LAW SCHOOL PROFILE
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Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland, OR [By Heather Jung] Lewis & Clark Law School is home to the most respected and well-known environmental law program in the country. For the second year in a row, the program has been ranked first on U.S. News & World Report’s list of top environmental law programs. Now in its 36th year of existence, the program has set the bar for similar programs at law schools across the country.
Students interested in pursuing careers
with Lewis & Clark College. Since then,
repayment program for students who choose
in environmental law have several options
the law school has established itself as a
to pursue careers in the public-service arena.
available to them at Lewis & Clark.
premiere institution for legal education. It is
The program hosts several events throughout
J.D. candidates can get certificates in
currently ranked as a Top 100 law school by
the year in order to raise money, such as
environmental and natural resources law.
U.S. News & World Report.
auctions and a poker night that features a
Students interested in studying beyond their
Texas hold ’em tournament with a $15 buy-in.
J.D.s can get LL.M.s in environmental law.
According to the career services website,
Graduates of both programs have had much
there were 223 graduates in the class of
According to the school’s website, there are
success in the public, private, and government
2005. 214 of them reported they were
many reasons students choose to attend Lewis
sectors. From those sectors, they have gone
actively seeking employment. Of the 214 who
& Clark for their legal educations, the most
into judicial and teaching positions. Students
were seeking employment, 198 had found
important of which is “the quality and attitude
can also choose to participate in several
employment and two were enrolled in full-
of the people on campus. Visitors notice
groups pertaining to environmental law,
time degree programs.
students and faculty having lunch together in
including the Environmental Law Caucus,
the student lounge, discussing questions long
Public Interest Law Project, and Student
Lewis & Clark offers an evening division,
after class has ended. Equally evident is the
Animal Legal Defense Fund.
which enables students to spread out their
sense of shared effort and mutual support
classes over the course of four years.
among faculty, staff, and students.”
Aside from environmental law, students can
Students enrolled in evening classes take half
get their certificates in business law, tax law,
as many course hours at a time as students
intellectual property law, and criminal law.
in the day program. Instead of taking 13 to 18 hours, they take eight to 12.
Lewis & Clark Law School is strategically
On the Net Lewis & Clark Law School law.lclark.edu
placed-it is the only law school in Oregon’s
The school stresses the importance of public
largest city, Portland. It was founded in
service. The Public Interest Law Project
Public Interest Law Project (PILP)
1884 as a state law school. When the state
(PILP) was established in 1990 as part of the
www.lclark.edu/org/pilp
legislature attempted to move the school to
National Association of Public Interest Law
Eugene, administrators converted it into a
(NAPIL), now known as Equal Justice Works.
Environmental and Natural Resources Law
private institution. It was reestablished as the
PILP encourages students to pursue public
Program
Northwestern College of Law and operated
interest work. Stipends are given to students
law.lclark.edu/dept/elaw
in downtown Portland for half a century. In
who work in public-interest areas during the
1965, Northwestern College of Law merged
summer. PILP has also established a loan
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