Faculty Committee (2 positions)

Sierra Phillips

Personal Statement:

Firstly, I really love Lewis & Clark and have established several strong relationships with faculty members. I am lucky enough to have Dean Klonoff as my faculty advisor, and he has been an excellent resource in making connections with faculty members. A strong presence as a student is important, which can be made through dynamic relationships with faculty members. I believe I have made several of those dynamic relationships which would aid my position in the committee.

Goals:

The goals I would like to accomplish if elected are to facilitate smooth discussions of issues which really concern students, while maintaining a respectful stance towards faculty concerns and ideas. Really, just making sure the students are adequately represented and that the information given by faculty is properly analyzed, understood and heard.

Ashley McDonald

Personal Statement:
First, I believe that I would be a good fit for the faculty committee because I am aware of the various fields of interests that students have and the resulting special needs and concerns that they have in regards to faculty and resources provided. I have past work experience in business and currently am very involved as an officer for the Business Law Society so I have a deep, personal understanding of what is important to someone interested in Business Law. I am also very involved with the International Law Society and will have an externship in India this summer, so I also aware of what students in Global Law are concerned with. Outside of these organizations, through my friendships with classmates and frequently attending various panels that I find interesting, I have learned a great deal about what students involved in Environmental Law, Animal Law, Human Rights Law, Family Law, and other programs care about.  At Lewis & Clark we are very fortunate to have faculty who genuinely care and try to reasonably accommodate student needs. I hope that through my awareness of the wide variety of needs that students have, and my accessibility to other students, I would be able to effectively communicate to faculty the students’ points of view when there are important decisions or when changes need to be suggested.

Second, I think I would be a good fit for this office because through the attorney network I have developed I am aware of what employers want from students after graduation and how faculty can help students meet this standard. As we all know employment opportunities are still less than desirable. For those that wish to stay in Portland the job market is even tougher, especially as local graduates are increasingly competing with graduates from out of state. Through my relationship with attorneys I have frequently received advice and overwhelmingly I am hearing that firms want to hire graduates who have practical experience. I think that at Lewis & Clark we have the unique advantage of having such a range of clinics and organizations that students are able to get practical experience in their field while in school, which makes them more competitive applicants after graduation. We have the Legal Clinic, the Business Law Clinic, the Tax Clinic, the Animal Law Clinic, Earthrise, and the National Crime Victim Law Institute. This is an obvious competitive advantage that Lewis & Clark students have that most schools do not, at least not to our extent. With budget cuts there has been increasing talk of reducing funding for these programs.  I think that it is important that these clinics remain available in some capacity so that students are able to get the practical experience that attorneys are looking for at clinics that are highly respected by local firms.

Finally I believe that I would be a good fit because I am very comfortable approaching faculty and candidly voicing student concerns. Through working on various projects and panels for student groups I have gotten to know faculty in several different departments. I have additionally sat in on a faculty meeting as part of the Business Law Society, so I do know how faculty meetings run, the perspectives and goals of faculty, and how to voice student thoughts and suggestions in a constructive, effective manner.

Goals:
I would like to establish a way for students to anonymously submit their concerns and suggestions to faculty.

I would like to ensure that Lewis & Clark graduates are competitive after graduation by keeping our clinics open so that students can build practical skills while in school.

I want to ensure that all areas of law are equally represented and that their differing needs are known to faculty. I would do this by speaking with students interested in the area and asking the various student interest groups for their input.