Carlisle Pearson ’20

Carlisle Pearson is a commercial litigator at Lane Powell PC, with his primary focuses in real property law, land use issues, administrative law, and healthcare law. He was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 2020.

Prior to joining Lane Powell as an Associate, Carlisle worked as a Summer Associate for Lane Powell. During that time, he assisted with litigation matters involving real property and land use, constitutional law, landlord-tenant law, contracts, and insurance law, among other areas. Prior to his summer at Lane Powell, Carlisle worked for the U.S. Department of Energy at the Bonneville Power Administration where he gained experience with inter-agency negotiations and assisted in matters involving energy law, forest law, Indian law, federal lands law, natural resources law, and environmental regulations.

Carlisle earned his Juris Doctor degree from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2020, graduating cum laude and earning a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. At that time, Carlisle was additionally named to the Cornelius Honor Society. While earning his JD, Carlisle served two years on the Lewis & Clark Environmental Law Review, first as a general member, and then as a Submissions Editor. Carlisle also served three years on the board of OutLaw, Lewis & Clark’s LGBTQ+ student organization, as Vice President, Co-President, and finally as Diversity Representative. During his time in law school, Carlisle was awarded numerous scholarships, including the Alumni Board of Directors Scholarship in 2019.

In 2016, Carlisle received a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies, a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies, and a Certificate in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. He was also named to the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society. In his final year of his college education, Carlisle authored an undergraduate thesis titled Perpetuating Colonial Constructions of Nature: “Arab Courier Attacked by Lions” as Taxidermal Diorama about an iconic exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. After presenting his thesis, he was hired by the Carnegie Museum as an exhibit specialist and writer to assist the museum in redesigning the exhibit. The exhibit redesign was completed in 2017.

Carlisle remains a committed advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition to his service on the Alumni Board, Carlisle is a member of OGALLA (Oregon’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association), the Oregon Attorneys with Disabilities Association, the National Trans Bar Association, and the National LGBT Bar Association. Carlisle also serves on multiple committees at Lane Powell in furtherance of his dedication to diverse representation and advocacy. In his off time, Carlisle enjoys drawing, painting, reading, playing video games, and taking rides in the countryside on his motorcycle.