Who are We?

Lewis & Clark Law School is the only law school located in Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state. We enroll 220-230 first-year students from approximately 2,500 applicants in our Day and Evening Divisions combined. Successful completion of either program results in a Juris Doctor degree.

The 700-750 students attending Lewis & Clark Law School represent a spectrum of ages, experiences, and priorities, due in part to the blending of the day and evening programs. Some students are in their early twenties, fresh out of college. Others are in their late twenties, thirties, or forties; some are embarking on a major career change. Close to 50 percent of the students are women. More than half of the entering class come from outside the region. Over 20 percent of our students are members of minority groups. Three of every ten students are married.

Most students are full-time day students, but about 25 percent opt for the part-time or evening program. First-year full-time students have classes during the day and possibly one evening class. Part-time students may attend all their classes in the evening. After the first year, all students have great flexibility. Students may readily transfer between the full-time and part-time divisions and may enroll in courses offered in either the day or the evening. Full-time faculty teach all first-year courses and the core upper-division courses in both the day and evening divisions. Because of the flexibility of our day and evening offerings, students entering school in fall 2008 will graduate at various times between December 2010 and May 2012.

Business executives, biologists interested in resources and environmental law, students of politics, musicians, community activists, teachers, health care professionals, internationalists - people from almost all of the analytical disciplines meet at the law school in a common pursuit. Students from around the world also meet here. In the past several years the law school has welcomed students from Albania, China, Russia, Japan, England, Canada, Morocco, Peru, and other countries. The varied perspectives brought by our students enrich the fabric of the law school community, whether in classes or during informal discussions and debate. Each individual also brings a special background to the practice of law after receiving the juris doctor degree.

Our students cite many reasons for choosing Lewis & Clark Law School. Probably the most important reason is the quality and attitude of the people on campus. Visitors notice students and faculty having lunch together in the student lounge, discussing questions long after class has ended. Equally evident is the sense of shared effort and mutual support among faculty, staff, and students.

Here a student finds all the hard work, long hours, and intellectual challenge customarily associated with law school. However, students also discover that they are regarded as individuals by their fellow students, by their professors, and by the staff. Both faculty and staff take special pride in seeing students progress and succeed.

Once law school is over, our graduates take jobs throughout the nation. Today our alumni practice everywhere from New York City and Washington, D.C.; from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii; and from Florida to California, and points in between. They can be found in every part of the United States and in several foreign countries, using their legal training in a diverse range of specialties.