four-year part-time program. Admission criteria, faculty, academic opportunities, and graduation requirements are the same for each.

Because the Law School offers both a full-time and a part-time program, students have great flexibility in scheduling courses and in determining the pace at which they want to pursue law school. Classes are offered both during the day and in the evening. Many students transfer between divisions and use the summer school program to accelerate progress toward graduation. Regardless of the division in which a student is enrolled, students may select courses from either the day or evening schedule as they find appropriate.

Certificates

By taking a group of upper-division courses approved by the faculty, and by maintaining a superior grade-point average in those courses, a student may earn a certificate showing a concentration in animal law; business law; criminal law; environmental, natural resources, and energy law; international law; intellectual property law; public interest law; or tax law. Approximately 40 percent of our students receive certificates.

The Law School has nationally recognized natural resources, environmental, and energy law and public interest law programs. The school is also home to an incredibly strong business and commercial law program. The intellectual property law program and international law program are particularly dynamic, and our very popular criminal law program houses the first national organization in the United States to study and enhance the effectiveness of victims’ rights law. Lewis & Clark is also a national leader in animal law. All the traditional areas of legal study are fully covered. Students who do not wish to pursue a certificate may choose to study another area of particular interest.

Clinical Opportunities, Externships, and Simulations

A student may create a schedule with precisely the mix of practical skills courses that fit that student’s interests and needs. Students may choose among live client clinical experience, externships and practicums, or simulation courses. Lewis & Clark offers a small business legal clinic, an environmental law clinic, a nonprofit international environmental law clinic, a low-income taxpayer clinic, an animal law clinic, a crime victim advocacy clinic, and a criminal justice reform clinic. Externship requirements vary as students have part-time, full-time, and different credit externship options. Externs can work in the summer or school year, throughout the United States, and in foreign countries. Legal practicums are similar to externships, but the student works only part time in the Portland area while attending other classes during the semester. Practicum opportunities include placements with in-house counsel, government agencies, law firms, and public interest, nonprofit organizations. Other courses, such as moot courts, advanced advocacy, trial advocacy, criminal law seminar, commercial real estate seminar, corporate transactions seminar, and family mediation seminar, involve extensive workplace simulations.

Admission

Lewis & Clark affirmatively seeks a diverse student body. The Admissions Committee makes a serious effort to consider each applicant as an individual. Factors such as college, program of study, length of time since the degree was obtained, experience, writing ability, and community activities are taken into consideration. Lewis & Clark also offers an optional interview element as part of its review process. Only those candidates with excellent professional promise are admitted. Academic attrition is less than 1 percent.

Student Activities

At Lewis & Clark, students have the option to participate in one of our three law reviews, Environmental Law, Animal Law, and Lewis & Clark Law Review, as well as one of our nine moot court teams. There are over 40 student organizations and numerous opportunities and programs that bring outstanding legal scholars to campus for lectures, seminars, and other events.

Expenses and Financial Aid

Nearly every incoming student at Lewis & Clark receives some financial support during their law school career. The school annually awards unconditional merit-based Dean’s Scholarships to incoming students as well as fellowships and other forms of aid. Federal loans, work-study funds, and stipends to fund public interest law work are available. In addition, after the first year of study, students are eligible to apply for additional merit scholarships available only to upper division students. Lewis & Clark is also committed to assisting military veterans that receive educational assistance. Aside from offering a dedicated Veteran’s Services office that assists students with the application and verification process, it participates in the federal Yellow Ribbon program.

There is no separate application procedure for scholarship funds. Scholarship consideration is part of the admission process. Students are reviewed on the basis of undergraduate record, LSAT score, writing ability, activities, work experience, and personal background.

Students interested in loans need to apply for financial aid as early as possible and should not wait for an admission decision to begin the financial aid application. Applicants should submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

Career and Professional Development

The Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC) maintains and runs an extraordinary number and variety of programs. In addition to posting clerk positions for law students and running the on-campus interviews, the office maintains an extensive mentoring program, holds dozens of panels each year on various areas of practice, and counsels individual students from the first year onward. The CPDC staff consists of experienced administrators, counselors, and professionals, and includes an executive director dedicated to assisting public interest-minded students.