Daryl Wilson JD ’80: 27 Years of Service

Professor of Lawyering

Path to Lewis & Clark

In the mid-’70s I was in Connecticut, teaching eighth-grade boys Spanish subjunctive—what a combo!—and really wasn’t enjoying it. Wally (my husband) and I had visited Portland on a stunning, crisp, sunny November day, so when I decided to go to law school, of course the Northwest beckoned. I expected our stay in the West to last only three years, though, as Wally’s a New Englander and they don’t always uproot easily. But decades later we’re still happy with our choice.

After five years as an assistant attorney general at the Oregon Department of Justice, I was offered a spot in a friend’s labor law firm. Then we spent a year in Buenos Aires. Steve Johansen lured me back to work, and to L&C. “It’s only a one- or two-year position,” he said to me 27 years ago. Wow.

Favorite Courses to Teach

I took delight in working with first-years in Lawyering and Civil Procedure, and AEP’s Summer Institute—there’s such great energy when people are just starting law school. The upper-division seminars, including ones I team-taught with Steve Johansen, offered different pleasures.

Most Memorable Moment

The law school taking steps in recognizing Lawyering Department faculty equity.

If You Hadn’t Become a Professor

I probably would have pursued something that would have built on my master’s degree in anthropology, which I earned prior to law school.

Biggest Change in Legal Education During Your Tenure

There has been an exponential increase in brain research and understanding how people learn.

What You’ll Miss

The camaraderie of my colleagues and students.

What’s Next

Recalibrating the work-life balance. Extravagant fun with my 3-year-old grandchild and more travel. Intriguing invitations are pouring in. Line dancing with friends I’ve known for over 30 years? Adult gymnastics at a local community center? Volunteering more with Classroom Law Project and Friends of the Library? Stay tuned, I’d say.